Just because Canadian Thanksgiving is over this year doesn’t mean pumpkin spice has gone out of season. And we all know cake is never out of season. This vegan and gluten-free pumpkin spice “cake” is the perfect recipe any cool and crisp day.
Is it really “cake”, though?
Here’s the truth.
I was craving something pumpkin spice, but I couldn’t figure out exactly what. I couldn’t find any existing recipes with the right ingredients, so I decided to throw a bunch of things together instead. This is usually my approach to baking or cooking in general. If it’s a bust, at least it’s be filled with delicious ingredients so I’d be able to eat it anyway! Am I the only one that does this?
So while I set out to make some form of cake, I ended up making something a little different. While the outside has a texture like cake, the inside is much more dense, moist and slightly creamy texture that more closely resembles cheesecake or pie. The “cake” is deliciously pumpkin, but without the pie crust or crumble base. It’s simpler than that. Plus it’s filled with whole, real ingredients.
I made up a brand new category of dessert
And I liked it so much I decided to blog it. Honestly, it wasn’t what I expected to come out of the oven but I was pleasantly surprised. So much so that I decided to put it out online to share with the public. So here it is! My vegan and gluten-free pumpkin spice “cake”… that isn’t really cake… but is definitely tasty.
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cloves... or 2 tsp pumpkin spice mix instead of individual spices
- 1 cup pumpkin pure (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1.5 tsp vanilla
- 2 chia "eggs" (Grind 2 tbsp chia seeds, add to 7 tbsp water, let sit for a minute)
- Set oven to 375F.
- Add cashews to a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until it forms cashew flour. Don't over-mix or it will turn into cashew butter.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. If necessary, blend in a food processor or high speed blender (I used my vitamix to ensure the chia "eggs" mixed well with all ingredients).
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour mixture into a pie-shaped baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove and place on cooling rack for about 10-20 minutes before cutting into it.
- Cut into slices and serve with vanilla ice-cream (choose vegan or dairy-free if necessary) or whipped coconut cream!
- Make your own whipped coconut cream: Stick 1 can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge overnight (make sure it doesn't contain guar gum - which makes it harder for the solid coconut to separate). When you open the can, the cream will have separated from the water. Scoop out the fat into a bowl and dispose of the water or leave it for another recipe (i.e. smoothie). Use a mixer and beat the coconut fat with 1-2 tbsp sweetener (i.e. maple syrup) and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.