A simple and straight forward pumpkin cake to keep the pumpkin party going this month. Soft, moist, and perfectly spiced.
This month is all about pumpkin. So I’m sharing my super easy pumpkin cake recipe with y’all. It’s for all the pumpkin lovers out there who adore that rich pumpkin flavor and those cozy fall spices.
I have to admit that it is barely feels like fall here in Northern California this week. Despite cooler mornings, we’re still getting 80 degree weather in the afternoons. It’s that time of year when you don’t know how to dress cuz you’re shivering in the morning and sweating in the afternoon. But I’m not letting that stop my fall baking season.
Let me tell you why I LOVE this cake:
….pumpkin. Pumpkin desserts remind me of flannel shirts, changing leaves, and boot season. While I could live eternally in summer, the fact that I get to bake all the pumpkin things makes the transition to cooler weather easier.
….spices. Cozy, warming spices are the perfect side kick to anything pumpkin. The smell alone of this cake in the oven brings all the people running to the kitchen.
….the texture. This cake is soft and moist without being too dense. It’s got just the right amount of crumb.
….it’s healthy. Because I use all real food ingredients and load it up with nutrient-dense protein goodness, I can feel good about eating this cake and serving it to the little humans in my life.
….the frosting. I top this cake with a dairy free, silky smooth and velvety frosting that’s reminiscent of a traditional cream cheese frosting. It’s made with soaked cashews, maple syrup, and a hint of lemon to give it that tang that we all love. The cake is delish all by itself, but I HIGHLY recommend giving this simple frosting a try.
….easy peasy. This cake entails combining your dry ingredients and wet ingredient and them mixing them together. Bake and enjoy. You can whip up the frosting while the cake is in the oven. (Just don’t forget to pre-soak your cashews!!)
As always, my pumpkin cake is gluten free. The base of this cake is almond flour and a bit of arrowroot and coconut flour for texture. I use coconut sugar to sweeten it as it’s most similar to brown sugar, and I like a dry sweetener with moist cakes like this so it doesn’t come out too dense. I use ghee as the fat, but you can use butter or coconut oil if that’s what you like. And to give it that fall time vibe, I add a generous dose of pumpkin pie spice. I sneak in a bit of molasses to give it a richer, deeper flavor.
This pumpkin cake is the perfect fall dessert. It’s a total crowd pleaser and makes between 8 and 16 servings, depending on the size you prefer. Make it. Do it. Your people will thank you.
Hope y’all are having a wonderful fall so far.
Big love,
Katja
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Pumpkin Cake (gluten free and paleo)
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8-16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
A simple and straight forward pumpkin cake that’s soft, moist, and perfectly spiced. Topped with a dairy free velvety frosting. Gluten free. Paleo.
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (I use THIS brand)
- 1/2 cup arrowroot powder (like this)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour (I use THIS brand)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar (like this)
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (like this)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder (I recommend using a corn free brand)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (I use THIS BPA free brand)
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup ghee, butter, or coconut oil – melted
- 2 tbsp molasses (like this)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (I use THIS raw brand)
FOR THE FROSTING
- 1 and 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours then drained and rinsed
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- any type of milk to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350’F. Grease an 8×8 glass baking pan and line bottom with strip of parchment paper that comes up the side on two of the sides of pan for easy removal.
- Combine almond flour, arrowroot, coconut flour, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, fat of choice, molasses, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Pour dry into wet and mix until just combined.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- While cake is in oven, prepare frosting by adding cashews, maple syrup, lemon, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt to a high speed blender. Start blender and add milk of choice one tablespoon at a time – just enough to get mixture moving. You don’t want your frosting to be runny (I use about 2-3 tbsp of milk.) Scrape down sides often. Process until creamy, smooth. Transfer to a glass jar and place in fridge to thicken.
Notes
- If you don’t have pumpkin spice powder, you can make your own: 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon all spice, and 1/8 teaspoon clove powder. Use 1 tablespoon of this mixture for this recipe.
- Baking powders traditionally have GMO corn in them. You can find a corn free brand HERE, I prefer to make my own: 1 part baking soda, 2 parts cream of tartar, and 2 parts arrowroot powder.
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Oh my, that flavor of palm sugar and molasses is TOO much!! So good, thanks!
I agree! I don’t use molasses much, but in the right recipe it’s the best!
This is the most scrumptious looking cake! Seriously drooling over that frosting. I have to make this for Thanksgiving!
hanks, Jean! The frosting is super delish. Hope you get to try it. 🙂
Shared on facebook. Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it. I think your prep time needs some adjusting. It’s going to take more than 10min. just to get everything out and set up.
Hi, Don! Hope you get to try it. I try my best to estimate prep times. I know we are all different. It does take me less than 10 minutes to measure out and mix my wet and dry ingredients, but I have to admit that my kitchen is pretty well set up and organized with my ingredients. Either way, I think you’ll find that it’s a simple cake to make. Enjoy!!
They are so lovely! Moist and delicious!
Thank, ChihYu!!
Made this for my church small group and got rave reviews. Made some vegan cinnamon buttercream to go with it. Such a tasty dessert.
Yum! I love a good buttercream. So glad everyone enjoyed it.
Is there any way to substitute cashews? I’m super allergic to them. I’ve tried macadamia nuts in the past but they impart a strong flavor… would blanched almonds work?
I haven’t tried any other nuts besides cashews. Maybe you could do a cream cheese frosting instead. I’ve seen some decent dairy free cream cheeses lately that would work.
This is my favorite recipe for pumpkin muffins. I don’t make the frosting and bake 12 muffins for about 25 minutes. So moist and delicious!! Yummy!!! Today I made them with dried cranberries and pepitas. ?
Oh, yum! I love cranberries. I need to try that. I’m so happy to heat that you like them. 🙂
Can I sub tapioca flour for the arrowroot powder?
Yes! 🙂
so good!
You do not disappoint. I’m always weary of paleo breads and cakes coming out too wet. But, I make your easy bread regularly so I wanted to give this a go to bring for a coffee date in the morning. Of course, I had to taste test the ‘almost completely cooled’ cake. Center piece taken for the big reveal, and all I can say is it looks great, nicely risen, and tastes great, too! Thank you for sharing.