Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake with Maple Icing
Tender and moist pumpkin cake with maple icing
Today I'm digging into the archives to share an old favorite. My pumpkin cake recipe. We're so busy sorting, bagging clothes and boxing up books for donation, getting ready for the big move to Los Angeles (next Thursday!) that yours truly has not had time to bake.
But if I did? I'd whip up this moist and tender beauty of a cake.
Today it snowed. Our first snow of the season. After photographing the backyard oak and apple branches dusted in sugary white like some fairy confection I thought of James Taylor's line in Sweet Baby James. The Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting. And I decided to bake a cake. With cinnamon. I tried to whistle my way back to the house, to pierce the soft silence that only snowfall can bring but I am not gifted in whistling. A crow swung low overhead and cawed unimpressed with my feeble tune.
Maple Frosted Pumpkin Cake Recipe
This cinnamon laced pumpkin cake is so moist and delicious, you'll never believe it's gluten-free. (The recipe is inherently dairy-free- except for the frosting. See notes below to keep the icing GF/CF.)
For the cake:
3 extra large organic free-range eggs
2 cups organic light brown sugar, not packed
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 15-oz can cooked pumpkin
2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free flour mix* see notes
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon gluten-free Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10 x 13" baking pan with greased foil or parchment.
Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl till light and frothy; add the brown sugar, beat till smooth; add the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla; beat to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (the GF flour mix through sea salt). Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture a little at a time and beat to combine- for two minutes.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cake is firm and a wooden pick inserted into the center emerges clean.
Cool on a wire rack while you make your frosting.
Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz. softened cream cheese or vegan cream cheese
3-4 tablespoons softened unsalted butter or vegan margarine
3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar (more, if needed)
Beat until the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add 3 tablespoons of the maple syrup, and vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar a cup at a time; beat till smooth. Add another tablespoon maple syrup, if needed. Add more sugar, if needed.
When the cake is cool, frost with the Maple Cream Cheese Icing. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired.
Yields 15 pieces.
Karina's Notes:
My GF flour mix changes from recipe to recipe. For this cake I used my standard baking mix - 1 cup
For a change of pace I sometimes use Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix as my flour mix (and leave out the baking soda, powder). I make a simple vanilla icing, and sprinkle it with flaked coconut.
To make sweets for future treats: This pumpkin cake freezes quite well. I place the whole frosted cake into the freezer for about 20 - 30 minutes before slicing and wrapping individual pieces (this chills the frosting a bit so it doesn't stick as you slice and wrap). I store the wrapped pieces in a zip-sealed freezer bag.
To keep this scrumptious cake dairy-free use dairy-free frosting or vegan cream cheese and buttery spread, or Spectrum Organic Shortening; and add an extra teaspoon or two of vanilla extract.
More pumpkin recipes from Karina:
Brown Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Bars
Karina's Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Corn Muffins
More gluten-free pumpkin recipes from food bloggers:
Elana's Pantry Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Muffins
Simply Recipes Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars at Gluten-Free is Life
40 comments:
This recipe is similar to my pumpkin bread recipe. Hmm. I'm thinking I could convert it. I use my old recipe from Fannie Farmer. Thanks for sharing!:)
Hi Susan! Thanks for stopping by. I have very good luck using traditional recipes; in fact, most of my recipes are my pre-GF recipes, converted with GF flours, of course, and tweaked for texture changes. Have fun!
I was wondering what the exact measurements for the gf flour are, and is there a substitute for the corn?
Truthfully, my gluten free flours vary and I have no exact formula.
For an exact formula that I know works well, try using Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix [and leave out the leavening as mentioned].
To answer your question as best I can, though, I'd guess I used roughly a cup of superfine brown rice flour, and mixed in a half cup sweet rice flour, and a quarter cup starch, and a quarter cup quinoa flour. [By starch I mean cornstarch or arrowroot starch.] You can also sub tapioca starch for any recipe calling for cornstarch.
I find that gluten free baking is not an exact science. Humidity and other mystical factors seem to affect GF baking more than traditional baking. My cakes never turn out the exact same way twice. I've learned to roll with it and develop a *feel* for the batter as I make it. Intuition comes with practice.
My general baking preference is to use a combo of the rice flours [brown and sweet], almond meal, and cornstarch. I add buckwheat or quinoa in small amounts sometimes for added protein. I avoid soy and bean flours because I simply don't like the taste [or the gassiness that ensues!].
Hope that helps! [This really is a delicious cake. Worth trying.]
Good luck!
Have you ever tried using Montina (wild grass) flour in your mixes?
Karina,
Love your site and recipes. Just discovered I was gluten intolerant and your site was my saving grace. The great thing is, my kids absolutely love the recipes also!
I was wondering if you have ever tried substituting some apple sauce for a portion of the oil used in your baking recipes.
Hi Brenda!
Thank you- I'm so glad you like the recipes. I have not personally tried the applesauce substitution- but some of my readers have; they report good results.
If you do experiment, please stop back and let me know how you did it and what works.
