pumpkin cake

06 Oct, 2026

From Alanna at bojongourmet.com

Ingredients

Wet ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus 1 teaspoon for the pan
• ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
• ¼ cup (60 g) crème fraiche (at room temperature)
• 1 cup (250 g) pumpkin puree (at room temperature)

Dry ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups (140 g) blanched almond flour
• ¾ cup (115 g) sweet rice flour
• ¾ cup (75 g) gluten-free oat flour
• 2 tablespoons (15 g) tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 ¼ teaspoons golden pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Topping

• 1 recipe brown butter cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350ºF.

2. Lightly butter an 8-inch square pan with 1 teaspoon soft butter. Line the pan with parchment paper on all sides.

3. Combine the softened butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It’s ok if the mixture looks curdled; it will come together in the next step.

5. Meanwhile, stir together the crème fraiche and pumpkin puree in a measuring cup.

6. Sift or whisk the almond, oat, sweet rice, and tapioca flours into a medium bowl along with the baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, adding back anything left in the sifter.

7. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until it’s mostly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture and beat on low until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle once more, then beat the batter on medium speed until light, airy, and smooth, 15 seconds.

8. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top, and bake at 350ºF until a tester inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs, 40-55 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should register around 190ºF.

9. Let the cake cool completely.

10. To serve the cake, lift the cake out of the pan, invert onto a serving platter, and peel away the parchment.

11. Top the cake with swirls of brown butter cream cheese frosting or other favorite topping.

12. Store the cake, covered, at cool room temperature for up to 24 hours, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to several months. The cake is best at room temperature so the frosting will be soft.

Notes

Ingredient subs

• In place of creme fraiche, use sour cream, vegan sour cream, or rich coconut yogurt. Or make your own creme fraiche with 2 ingredients.

• In place of sweet rice flour, sub by weight GF AP blend such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1.

• In place of oat flour, sub by weight sorghum flour.

A few size and shape options:

• Cupcakes - divide the batter between 12 muffin tins lined with paper liners and decrease the baking time to 20-30 minutes as needed

• Layer Cake - double the recipe and divide the batter between three 8- or 9-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper. Decrease the baking time as needed. Triple or quadruple the frosting and use it to frost between the layers and the top and sides of the cake

• Sheet Cake - double the cake and frosting recipes and bake the cake in a 9x13-inch pan, increasing the baking time as needed