Mary berry Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake
Tender, moist gluten-free pumpkin cake, slathered in a rich cinnamon cream cheese frosting – 30th birthday cake perfection!
IT’S [almost] MY BIRTHDAY! 🎉🎉🎉
Tomorrow I turn the big 3-0 (ahhhh) and, obviously, I’m all about getting the party started early.
Orrrrr I might actually be celebrating (slash mourning) my last few days as a 20-something. Either way, I’d say the occasion calls for cake. Who’s with me?!
This year when I was thinking about what cake I wanted to make myself (wait, you don’t bake yourself birthday cakes? 😋) I knew that I wanted to make something pumpkin-y (duh) and something that took relatively little effort.
I AM 30 after all, and when you’re 30 (or almost 30) even getting out of bed can feel like a chore. EVERYTHING HURTS. Ok, ok, I’m being a bit melodramatic, but YOU GUYS. The struggle is real, and simple is the only way to go.
My mother-in-law actually introduced me to this cake, when she made it for me for dessert after one of our weekly family dinners. A friend of hers heard that I had celiac and passed this recipe along to her, and let me tell you: after one bite, and then seeing the recipe, I was absolutely blown away.
With how incredibly tender and moist (and with the PERFECT crumb, mind you) I was certain that this gluten-free pumpkin cake HAD to have some kind of secret ingredient.
NOPE. It’s a birthday miracle! This cake is incredibly simple, has been tested with just about every gluten-free flour blend under the sun, and is perfect EVERY.TIME.
Being the cinnamon addict that I am (and the BIRTHDAY GIRL 💁 – have I mentioned that yet? 😆), I decided to add a little cinnamon to the cream cheese frosting and whooooa baby am I ever so glad I did. It’s like this already insanely delicious pumpkin cake went and put on it’s special party outfit just for me.
The extra cinnamon is just what was needed to really get this birthday celebration rocking.
Oh, and if I haven’t mentioned it before, there is only ONE rule when it comes to icing: Lay it on THICK. ↓↓↓
Of course this pumpkin cake isn’t just for birthdays – it would be a GREAT addition to your Thanksgiving dessert spread (and everyone will thank you for making something other than pie!) or, you know, to celebrate a random Wednesday, because: anything to help you get through a Wednesday.
It ALSO makes a great breakfast…. and lunch… and dinner.
Confession: I’ve been eating this pumpkin cake literally every meal for the last 48 hours. I mean, if we’re getting technical, pumpkin is a vegetable. So it’s totally appropriate to have for breakfast, and basically counts as a salad for lunch. Riiiiight?
(It’s my birthday, so just play along, mmmk?! 😜)
Thanks to this delectable gluten-free cake, I have to say that the transition to 30 is pretty sweet so far.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake
- PUMPKIN CAKE:
- 4 eggs
- 15 oz can pumpkin
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthun gum (if your blend doesn’t contain it)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup butter, softened (4 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lb. box powdered sugar (about 3 ¾ cups)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil until well blended.
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix until smooth.
- Pour into an ungreased 9×13 inch pan.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the cinnamon and powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Frost cake once it is completely cool.