My intuition is that the sub would work in cakes and muffins best of all (though not my totally flourless chocolate cake).
Take care!
Karina
Oh my land of mercy! Was this ever good!! I did this as cupcakes for Thanksgiving, and they were a big hit. I am taking the rest tonight to a home school meeting and don't expect for there to be even one left!
Thanks so much for your recipes. They are so tasty, that there is no need to say "these are gf" as a warning. Instead, when they love what they have eaten, I casually say, "Oh, yeah, those are gf".
TrinaBambina
Hey TrinaBambina!
So happy you liked the recipe- and what a fab idea- to make it as cupcakes.
I've been toying with that idea, too- to convert it to egg-free (I can't do a lot of my recipes any longer, due to new food allergies, and I'd love to have this recipe back- it's a good one).
Take care, and thanks for the lovely comment!
Karina
It's me again, after trying the banana snack cake I tried my hand at this one :) I'm new at the gf flours thing, and after reading your summary of legume flours I think I"ll just skip those (I can't do large amounts of legumes anyways, large amounts being anything over 1/4 cup LOL) so I used 1 cup almond flour and 1 cup sorghum flour. I cut back on the oil to just under 1/2 cup and used coconut oil, and used 1 cup organic brown sugar and 3/4 cup agave nectar. My husband comments that they taste better than their floured counterparts! (giggle-I love that since I'm the only gf one in the house and the only one that bakes!) I frosted with a vanilla spiced frosting, I'm seriously thinking about doing this cake for my daughters birthday in november! She's in love with it as well :) Thanks again for making my transition into gf baking a smooth one!
Becky
As a recent celiac, I have been without cake, cookies, muffins or bread for too many weeks too long. I finally found some Pamela's Baking Mix, along with some other exciting GF baking ingredients and can't wait for that first taste of delicious cake. Currently I have a big can of pumpkin pie mix, (which was bought by accident). Do you think I can substitute this for the pureed pumpkin or am I asking for disaster?
Becky- Thank you- and thanks for sharing your tweaks. I'm going to try this recipe with agave next- and heartier flours.
Munch- I'm not familiar with pumpkin pie mix. Does it have sugar? Thickeners added?
Karina
This looks really good! Any thoughts on a homemade frosting for those who can't do dairy or soy?
Hi Satori- Yes- I have actually modified this frosting myself to make it dairy-free.
What I do: Pour a box of gluten-free confectioner's sugar into a bowl (I'd say around 2 cups) and add 3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup and a drizzle of your favorite dairy-free milk; mix and beat; add enough liquid to make it smooth and spreadable; beat till creamy.
Taste test and add vanilla or maple extract if you need to boost the flavor.
Karina
I had this cake for each of my 3 birthday parties this month. I LOVE IT! Thank you so much Karina. Your recipes are the best! Cannot wait to try the pumpkin pie.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I made it for my BF's birthday and it was delicious.
I used half rice/half buckwheat flour which resulted in a very nice cakey texture.
Also adapted it by using roasted butternut squash/pumpkin/sweet potato instead. Also left out the powdered sugar from the frosting - it gave it a lovely sharpness in contrast to the sweetness of the cake. Yum.
Our son has been GFCF for almost eight years. Your site is my go-to for recipe ideas. Just made this cake over the holiday break. Perfect treat for this crisp weather, and you're right, it freezes very well. Our son has announced that this is his new favorite. Another winner for the Goddess. Thanks, Karina.
I wish you could feel my excitement for this cake! I have every single thing in the house, and need to make some sort of coffeeish cake for picky 8yr olds spending the night tomorrow.
I'm positively giddy.
xoxo steph
Hi Karina, This cake looks wonderful. The best part of fall is eating pumpkiny foods. I was wondering what the best substitute for quinoa is - we're off quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth (and soy). Maybe millet flour?
Thanks!
Hi Karina,
I just found your substitutions page - millet it is, then. Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Nancy
This came at the most perfect time as yesterday I processed the pie pumpkins in my garden and have an abundance of pumpkin to use! Thanks for all the fabulous recipes!
Holy yum!!
Karina...when did you get to go back to LA?? I guess I missed that part.
Vickie
what a perfect recipe for the holidays!
Hey Karina-
I was wondering if simply using rice flour and cornstarch would work instead of the GF flour mix?
Sophie
I just made a version of this recipe. I swapped in 3/4 cup of montina for some of the brown rice flour and all of the quinoa flour. Montina (the straight stuff, not the prepackaged flour mix) sticks to the teeth, but it tastes really good. I subbed potato starch for the corn starch. I also had butternut squash instead of pumpkin, so I subbed that.
I measured out my flours by weight.
I don't seem to have luck with GF baking in my 9x13 pan, so I used two bread pans. This baked up into really nice looking quick bread. Tastes fabulous, too.
Karina,
This cake looks amazing! I can't wait to try it!
Thanks for linking my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars on your blog...I am very honored!
