Pumpkin Pound Cake

Pumpkin Pound Cake. This is an incredibly moist pumpkin cake. The cooler weather is finally arriving here in Arizona. (Okay, so it is still 100 degrees during the day but the evenings and mornings are in the 60s) Living a big chunk of my life in Ohio before heading west...I still crave fall foods when the weather changes. I see all the Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations in the store and I start craving fall goodies like pumpkin pound cake. My mouth was watering all weekend thinking about pumpkin pound cake. I was shopping with a friend over the weekend and kept talking about how much I wanted a slice of pumpkin pound cake with my coffee. Well....by Sunday I broke down and made it. I had to take it to work to share with my co-workers because I was afraid I would eat the whole thing!

I like to add the streusel topping but you can certainly leave it off. I like my desserts on the sweet side so I add streusel topping. You can leave it plain or you can sprinkle a little powdered sugar or make a glaze with powdered sugar & milk and drizzle over the top. This cake also tastes FABULOUS with my grandma's silky cream cheese frosting. (This cake is fantastic plain but you can dress it up and take it to the next level of deliciousness with the streusel topping or cream cheese frosting.  I've included the recipe for the cream cheese frosting below). Yummy! I am not a lover of pumpkin pie but I really like the flavor and texture of this pound cake. I did have to make some changes from the original recipe in order for the gluten free version to taste EXACTLY like the regular version. I also found that the gluten free version tasted a lot sweeter for some reason so the next time I baked it, I cut back on the sugar. I chose to bake it in a 9x13 pan for today's recipe but you can bake it in the traditional bundt pan or loaf pans. I also chose to keep it basic and not add extras like chocolate chips or cranberries but you can add whatever you like. I think next time I will try adding a little bit of shredded coconut to the streusel topping for extra crunch. I converted this old recipe to gluten free but of course if you don't have a gluten allergy the you can use regular flour. You can also bake it into cupcakes if you prefer.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

• 2 cups gluten free flour blend (I do not use any that contain sorghum because I don't like the flavor in my sweet baked goods. I used Betty Crocker gluten free flour blend today. If your gluten free flour blend does not contain either xanthan gum or guar gum, you will need to add 1/2 teaspoon. If you are using regular flour, you don't need to add it). I have also used 1 cup of coconut flour + 1 cup of gluten free flour blend in the past and it worked out fine too. Of course if you don't have a gluten allergy then you can use regular flour!
• 1 cup of finely ground almonds (also called almond flour or almond meal. If you have a nut allergy or don't have any on hand, you can substitute another cup of gluten free flour or regular flour if you don't have a gluten allergy).
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tbs. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. instant espresso or instant coffee powder (optional)
• 4 oz. butter, margarine, coconut oil or Crisco or lard (If you are using margarine then make sure it contains at least 65% fat or else it contains too much water and won't rise properly)
• 4 oz. cream cheese or cream cheese substitute (If you don't have this then you can substitute Crisco vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar (I use the non-GMO cane sugar, unbleached). You can also substitute 3/4 cup honey or agave nectar in place of the sugar but then you will need to add 4 tbs. extra flour or corn starch to make up for the wetness of the liquid sweetener.
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I use the non-GMO)
• 5 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling that already has everything added)
• optional items: 1/2 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped nuts or cranberries (I did not add any of them to my cake today)

Streusel topping (This is optional and you don't need to add it to the cake):

• 1/2 cup flour (I used Betty Crocker gluten free flour blend)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or regular sugar (I use the non-GMO)
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil
• 1/8 cup of slivered or chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts (optional)
• (I would also consider adding either 1/4 cup of shredded coconut or gluten free oats next time)

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease your pan with either butter, Crisco or cooking spray. Beat cream cheese and butter (or margarine, Crisco or coconut oil) together until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree & sugars. Slowly add remaining dry ingredients. Mix until smooth and well incorporated. Spoon into your greased pan(s). For 12 cup bundt pan or loaf pans, bake about 65-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. For 9x13 pan, bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. For cupcake pans, bake 22-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Altitude and ovens may vary cooking times. Always check at the soonest cooking times and adjust. Do not cook at a higher temperature or you may burn the top without cooking the center. (I like to cover mine with foil for the first half of cooking so I know the center gets done and the cake doesn't dry out and then I remove it the last 10-15 minutes of cooking so the top gets slightly crispy.

Silky Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe: (This is another option for topping your cake)

• 4-5 oz. cream cheese, soft (don't use the whipped cream cheese)
• 1/4 cup of real butter or margarine that contains at least 65% fat
• 2 cups powdered sugar (I used the GMO free, gluten free version)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract, optional

Beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and creamy. (No lumps!) Add the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. The texture should be creamy and easy to spread. You can add fancy vanilla bean seeds if you have them. They are generally expensive and I don't usually have them on hand but they do add a nice extra vanilla flavor to the frosting. I sometimes have the vanilla bean paste and will substitute that in place of regular vanilla. This frosting also tastes awesome on pumpkin bars or spice cake! Well, actually...it tastes great on just about anything! ;)

Cake batter with streusel topping being added on top (prior to baking)

Ready to eat

Up close view (pumpkin pound cake with streusel topping)

In the 9x13 pan

 
So this week if you are out shopping and see a can of pumpkin puree jump into your grocery cart or if you are carving pumpkins and have plenty of pumpkin puree then I think you should take a few minutes to make this terrific dessert. It is slightly spicy, dense and the cake melts in your mouth. It tastes wonderful for breakfast with a cup of strong coffee or for a chilly evening dessert with some hot chocolate. This is also a nice change for the holiday brunch table. 

Enjoy!
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually