This gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin snack cake is super moist, slightly sweet, and has just the right amount of pumpkin spice. The cake is topped with a light, tangy and creamy dairy-free cream cheese frosting. The cream cheese frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness while the creaminess pairs nicely with the warm spices used in the cake. This recipe is straight forward and welcomes bakers of all levels. As long as the same ingredients are used and steps are followed, the cake will turn out perfect every time! Enjoy with friends and family during this cozy fall.
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You can swap out the spices for pumpkin pie spice in this recipe
If you don’t have ground cinnamon, cloves, or nutmeg but you have pumpkin pie spice in your pantry, you can use 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin pie spice to account for all of the spices in the recipe.
This gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin snack cake with cream cheese frosting does not have to be made dairy-free
If you’re just gluten-free and not dairy-free. Feel free to replace the dairy-free ingredients with regular dairy. The substitutions won’t affect either the cake nor the frosting. Enjoy!
Tips on how to make this gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting:
- Use the flour blends listed in the recipe. This recipe calls for both Bob Red Mill’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour AND Oat Flour. This combination will yield the perfect crumb. Omitting one of these flours will not yield promising results.
- Make sure to let the batter rest for at least 45 minutes. This way the tiny granules of gluten-free flour and oat flour will absorb enough moisture to create a soft, moist crumb to emulate a “regular” cake.
- Poke a tooth pick or a skewer into the middle of the cake after 30 minutes of baking. If there are small crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is ready!
- Make sure to let the cake cool completely before frosting. Unfortunately, this will take about an hour.
- Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer to make the cream cheese frosting. I understand we may not all have access to such kitchen tools but they are necessary to wipe enough air into the frosting.
What you need to make this gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin snack cake with dairy-free cream cheese frosting:
- 1½ Cups Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- ½ Cup Oat flour check FAQs to learn how to make oat flour
- ¾ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup Pumpkin Purée Any brand works
- ½ Cup Plant Milk
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ Tsp Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- ⅓ Cup + 1 Tablespoon Neutral Oil Olive oil works great
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Tsp vanilla paste
- 1½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg or 2 Tsp pre-ground nutmeg
- ½ Tsp Ground Cloves
- 1½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ½ Tsp Kosher Salt
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 8 oz Dairy-Free Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Plant Butter
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt
How to make gluten-free dairy-free pumpkin snack cake:
In medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set Aside.
In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, plant milk, brown sugar, oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) until homogenous.
Pour half of the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients.
Use rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate any lingering dry ingredients.
Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F during this step.
Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F during this step.
Grease baking tin and line with parchment paper. Pour rested batter into the baking tin.
Place baking tin in the oven at 350°F for and set time for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with small cooked crumbs from out of the center of the cake.
Once finished baking, remove cake from oven and let cool for 1 hour.
Cut the cooled gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin snack cake into 9 squares.
Pipe dairy-free cream cheese frosting onto the cooled cake.
Serve and enjoy!
Equipment
- Oven
- 9×9 inch Baking Tin
- 2 Medium Bowls
- Plastic Wrap for storing
Ingredients
- 1½ Cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
- ½ Cup Oat flour check FAQs to learn how to make oat flour
- ¾ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ¾ Cup Pumpkin Purée Any brand works
- ½ Cup Plant Milk
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ Tsp Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- ⅓ Cup + 1 Tablespoon Neutral Oil Olive oil works great
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract or 1 Tsp vanilla paste
- 1½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg or 2 Tsp pre-ground nutmeg
- ½ Tsp Ground Cloves
- 1½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Soda
- ½ Tsp Kosher Salt
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 8 oz Dairy-Free Cream Cheese
- ½ Cup Plant Butter
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Tsp Kosher Salt
Instructions
- In medium bowl, whisk together gluten-free flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set Aside.
- In large bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, eggs, plant milk, brown sugar, oil, lemon juice (or vinegar), and vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) until homogenous.
- Pour half of the dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and incorporate any lingering dry ingredients.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F during this step.
- Grease baking tin and line with parchment paper. Pour rested batter into the baking tin.
- Place baking tin in the oven at 350°F for and set time for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with small cooked crumbs from out of the center of the cake.
- Once finished baking, remove cake from oven and let cool for 1 hour.
- While the cake cools, use the following steps to prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the second medium bowl, use an electric mixture to beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Begin on slow speed and increase speed once ingredients are incorporated. Beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until frosting increases in size and develops a lighter color and fluffy texture.
- Place frosting in a piping bag or use an offset spatula and frost the cooled cake.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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