Kim
Hi Karina,
I love all your recipes and just have a quick question about this one...I usually use Bob's Red Mill GF Flou Mix, but most things need a
"gum" to go along. Does Pamela's have that mixed in already or do you do this without the "gum" added? Also, any experience with doing a flax replacement for the eggs?
Thanks,
Tracy
Karina, My best wishes for your move. I so share your passion for life and people in the city! I also share your need for 'safe' healthy foods. Your recipes have been an inspiration. I have made many of them and my son and I are finally once again excited about delicious cooking. You are an amazing, creative cook! Thank you for sharing. (I also love your photograpy.)Anne Marie
Thanks so much, everyone for your kind comments. I'm so excited I can't sleep. xox
Questions-
As for flour subs- I don't see why any gluten-free flour baking or pancake mix wouldn't work. In fact, using a pancake mix in a baking recipe often helps boost the height and tenderness.
Rice flour question: I'm not a fan of rice flour, so if you like the rice flour/starch combo in your gluten-free baking, you may like it in this. If you try it, stop back and let us know.
As for the xanthan gum...
Here's what I find: In a recipe that uses pureed pumpkin, banana or applesauce, the xanthan gum is not as important because the moisture (and pectin, perhaps?) from the puree really helps the gluten-free flours.
And as for eggs... I'm not a fan of flax seed gel in gluten-free baking because I think it often gives GF vegan baked goods a gummy center. If you like using it, though, I wonder if cutting back on the fat a bit might help the batter from getting too heavy and dense?
Thanks to those who stopped back and shared their changes to the recipe. So many of us have unique needs (and various food allergies) when it comes to baking gluten-free. Sharing your tips really helps others in the same boat.
xox
Karina
I'm so excited you're moving to LA! I had a hard time moving here because I'm used to being empassioned by my home and city (which used to be Chicago and Montreal - wonderful places) and found I couldn't get the same type of enjoyment in LA - but it opened up a whole new world of self-discovery and personal enjoyment regardless of my surroundings, and now I love LA in a broken, sweet sort of way... like I love it for what it is now, and how it's helped me to grow. And just think of all the great places you can find to eat at that cater to GF and CF diets! It's a life-saver. Welcome to the sun!
Haha that came off more negative than I intended! I love LA, and you're going to enjoy it too. Good gluten-free times ahead! :)
Finally! I was so happy when I popped on here to read that you are finally able to break free! I am excited to see what the new environment stimulates you to create!
That pumpkin cake looks delicious too, I am loving that we are back into squash season.
-K
Let me just say " It was the Bomb! Our entire family gobbled it up! Our 7 and 9 year old had two friends spend the night and they gobbled it up! Didn't have a clue!
I bought some variety of " better than cream cheese" at the health store! I was a bit worried....but you couldn't even tell! THIS, I am making AGAIN tonight!!!! It didn't make it to leftovers!
Thanks for all of your great posts, Karina! I made this cake last night and shared it with our non-GF friends, who all loved it. My kids have wheat allergies but can handle other gluten grains according to our allergist and experience, so I made this with spelt.
We're also egg-free, so I used 1 part Ener-G egg replacer and two parts flax gel to replace the eggs. The cake rose and cooked beautifully with no gummy center. It was an egg-free success!
--Shawn
Thanks for the fun comments.
Shawn- I am SO happy to hear that you made an egg-free version of this cake. I'm going to try an egg-free version as soon as we are settled in Los Angeles.
xox
Karina
This was wonderful!!! I read all your feedback on the flour and decided to gamble on using brown rice flour with the 1/4 c. cornstarch. Cake came out WONDERFULLY! No funny texture. Cake was moist and the texture was so smooth I needed to keep reminding myself that I did, indeed, use gluten free ingredients!!
Num! I've never really baked anything (pre or post gluten) that didn't come from a box. I cook. I am afraid of baking.
This was my first (gluten free) homemade baking experience and the result: AMAZING! 4 thumbs up (my boyfriend loves it too!)
Thank you. You rock.--- Nikki
(Question: Is there a reason that the middle of my cake sank a little bit?)
Anon and Nikki- So glad you liked the cake. :-)
Notes to Nikki:
If the oven was not fully pre-heated to proper baking temperature, the cake may not be evenly/thoroughly baked in the center. Or if your oven runs slightly cooler- same. Or your ingredients were cold. Or it is humid and the flours were damp (maybe need 1 tablespoon less liquid). Also- with baking- measurements are pretty critical; best to use dry measuring cups for flour, and liquid for wet, etc.
Hope that helps!
Karina
I have a dear friend who will be the matron of honour at our wedding in 3 weeks: we're doing cupcakes or bundt cakes instead of the typical wedding cake, and I had planned to bake something specially for Julia as she is both gluten and lactose intolerant: this recipe sounds awesome (I've used some of your recipes before in dinner parties with her: they've all been great successes). Does this cake recipe translate well to cupcakes and/or bundt cakes? Do you know if there's a change/reduction/increase in baking time and temperature?
Regards,
Jennifer
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Karina