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Home » Recipes » Desserts

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cake

Published: Oct 2, 2020 · Modified: Oct 30, 2022 by Sara Vaughn · 12 Comments

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This gluten-free pumpkin cake recipe makes the most delicious gluten-free pumpkin bars topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting you've ever had!

A gluten-free cake that is soft, fluffy, and loaded with pumpkin spice flavor does exist. This gluten-free pumpkin cake is the perfect gluten-free pumpkin dessert to enjoy all season long.

A gluten-free pumpkin cake with a corner slice cut away from the rest of the cake.
Jump to:
  • Ingredients.
  • Ingredient notes and substitutions.
  • Allergen notes.
  • Steps.
  • Frosting pumpkin cake.
  • Tips and tricks.
  • Storing.
  • More gluten-free desserts.
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments and Ratings

Ingredients.

There is nothing scary in the ingredients to make this gluten-free pumpkin cake.

  • Pumpkin Puree
  • 1:1 Gluten-free Flour
  • Arrowroot Starch
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Sugar
  • Brown Sugar
  • Light Cooking Oil
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Spices
Overhead view of the ingredients for a gluten-free pumpkin cake, also known as pumpkin bars.

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Ingredient notes and substitutions.

  • 1:1 Gluten-free Flour. - I find the King Arthur brand 1:1 blend that contains xanthan gum works great in this recipe. You want a blend that has lighter gluten-free flours and xanthan gum. If your flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add a teaspoon to the flour before mixing it into the batter.
  • Arrowroot Starch. - If you can't find arrowroot starch, you can also substitute in corn starch or potato starch.
  • Pumpkin puree. - This is the plain pumpkin in a can. You do NOT want a pumpkin pie filling in a can for this pumpkin cake. You also do NOT want to use a more watery canned pumpkin puree. I've found a few of the organic brands tend to contain more water. For this recipe, I use Libby's 100% pure pumpkin cans that are gluten-free. You can also make homemade pumpkin puree if you want really fresh pumpkin taste.
  • Light cooking oil. - Using light cooking oil in this gluten-free makes it also a dairy-free cake. I use avocado oil, but you can use any light cooking oil that you prefer.

Allergen notes.

Grain-free cake - If you want to make this gluten-free pumpkin cake completely grain-free, you can do so by switching out the 1:1 gluten-free flour for cassava flour by weight. This will make it a cassava flour cake that is completely grain-free. Just make sure that you whisk the cassava flour before measuring it by weight because it settles a lot.

Grain-free baking tip: Baking powder typically contains corn, so if you avoid grains, you might want to make your own.

  • 4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar
  • 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
  • 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch
  • Mix them together and then measure them like regular baking powder. Store in an airtight container.

Dairy-free pumpkin cake. - This gluten-free pumpkin cake is already gluten-free. Typically I frost the cake with a maple cream cheese frosting, which would make the cake not dairy-free. To keep the frosting dairy-free, you can substitute the butter and cream cheese for dairy-free alternatives or sub in equal parts palm shortening. It will still be delicious.

Steps.

  1. Add the wet ingredients to a bowl.
  2. Mix until combined.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet.
  4. Stir it in until no dry ingredients remain.
  5. Transfer the pumpkin cake batter to a 9x13 baking pan.
  6. Bake until a toothpick comes out almost clean.
The step photos for making the batter for a gluten-free pumpkin cake.

Frosting pumpkin cake.

  • I like to frost this gluten-free pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting. I find it has a perfectly sweet flavor that goes well with the pumpkin spice flavors in the cake. (Recipe for cream cheese frosting is below in the recipe card.)
  • If you don't want to make cream cheese frosting, you can make traditional buttercream as well.
  • If you want to keep this cake completely dairy-free, including the icing, see the allergen notes above.
Overhead view of a gluten-free pumpkin cake being frosted with a cream cheese frosting.

Tips and tricks.

  • Measure flours by weight.- Measuring gluten-free flour by weight is going to give the most consistent results every time you make this gluten-free pumpkin cake.
  • Use a 9x13 pan for the best thickness and texture. - This gluten-free cake batter is made for a larger pan. If you want to bake it off in smaller pans, you can, but the baking time will need to be adjusted.
  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper. - Lining the baking pan with parchment paper makes it easy to remove the full cake to make it easier to cut into the perfect little gluten-free pumpkin bars to share.
  • Remove the cake from the pan before it's fully cool. - Let the cake rest in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and place it on parchment paper to finish cooling. This will help keep the cake from getting soft from the residual heat in the pan as it cools.
  • Let the cake fully cool before frosting. - Let the cake cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before frosting. This will keep the frosting from sliding off the top of the cake.

Storing.

  • Because I tend to make this pumpkin cake with a cream cheese frosting, I typically store it in a container in the fridge.
  • This pumpkin cake will last a week in the fridge.
  • What I love about this cake is that it does not get stiff when stored in the fridge, so you can enjoy it right away without having to wait for it to come to room temperature again before eating it.
  • If you aren't using a cream cheese frosting, you can keep this gluten-free cake a room temperature for up to five days. Just make sure that it is fully cooled before storing it in a container.

More gluten-free desserts.

