Gluten-Free Pumpkin Apple Pie Cake with optional Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Note that this pumpkin apple pie cake really shines, and holds it together, when made in advance. This allows both the flavor and cohesive crumb time to develop.
Author:
Serves: 12 to 16 slices
Ingredients
Pumpkin Apple Pie Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (can sub all-purpose flour if you don't need gluten-free)
  • 1¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (1/2 teaspoon above 3000 ft)
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ cups peeled, diced apple (I use Granny Smith)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar (see post above for unrefined option)
  • ⅓ cup sugar (see post above for unrefined option)
  • ¼ cup rice bran oil (or other neutral baking oil)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk beverage, lukewarm
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
  • 4 ounces dairy-free cream cheese alternative (I used ½ container of Daiya Original)
  • ¼ cup chilled coconut cream**
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla flavoring or extract
  • Pinch salt
  • ½ to 1½ cups powdered sugar (see post above for unrefined option)
Instructions
Pumpkin Apple Pie Cake
  1. Preheat your oven to 350º and grease a 9-inch baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour blend, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the apples, to coat.
  3. In a mixing bowl, blend the pumpkin, sugars, oil, maple, flaxseed, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the milk beverage, followed by the flour / apple mixture, stirring until just combined.
  4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, leveling out as needed. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the cake has pulled away from the sides and the center springs back when lightly pressed.
  5. Let cool completely before cutting, and preferably for several hours or even overnight. The cake will become quite cohesive and the flavors will meld as it sits. Will keep for about 2 to 3 days covered at room temperature, or longer if chilled.
  6. If desired, frost before serving.
Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)
  1. In a chilled mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese alternative, coconut cream, vanilla, and salt until just combined.
  2. Beat in the powdered sugar, to taste. I prefer ¾ to 1 cup, but you might like it cheesier or sweeter.
  3. If the frosting softens too much, simply cover and chill in the refrigerator. It should be a soft, but thick and spreadable consistency.
Notes
*This is a "gum-free" baking mix but is more binding than any other xanthan gum-free gluten-free flour blend I have tried.
**I use a rich coconut milk like So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk and skim the rich, solid cream from it for this frosting.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/pumpkin-apple-pie-cake