Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cashew Frosting
Published Sep 01, 2019
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With creamy maple frosting and that classic fall flavor of pumpkin, this Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cashew Frosting is the epitome of fall baking.
Note: For the photo, we doubled the cake and frosting recipe to make a two-layer cake.
Pumpkin Cake with Maple Cashew Frosting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ½ cup arrowroot flour
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar, or heaping ⅓ cup (64 g) coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs, , at room temperature*
- ¼ cup coconut oil, , melted
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
For the frosting:
- 1½ cups raw cashews
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- Pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
For the topping:
- 1 medium sweet apple, , such as Gala or Fuji, cored and diced
- ½ cup toasted pecans, , chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- Mint leaves, , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, sugar, coconut flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, molasses, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Make the frosting:
- Cover the cashews with boiling water and soak for 15-30 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the maple syrup, milk, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Make the topping:
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping, except the mint leaves. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake, using as much or as little as desired. (Leave the sides of the cake bare.) Pile the apple topping onto the top of the cake. Garnish with mint leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
*Please note, it is not recommended to replace the eggs in this recipe with an egg-free substitute.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 11gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 263mgPotassium: 409mgFiber: 5gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 3905IUVitamin C: 2.6mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 3.3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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