Gluten-Free Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake
Categories: All, Cakes, Desserts, Holiday, Recipes, Thanksgiving
Tags: , Dairy Free, Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Desserts, Healthy Gluten-Free Desserts, Healthy Gluten-Free Recipes, Low Fat Gluten-Free, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Recipes
In my quest for ever more ways to use pumpkin this season, I was intrigued by a reader recipe that was sent in calling for my Jules Cake Mix + pumpkin and very little else. Her recipe was called a Pumpkin Coffee Cake because she had added a crumbled topping and glaze to the base cake. I tried her recipe and my kids, especially, really enjoyed it.
I was inspired to tweak the recipe though, based on the fact that the cake itself was so moist and delicious, even though it was made without any added fat. That’s right: no butter; no oil; no shortening! What if I could write the recipe so that the cake stood on its own, without any crumble or glaze? This cake could be downright healthy!
Following several experiments (necessitating many taste-tests!) I’m now proud to present what my household has affectionately named, Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake!
In all honesty, this is one of the easiest cakes I have ever made (are you listening, all you hesitant bakers?! This recipe is EASY PEASY!), and it is all pleasure without any guilt! I just might even be adding this new favorite to my Thanksgiving menu!
Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake
- 1 Jules Cake Mix*
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tbs. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 cups brown sugar or unrefined coconut palm sugar
- 2 large eggs (OR add 2 Tbs. arrowroot powder to dry ingredients + 2 Tbs. applesauce)
- 1 can pumpkin purée (15 oz. canned or bake your own)
*Note: if you don’t have my Jules Cake Mix on hand and must make this recipe right away (it does look good, doesn’t it?!), use the dry ingredients from this scratch cake recipe (don’t add the sugar from that recipe, though) in place of the Jules Cake Mix, then add the ingredients & follow the directions as written above!
Pre-heat oven to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection). Spray bundt or 9×13” pan with non-stick cooking spray. To make cupcakes, oil or line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (Makes 28-30 cupcakes).
Whisk together the cake mix and dry ingredients. Add the eggs (or see egg substitute instructions, above) and pumpkin purée. Beat until smooth, and pour into the prepared pan(s). The mixture will be thick. Smooth the top(s) with a rubber spatula.
For bundt cake, bake for 40 minutes; for 9×13” cake, bake for 30-35 minutes; for cupcakes, bake for 20 minutes. Test for doneness before removing from the oven by inserting a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of the cake or cupcakes to be sure it comes out clean. Add time if necessary to fully bake the cakes.
After 15-20 minutes of total cooling time, gently invert the cakes to remove them from the pans, then flip gently back onto the wire rack until fully cooled.
Sift confectioner’s sugar on top, or add your favorite cream cheese frosting.
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17. Nov, 2012
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Allison said: on November 15, 2012
This sounds great and I’d love to make it for Thanksgiving but I can’t get your mix in time. Do you have a work around suggestion to replace the mix?
Jules said: on November 15, 2012
Hi Allison, I just added a note of how to make it from scratch with my flour instead of my Jules Cake Mix. Use this scratch cake recipe in place of the Jules Cake Mix, then add the spices & ingredients noted above and follow the rest of the recipe as written. I hope you get to make it for Thanksgiving!!
Pam G. said: on November 16, 2012
I’m hoping I’m reading this right – but granulated sugar IS dry….do I add the amt. of sugar listed in BOTH recipes?
Jules said: on November 16, 2012
Sorry for any confusion, Pam. If you’re using my mix, you just add the mix plus the ingredients listed in this recipe (the cake mix doesn’t include sugar). If you’re making the scratch version, use only the sugar listed here plus the other dry ingredients listed in the cake recipe. Make sense?
Debbie said: on November 19, 2012
Hi Jules,
I want to ensure that I have the correct ingredients for your Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake since I don’t have your cake mix. Will you please tell me which of the following ingredients should be removed for the recipe?
Thanks,
Debbie
•3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
•1 Tbs. gluten-free baking powder
•1/4 cup powdered milk (dairy or non-dairy alternative)
•1/4 tsp. salt
•1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative
•4 large eggs
•2 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
•1 cup milk or non-dairy alternative
•2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•1 tbs. pumpkin pie spice
•1/2 tsp. ground cloves
•2 cups brown sugar
•2 large eggs
•1 can pumpkin purée (15 oz. canned)
Jules said: on November 20, 2012
Hi Debbie, if you’re making from scratch, basically you would just mix up the dry ingredients from the scratch recipe, except you don’t add the sugar to that mix — follow the Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake recipe for sugar. So, you’d whisk together the first 4 ingredients in your list and then treat that like the cake mix called for in the Pumpkin Gingerbread Recipe. Hope that explains it! Enjoy!
Mary L. Sutherland said: on November 16, 2012
Your recipe calls for 1 Jules Mix. Does that mean 1 cup?
Jules said: on November 16, 2012
Hi Mary – the recipe actually calls for one of my Jules Cake Mixes. If you don’t have one of my cake mixes, use my All Purpose Flour in the scratch cake recipe noted in the introduction. Enjoy!
Nancy G said: on November 16, 2012
Can you also post the recipe for the pumpkin coffee cake? It would be great to have also. Thanks.
June said: on November 16, 2012
Jules,
When one if your recipes call for dry milk powder, is there a substitute I can use for that? I’m specifically referring to the “from scratch” cake recipe but have noticed that many have this ingredient that I don’t usually keep on hand. And I would love to try this cake!
Jules said: on November 16, 2012
Hi June, rather than dry milk powder, you could use almond meal. Check my blog post on how to make this expensive ingredient yourself — it’s easy and much cheaper! Making your own almond meal.
Suzanne said: on November 16, 2012
Does this recipe really call from 2 CUPS of brown sugar? That seems like a lot for being “healthy.”
Jules said: on November 16, 2012
Hi Suzanne, I actually enjoyed making the cake with unrefined coconut palm sugar, which is healthier than regular sugars – maybe you’d like to try it that way as well? Feel free to cut back on any sweeteners in recipes you see, but note that the texture will also be affected. This cake is very low fat, but it’s not low sugar. I hope you get to make it sometime!
Pam said: on November 16, 2012
I made this exactly as printed with your cake mix and a 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin, eggs, etc. The batter was SO THICK there was no way toput it in a bunt pan. I had to use an ice cream scooper to put in cupcake tins. Came out like they went in…batter didn’t spread or “smooth out”. Tastes good but really dense. Any suggestions or insight as to what went wrong? Was your batter really thick??
Jules said: on November 19, 2012
Hi Pam, yes, the batter is thick, but you should be able to smooth the top with a spatula before it goes in the oven. The cake should come out very moist, and heavy in the same way that a fruit bread (like banana bread) is heavy. I’m glad you like the taste – perhaps with this in mind, you’ll know you didn’t mess it up when you make it next time!