Gluten Free Perfect Pumpkin Cake Three Ways

I finally jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon and you’ll be glad I did. My gluten free perfect pumpkin cake is so moist and delicious on its own, but the French buttercream sends it into overdrive!  Even better, one recipe can be made into three different cakes!  

I love pumpkin goodies as much as the next guy (or gal, rather), but I like things with actual pumpkin, not just pumpkin spice. Real pumpkin makes baked goods super moist and this cake could be my new favorite.  It delivers on both flavor and texture while eliminating the gluten.  I could eat the cake by itself, with no frosting.  It’s so moist and yet fluffy and light at the same time.

When I set out to make a cake or cupcakes, I tend to lean towards cupcakes because that’s what everyone else wants.  But sometimes I want a big ole’ slice of cake layered with frosting and not a mountain of frosting on top.  Don’t get me wrong.  I luuuuuuvvvvv me some frosting, especially when it’s French buttercream (my all time FAVORITE!!!).  I used to do a lot of cake decorating and sometimes the urge comes on to make a cute little cake 😉

HOW CAN I MAKE THREE DIFFERENT CAKES FROM ONE RECIPE?

So here’s the deal–I made all these cakes with ONE batch.  Not three different times, but with just ONE recipe of cake batter and divided it between one cupcake pan and 3 cake pans.  Then I used the scraps from leveling the cakes to make cake pops!  Pretty awesome that this one recipe made 12 cupcakes, 12 cake pops, and a small 6-inch layer cake.  Now everyone in my house can be happy and have what they want 🙂

It’s fall and it’s all about pumpkin, and you can have all three of these wonderful treats today!  Because who says you can’t have your cake, cupcakes, and cake pops and it eat them, too 😉

Gluten Free Perfect Pumpkin Cake Three Ways

I finally jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon and you’ll be glad I did. My gluten free perfect pumpkin cake is so moist and delicious on its own, but the French buttercream sends it into overdrive!  Even better, one recipe can be made into three different cakes!

Print Recipe

CourseDessert

CuisineAmerican

Keywordgluten free perfect pumpkin cake

Prep Time20 minutes

Cook Time25 minutes

Resting Time15 minutes

Total Time1 hour

AuthorKim

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:

• 375 grams Kim's gluten free flour blend
• 35 grams cornstarch
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 400 grams sugar
• 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 eggs

FOR THE FROSTING:

• double batch French buttercream
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4-1/2 tsp real maple extract (to taste)

FOR THE CAKE POPS:

• scraps from leveling cakes
• 1/4-1/2 cup leftover French buttercream
• 1/2 12-ounce bag white chocolate coating, melted
• sprinkles, if desired

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:

• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in medium bowl.
• Combine buttermilk and vanilla in measuring cup.
• In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.
• Add pumpkin and blend briefly.
• With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry and wet, beginning with dry and ending with dry, in thirds for the dry and halves for the wet.  
• Scrape sides of bowl and let batter sit for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FOR THE MAPLE FRENCH BUTTERCREAM:

• Make French buttercream as instructed.  After fully whipped, slowly add 1/4 cup real maple syrup and 1/2 tsp maple extract.  Whip until combined.  

FOR CUPCAKES:

• Line 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Alternatively, if making all cupcakes, line 2 12-cup muffin tins with liners.
• Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 3/4 full.  Batter will be thick.
• Bake cupcakes for 22-25 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched lightly.
• Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes.  Frost with maple French buttercream as desired.

FOR 6 or 9-INCH LAYER CAKE:

• Grease 3 6-inch cake pans with butter or nonstick spray.  Alternatively, if making only cake, grease 3 9-inch cake pans.
• Portion the rest of batter (or all if making only cake) into 3 cake pans, leveling tops.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes for 6-inch or 30-35 minutes for 9-inch cakes, or until cake springs back when touched lightly (or toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean with just a few crumbs on it.
• Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.  Frost with maple French Buttercream.

FOR CAKE POPS:

• After leveling off cakes, crumble scraps of cake into bowl.  Add enough frosting to make a stiff dough (this will depend on whether you're making a 6-inch layer cake or 9-inch).  If making 6-inch, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup.  If making 9-inch, add about 1/2-3/4 cups.   
• If mixture isn't too wet, as it shouldn't be, roll into balls at this point.  If too wet, place in refrigerator for about 15 minutes and then roll into balls.  
• Melt white chocolate candy coating.  Dip one end of lollipop stick into melted white coating and insert into balls of cake dough.  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or place in freezer for 5-10 minutes.  Don't freeze for too long or your pops will crack when dipped in the warm melted coating.
• Dip cake pops in melted coating.  If desired, sprinkle with colorful festive sprinkles before coating sets.  
• Stick pops in florist's foam to dry.