Have you ever made a cake or something really, really good and then it is so good that you are like mad at yourself for making it?? Because I was so bummed with myself last week when I made this and proceeded to eat WAY TOO MUCH.
I thought, I just know it will be good, I will take a small portion and confirm what I am just SURE will be true. It started with a lick of the frosting.
And then my eyes bugged out of my head. Next came me “licking the spatula.” Next came me licking the bowl… and every other thing that had touched the frosting.
Then I actually put the frosting on the cake (before I could destroy the whole recipe by eating all of it.) And OMG. What was a delicious, really moist tender cake that was wonderfully spiced and autumnal, and took it to the NEXT LEVEL. A lovely little sprinkle of powdered sugar would have been perfect as a snack cake or even for a breakfast cake- but oh boy with that frosting!!!
I know that the presentation is not the fanciest- do you guys have any ideas on how to make it make it prettier? I am not sure I even care with how good it is on it’s own, but this will most definitely be a part of Thanksgiving dessert, humble in appearance or not. I am thinking maybe a chocolate drizzle or go the kitchy route and do sprinkles, pretending it’s for the kids and then eating it all myself. As of yet, I am undecided.
By the way- this makes a huge portion. I filled a whole sheet pan, which when cut into reasonable portions (not the size I really wanted to eat!) makes 36 bar sized pieces. Obviously you could go larger in size, or cut the recipe in half if you have a quarter sheetpan in your baking arsenal.
But if you make the full size, please know that this freezes really well, and I have left half the pan in the freezer and slice off bars for the kids lunches (it is perfectly thawed by lunch time!) and for our own desperate late night sweet cravings! And if you serve it on Thanksgiving, just send any leftovers home with your guests- they will be thrilled!
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (the kind in a carton that is refrigerated)
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 ½ cups gluten free all-purpose flour (I use bobs red mill)
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon xanthum gum
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup molasses
- Brown Sugar Espresso Caramel Frosting
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup unsweetened canned coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup hot espresso or hot coffee
- For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a rimmed sheetpan with a sheet of parchment paper and some baking spray.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the coconut milk and the apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk and combine the dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, coconut milk mixture and molasses and mix really well until completely combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared sheetpan and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes and then transfer to cool while you make the frosting.
- For the frosting:
- In a smaller saucepan combine the brown sugar, coconut cream, coconut oil and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes and then pour into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Let the caramel cool for 8-10 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and whisk. It should be dry and crumbly until you add the hot espresso and whisk on high- then it should turn into a thick smooth shiny caramel frosting. Spread the frosting over the cake while it is still warm, but then let the cake and frosting be completely cool before you slice it.
Print Recipe
You set the coconut milk and Apple cider vinegar aside, but WHEN do they get incorporated???? This sounds delicious
Hi Rebecca! I fixed the typo 🙂 They go in with the rest of the wet ingredients.
That cake looks so perfect what with gingerbread being my favorite thing ever. I don’t think it needs to look any prettier but if you still do you could sprinkle it with cocoa powder. You could even use a small stencil if you wanted to go nuts. Of course you could always strew candied ginger over the top because, well, it’s candied ginger which needs no reason. Hah!
Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for all the wonderful recipe ideas.
Laurel I LOVE the candied ginger idea!!!!! and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Ha! Love this! I always make desserts I regret making because I eat way too much of it. The kids are like didn’t we have more? Ugh…This is definitely another one that is perfect to add for the holiday desserts. Thanks Heather!
It’s like the bane of my existence in this job Angela!! lol! but thank you, and by the way, I will eat it all allover again this week. sigh…
I think I could eat a least half the pan all by myself!! Yum!!
you and me both Sommer!
This looks incredible!
thank you Maria! I have to admit it is!
Can I used all purpose flour if not gluten free? Would I still need xantham gum?
Hot dog! Since my wife and I have been on such a strict diet (vegetarian, gluten and dairy free) for a variety of health reasons – we’ve both missed desserts like this, ESPECIALLY around the holiday’s. She’ll go nuts when I show her the recipe.
Thank you!!
Chris
I am so excited Chris!! I hope you guys rally enjoy this!
What about the coconut milk and apple cider vinegar that is set to the side when do I add it in?
thefolia- gah!! just a typo- so sorry!. The coconut milk goes in with pumpkin, oil and molasses.
Hi
Looks fabulous and would be great for work morning teas. Two questions. First, I’ve never seen coconut milk in a fridge here in Australia. Is it fresh coconut milk? Or creamy? And what are the pan measurements?
Thanks.
Hi Jordan! If you can’t find it in a carton, refrigerated or not, it’s just much thinner than the canned stuff, and only has like 40 calories a cup and is really mild in flavor. I think the canned stuff would still be good, but will probably leave a very pronounced coconut flavor. You could use a different non-dairy milk like almond (if you have no nut allergies). Pan measures 18 x 13 inches. Hope this helps!
Heather, crystallized ginger seems the obvious choice to me but you could also do some coffee beans on top to make it a breakfast cake which I would love right now with my coffee! Could also do some crushed candy cane for the holidays or how about some pecans or shiny candied nuts? All good!
Can coconut milk be substituted with reg milk? My husband can’t do coconut.
Absolutely Charlene!
I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was a HUGE hit!!! I have allergies to gluten, eggs and dairy and often feel apologetic when trying to produce baked goods that everyone can enjoy! It was so nice to be able to serve something that every guest thought was delicious, and no one could tell was “alternative”. Thank-you so much!!
Robyn- that makes me so happy!!! that is totally my goal 🙂 Hope I can continue to help!!! XO
Hmmm these look amazing! I can almost smell it through the screen!
x Annabelle
travelsandtea.com
Hi! Hope you are feeling better.
Do you think that I could use unsweetened cashew milk in place of the carton coconut milk? Thanks!
ABSOLUTELY Shelley! you could substitute any nut milk!
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! I’d love to make it again for Christmas but I’m wondering if it’s possible to make this a bundt cake?
Hi Ashley- yes, I am sure that you could- but you will need to bake it for somewhere around 70 minutes- make sure that it is cooked through!
Hi:
Would a 9×13 pan work if I use 1/2 the ingredients?
Love your blog!! You have something delicious for everyone!
Thank you so much Denise! Try it for sure! Watch the baking time and let me know what you think!
Heather,
Do all gluten free cakes tend to have a “gummy” texture? It seems without the eggs, most cakes are dense.
Did you try the recipe Mary? This shouldn’t have that texture- its typically pretty fluffy!
Yes, I’ve made the recipe twice and there is a “gummy” layer at the bottom. I would describe the texture as dense, not fluffy. However, I love the flavor and will keep working on it.
This cake is so good!!! I sprinkled cinnamon all over it, cut the whole cake into squares and then added a candied pecan in the middle of each piece.
It is one of my very favorites!!
Sounds amazing. Any tips on how one might convert this gluten-free recipe to use conventional wheat flour? No one in our household has problems with gluten and we don’t really want to buy “extra” ingredients like xanthan or gluten-free flour that we won’t use much. The web is full of advice on how to modify conventional recipes to be gluten-free. But not the other way around. I get the impression that liquid to dry ratios are also affected, not to eggs. Since you’ve done so much research and recipe development, thoughts?
Please don’t wreck it with sprinkles. How about a hand drawn pumpkin piped on? Or, use caramel sauce in a squeeze bottle. I’m very anti sprinkles in all applications.
Hello!! Have you ever weighed what 4 1/2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill GF APF is?
I have not Samantha!
Going to make this again tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I think it will become our yearly Thanksgiving dessert. It’s SO good. Thank you for all the work you put into all of these wonderful recipes. 🙂