What I love about Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
This Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake is seriously delicious! I was so thrilled with how it turned out—from the first bite, I knew it was a winner. The cake comes out incredibly moist, warmly spiced, and full of cozy fall flavour. Plus, the sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting ties everything together beautifully.
Not only is this cake gluten-free and grain-free, but it’s also surprisingly easy to make. Whether you’re an experienced baker or just getting started, you’ll appreciate how simple and foolproof this recipe is.
Even better, it’s versatile. For instance, you can bake it as a classic layer cake for a more festive presentation, or go with a sheet cake version to keep it simple. Either way, it works perfectly for Thanksgiving or any fall gathering. Above all, this has become a family favourite in my home, and I truly hope it becomes one of yours too.
Two ways to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
There are two ways to make this cake: a layer cake or a single square cake. If you want to make a layer cake, you will need two 9” round cake pans. For the square cake you will need one 8”x 8” square cake pan. The layer cake will provide about 8-10 servings and the square cake will provide 8-9 servings.
For the layer cake, you will divide the batter evenly among the two cake pans and bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until just done. A toothpick inserted should come out not with wet batter but maybe a few crumbs. Let them cool completely before frosting.
For the square cake, you will add all of the cake batter into the prepared 8″x8″ pan and bake at 350F for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs, but not wet batter. Let it cool completely before frosting.
What you will need to make Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
Here’s a list of ingredients that you will need:
- Almond flour – The only flour you need for this amazing gluten-free cake is almond flour! I love baking with almond flour because it is naturally gluten-free, grain-free and lower in carbs.
- Spices – You only need one spice for this cake: pumpkin pie spice! You can find this at your local grocery store or baking store. It’s a blend of spices that just make the mot delicious cakes, muffins, loaves etc.
- Eggs – You will need 4 medium-sized eggs for this cake!
- Olive oil – Olive oil is one of the ingredients that makes this cake so moist and delicious. I recommend extra virgin olive oil.
- Sugar – For the cake you will need granulated sugar as well as brown sugar and then you will need confectioners sugar for the frosting.
- Pumpkin puree – What’s a pumpkin cake without pumpkin puree? I love using pumpkin in baking and cooking alike not only because of the flavour, but it’s also very nutritious! **MAKE SURE you are buying pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling which has all sorts of additives including sugar. We just want the purest, simplest form of pureed pumpkin.
- Lemon juice – A little lemon juice is required as acid to activate the baking soda. You could also use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Cream cheese – The frosting is cream cheese-based which is my favourite type of frosting! It goes beautifully with this pumpkin cake. Make sure your cream cheese blocks are at room temperature to make beating easier.
- Heavy cream – You will also need a little cream to thin out the frosting. Start with 2 tbsp and then continue to add 2 tbsp at a time until you have your desired consistency. Don’t add too much! If the frosting is too liquid-y it won’t pipe very well at all.
FAQ:
I don’t recommend substituting the almond flour for another flour unless you know the exact conversion. All flours are not created equally. Almond flour has a unique texture in that it is more coarse than regular flour/gluten-free flour blends. So, it does not measure 1:1 to most other flours.
For both the layer version and square cake version, grease and line cake pans with parchment paper. Once the cakes have baked, let them cool for about 15-20 minutes in their pans before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
If the consistency is too thick, add 2 tbsp heavy cream at a time until your desired consistency. Make sure it’s not too thin and you are still able to pipe/spread it and have it hold its shape.
Yes, you can make both the cake and frosting a day in advance. Once the cakes have fully cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap nice and tight so they don’t dry out and store at room temperature overnight. For the frosting, whip the frosting and add it to a piping bag. Twist the end to close it and secure with an elastic. Then, store in the fridge overnight. Just remember to remove the frosting from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you want to pipe so that it can soften.
Any leftover cake can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cake
Equipment
- 2 9" Round Cake Pans
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 4 eggs beaten
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 cup organic brown sugar
- 1/4 cup organic sugar
- 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the cream cheese frosting:
- 1 1/2 250g bricks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- roasted pecans optional, chopped, for topping
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line with parchment paper two 9" round cake pans.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
- In another medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the olive oil, pumpkin puree, lemon juice and vanilla and mix again until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
For the cream cheese frosting:
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese for 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the heavy cream and beat again for another minute. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- If the frosting is too thick, you can add a couple tbsp of heavy cream at a time until you have the consistency that you like. Set aside.
- If garnishing with roasted pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350F for 10 minutes. Once cooled, chop them small and set them aside.
- Add about 1/3 of the cream cheese frosting on top of the first layer of cake and spread it out evenly. Then, add the second layer of cake and another 1/3 of the frosting to the top spreading it out into an even layer.
- Frost the sides of the cake with the remaining 1/3 of the cream cheese frosting. Top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- If making a single cake, use a greased 8″x8″ square baking pan and bake at 350F for 30-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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