Pumpkin Pie Cake

We love to make fun of “Pumpkin Spice Season,” but in reality…we all secretly love it.  Right?  Right?! It is just a delicious flavor, and I’d be happy to eat it all year round, but the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice really do lend themselves to chilly weather quite well.  There IS a reason we are drawn to these things in the fall and winter; they are heat-inducing spices.  They actually make you feel warm and cozy!

I know, the name seems a little confusing.  But this dish sort of meets you halfway between pumpkin pie and a piece of cake.  It’s a little spongey, it’s creamy, and it’s just sweet enough.  I will certainly be making this a holiday staple for the next couple months.

I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, to be honest.  It’s a texture thing.  Not quite like the sturdy creaminess of cheesecake and it’s certainly not like cake.  It’s in its own category of “mush,” really. But the flavor is divine.  If only I liked pumpkin pie!  So, I set out to remedy that, and think I’ve landed on a pretty great thing.  With Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner, you should probably give this a try.  It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, heck…it’s practically paleo (if you eliminate the coconut sugar.)  So shine on at your next party with this “healthy” dessert!

Ingredients:

• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 3 bananas, well mashed
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup arrowroot starch
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 6 TBSP coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 10 inch springform pan with butter or shortening. Combine all wet ingredients plus the sugar in one bowl, and dry ingredients in another. Mix the dry into the wet and combine well.

Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then
pop the “pie-cake” upside down onto a pie plate.  Eat slightly warm, or allow to cool more and top with a whipped coconut cream* and sprinkle of cinnamon for that visually pleasing wow-factor.

This dish makes a great dessert, but I’d feel good about serving it up at a holiday brunch gathering, too.  I mean, if coffee CAKE is considered a breakfast food, then this totally counts, too!

So wrap yourself in sweet warmth in the upcoming months.  I’ll probably have a few more pumpkin recipes to throw at you before the season is out, so stay tuned!

Thanks for checking in to the Cupboard!

*Whipped coconut cream can be made by whipping the solid part of a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk in a cold bowl.  Do not shake, just refrigerate, and scoop out the solid part.  Add a dash of vanilla, or a touch of maple syrup, and whip with electric beaters for a minute or two.