Here's a delicious paleo, gluten-free pumpkin cake to celebrate everything fall and good in the world! The almond butter frosting is the easiest to make, with only 2 ingredients!
Do you like pumpkin? I absolutely adore pumpkin. This is a food I would still eat if it had the nutrition profile of an iceberg lettuce. There are so many great benefits to eating pumpkin. It’s particularly high in carotenoids and antioxidants such as vitamin C, which helps counteract aging as well as boosting your body’s immunity. It’s also a good source of vitamin B6, Magnesium, Potassium and fiber—which is what makes us feel full longer and helps control blood sugar. That's why I put a heaping ½ cup serving of it here in this recipe.
What else is in the cake:
Ingredients used to make this
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Almond flour – I used blanched almond flour
- Pumpkin puree - canned
- Eggs – I used regular large eggs
- Salt – Pink Himalayan salt is what I have at home, so it’s what I use, but you can use any kind for this recipe. Since I use only a small amount, the conversion (between kosher and fine salt, for example) isn’t necessary.
- Coconut Sugar – You can use any granulated sugar for this recipe. Coconut, date and maple sugars are less processed sugars I would recommend. Honey and maple syrup should also work, but I have not yet tried. For keto options, you could also use stevia (but be sure to convert according to package instructions). I also put a range on the amount you could use (3 to 5 Tablespoons) because I personally prefer desserts that aren’t overwhelmingly sweet. I would say 3 Tbsp is subtly sweet, 4 Tbsp is sweet enough, and 5 Tbsp is sweet.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – lemon juice also works if you don't have apple cider vinegar
- Olive Oil – Instead of olive oil, you can use coconut oil, or avocado oil here if you'd like.
For the Glaze/Frosting I used:
- Almond Butter, like this one or any other natural nut butter
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Add ½ tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- Fold in some chocolate chips to the batter
- Or add raisins or dried cranberries
What are some ways you can eat these?
- Plain and warm
- sprinkled with cinnamon and granulated sugar of choice (see how I did that here)
- Glazed with this 2-ingredient almond butter frosting
- Frosted with my healthy chocolate frosting
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How to Store
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If you need to store them longer, you can place them in the fridge for up to a week or freeze up to 4 months. Defrost at room temperature.
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Recipe makes one loaf pan (I used a 1.5 qt glass pyrex, but any loaf pan should work).
Paleo Pumpkin Cake with Easy Almond Butter Frosting
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice*
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
WET INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbsp light olive oil or melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or grease the inside of the pan with olive/coconut oil.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl
- Add the wet ingredients into the bowl and stir until well combined. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly before taking out of the pan.
- Frost the cake with my 2-ingredient almond butter frosting, the healthy chocolate frosting, or a frosting of choice.
- Store in the fridge (in a closed container) up to 5-7 days, or freeze leftovers, safe for 6 months. To serve after freezing the cake, defrost the cake overnight in the fridge to eat the following day.
Notes
Nutrition
Gin says
I cant tell when this is done - it seems like mush and ive already extended baking time by 10 min ! Help ! I hate wasting good ingredients
Gi
All Purpose Veggies says
Hi Gin, sorry your cake turned out mushy! Paleo cakes are usually very moist so I try to bake them as sheet cakes or on other shallow pans to ensure even cooking. It could also be that your pumpkin puree had more liquid than the one I used. Hope this helps