As delicious as these gluten-free pumpkin bars are, not everyone loves pumpkin. Here are a few more gluten-free desserts to share this season.

  • Gluten-free Vanilla Cake
  • Easy Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies
  • Gluten-free Pumpkin Pie
  • Chewy Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies
A gluten free pumpkin cake has been sliced into squares with one on a plate being cut into with a fork.

📖 Recipe

Up close look at a slice of gluten-free pumpkin cake.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Cake

Sara Vaughn
This gluten-free pumpkin cake recipe makes the most delicious gluten-free pumpkin bars topped with a fluffy cream cheese frosting you've ever had!
5 from 6 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 287 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the gluten-free pumpkin cake.

  • 1 ½ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour 185 grams
  • ½ Cup Arrowroot Starch 45 grams or Corn Starch
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
  • ¼ Teaspoon Ginger
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 ½ Cups Sugar
  • ½ Cup Brown Sugar Dark
  • 1 Cup Avocado Oil or Neutral Cooking Oil
  • 1 15 Ounce Can of Pure Pumpkin Puree

For the maple cream cheese frosting.

  • ½ Cup Butter Soft
  • ¾ Cup Cream Cheese At room temperature.
  • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
  • ½ Cup Milk of Choice

Instructions
 

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and whisk together.
    1 ½ Cups 1:1 Gluten-free Flour, ½ Cup Arrowroot Starch, 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda, 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg, ¼ Teaspoon Ginger, 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and oil.
    4 Large Eggs, 1 ½ Cups Sugar, ½ Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Cup Avocado Oil, 1 15 Ounce Can of Pure Pumpkin Puree
  • Whisk the wet ingredients together until combined.
  • Fold the bowl of dry ingredients into the wet bowl until combined and no dry ingredients remain visible.
  • Pour the batter into a parchment lined baking pan.
  • Transfer the batter to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake will look dark golden in color, and a toothpick or fork will come out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before carefully pulling it out of the pan to finish cooling.

For the Frosting

  • Cream together the butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
    ½ Cup Butter, ¾ Cup Cream Cheese
  • Add the powder sugar and whisk until combined
    4 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • Slowly add the milk and maple syrup and whisk until desired thickness.
    2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup, ½ Cup Milk of Choice
  • Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake and enjoy.

Notes

Ingredient notes and substitutions.
  • 1:1 Gluten-free Flour. - I find the King Arthur brand 1:1 blend that contains xanthan gum works great in this recipe. You want a blend that has lighter gluten-free flours and xanthan gum. If your flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add a teaspoon to the flour before mixing it into the batter.
  • Pumpkin puree. - This is the plain pumpkin in a can. You do NOT want a pumpkin pie filling in a can for this pumpkin cake. You also do NOT want to use a more watery canned pumpkin puree. I've found a few of the organic brands tend to contain more water. For this recipe, I use Libby's 100% pure pumpkin cans that are gluten-free. You can also make homemade pumpkin puree if you want really fresh pumpkin taste.
Allergen notes.
Grain-free cake - If you want to make this gluten-free pumpkin cake completely grain-free, you can do so by switching out the 1:1 gluten-free flour for cassava flour by weight. This will make it a cassava flour cake that is completely grain-free. Just make sure that you whisk the cassava flour before measuring it by weight because it settles a lot.
Dairy-free pumpkin cake. - This gluten-free pumpkin cake is already gluten-free. Typically I frost the cake with a maple cream cheese frosting, which would make the cake not dairy-free. To keep the frosting dairy-free, you can substitute the butter and cream cheese for dairy-free alternatives or sub in equal parts palm shortening. It will still be delicious.
Keyword gluten free cake, gluten free desserts, gluten free pumpkin, gluten free pumpkin bars, gluten free pumpkin cake, gluten free pumpkin desserts

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with!

Check these out next!

  • Gluten-free Shortcrust Pastry Pie Crust
  • Gluten-free Banana Cake
  • Gluten-free Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies
  • Gluten-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Tyanne says

    November 17, 2021 at 9:40 pm

    5 stars
    I love this for the holiday season. Its the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:23 am

      It's fun to switch up the desserts.

      Reply
  2. Natalie says

    November 18, 2021 at 6:35 am

    5 stars
    Oh yum! These bars look delicious. Love that frosting and flavors. I can't wait to bake this for my family. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:23 am

      Hope they love it!

      Reply
  3. Kayla DiMaggio says

    November 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

    5 stars
    These pumpkin bars are so delicious! I love the maple cream cheese frosting, I could eat it by itself!

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:22 am

      My oldest likes to eat it by the spoon, haha.

      Reply
  4. Amanda Scarlati says

    November 18, 2021 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    These pumpkin bars were so good...the best part was the maple frosting!

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:22 am

      Yes! the little touch of maple brings out the pumpkin!

      Reply
  5. Jeri says

    November 18, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    These pumpkin bars were fabulous! The maple cream cheese frosting went with the pumpkin flavor perfectly. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:22 am

      So glad you loved it!

      Reply
  6. nancy says

    November 18, 2021 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    And here I was struggling with what to make for dessert on Thanksgiving! Thanks for this inspiration!

    Reply
    • Sara Vaughn says

      November 21, 2021 at 6:21 am

      So much easier than making pie!

      Reply

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