Here’s another seasonal favorite made paleo and gluten-free…a moist and delicious pumpkin cake using real pumpkin…
Oh yes, it’s that time of year…and right now I love everything pumpkin!
To me it’s the one flavor that represents everything that’s great about the season, from the crisp autumn days to the family coming home for Thanksgiving – all rolled into one.
This is a very easy cake recipe that comes with a super-simple, light and creamy frosting. Sprinkle a few dark mini-chocolate chips on top for a little extra wonderful.
It’s a fairly dense and moist cake I think you’re really going to like…with a texture somewhere between a pie and a cake. And while it may look like a sugar high on a plate, it’s really not an overly-sweet paleo dessert – I wanted that rich pumpkin taste we all love to be the star of this one!
And like almost all my paleo dessert recipes with a few more carbs, I try to keep the servings on the small side. Portion control! So you should get about 9 tasty squares that are about an inch-and-a-half high (including the frosting) from an 8″ x 8″ pan.
But if you have more self-control than I do, or you’ve got a crowd coming over you want to treat, then go ahead and double the recipe!
Here are just a couple of baking tips for you before you get out the mixing bowls…
First, I lined the bottom of the pan with a square piece of parchment paper just in case the cake decided to stick…it lifted right off the parchment with no problems so I suggest you do that too.
And second, after you’ve let the cake cool and layered on the cinnamon-vanilla frosting, stick it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so – you just want to give the frosting a little extra time to set up before you serve it.
Hope you enjoy this little paleo and gluten-free pumpkin cake recipe, and as always, let me know what you think!
Paleo Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon-Vanilla Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients (Mix together in one bowl)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup almond four
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice + 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
Wet Ingredients (Mix together in a separate bowl)
- 4 eggs whipped slightly
- 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup of coconut oil
- 3/4 cup of canned or puréed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
- 1/2 cup of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
Cinnamon-Vanilla Frosting
- 1/2 cup of palm shortening
- 1/4 cup of raw honey
- 3 tbs of tapioca flour
- 1 tbs coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F
- Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl
- Whisk together throughly to form a batter
- Line the bottom of an 8″x8″ pan with parchment paper (recommended to prevent sticking)
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and even out into a layer
- Place on center rack of 350º F oven
- Bake approximately 25-30 minutes (IMPORTANT: Oven cooking times and temperatures always vary. Just be sure and stick a toothpick into the center of cake to test doneness…if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready.)
- Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the frosting
Cinnamon-Vanilla Frosting Instructions
- Simply combine all the frosting ingredients and mix well – I used a stand mixer to make sure it comes out nice and smooth
- Layer frosting on top of cooled cake
- Sprinkle with a few dark chocolate mini-chips if desired
- TIP: Place frosted cake in refrigerator for about 15 minutes to allow the frosting to harden a bit before serving.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator