Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

There's nothing I love more than pumpkin! It may just be the Fall season, because it's my favorite. Most people are all about pumpkin in the Fall.  Anyone who knows me, knows when I bake there will be pumpkin involved!
 I decided to throw this recipe together last night on a whim. I was craving pumpkin cake and cream cheese frosting. Now, I have to admit I have never made gluten free pumpkin cake before. This was a first for me! I usually make a lot of muffins and breads which are great, but I'm not a big cake person- unless it has PUMPKIN of course! This cake is absolutely delicious. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but seriously this cake is the BEST thing I have ever eaten! It is not only moist, but you can really taste the pumpkin which I love. The maple cream cheese frosting has no added sugar, just 100% pure maple syrup, and it pairs so well with the pumpkin! Now, usually for gluten free baking I would use zanthan gum, but I didn't have any on hand so I started researching what I could replace it with. Zanthan Gum is used mostly to help hold the gluten free ingredients together, since gluten free flours are very different from wheat flours. Since I started baking gluten free, I have always used zanthan gum. That is one of the first things you learn when you become gluten free...you have to use zanthan gum in baked goods. Well, let me just tell you that after my research and experiment with this cake, I will no longer be using zanthan gum! I read online that you can replace zanthan gum by using either flax seed, ground psyllium husk, or ground chia seeds. For this recipe, I used a combination of all 3 and it turned out amazing and so much better than zanthan gum would have. I plan to make a big bath of this combo to have for all my baking! All you have to do is use 2 teaspoons in your baked goods and voila.. You will get an amazingly moist baked good that's actually healthy for you! I think we could all use a little more health in our gut, and the flax, chia, or psyllium husk will definitely help with that!  There are also so many people now who are having bad reactions to zanthan gum, so this is the perfect solution. Here's a little tip: you may need to make 2 batches of this cake, because I can guarantee it will be gone in less than 2 days! Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Pure Canola Oil
1 Cup Organic Sugar
4 Large Organic, Cage Free Eggs
1 Tsp. Pure GF Vanilla Extract
1 15 oz. Can 100% Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup of Sweet Sorghum Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Millet Flour
1/2 Cup Potato Starch (could also use Tapioca Starch)
1 Tsp. GF Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. GF Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 Tsp. Ground Psyllium Husk, Chia Seeds, and Flax Seed combined
Coconut Oil Spray

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x6 pan with coconut oil spray and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, combine the canola oil and sugar and mix on medium speed until combined. Next, add in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Add in the pumpkin and mix until fully combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add in the flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and psyllium husk, chia, and flax combination and mix on medium speed until fully combined, around 2 minutes.
5. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for around 30 minutes.

Next, to make the frosting....

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp. Salted Butter, softened
3 Tbsp. Organic Shortening
8 Oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tsp. Pure GF Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup (I use dark amber)
1/2 Cup Raw Walnuts, chopped for topping

Directions:
1. With a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Next, add in the cream cheese and mix on a medium speed for about 2 minutes, until fully smooth and combined.
2. Add in the vanilla extract and maple syrup and mix until fully combined. Refrigerate the frosting until the cake is cool enough to frost.

Once the cake is cooled, remove it from the pan and transfer to a serving platter. Frost the cake with the maple cream cheese frosting, and add the chopped walnuts on top. Serve immediately and place any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

This recipe calls for a 9x6 sheet cake, but you could also make a round, 2 layer cake using two 6 inch round cake pans. There will be plenty of frosting left to do whatever you choose! YUM!

If you like this recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know!

Xo
Melanie