Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (Sprouted Gluten-Free Flour & Egg-Free)

Little Love and I made this cake for Thanksgiving this year.  She wanted to make a cake (not a pie), so cake is what we made.  Chocolate cake was her request, and I wanted something holiday related, so we decided to make a Chocolate Pumpkin cake.  

The heart decoration was her idea too.  We were talking about what we were grateful for, and number one for both of us was each other, and so the heart was created.  Little Love said the heart was for love and being together.  

This cake is super moist and chocolaty.  It's even moist the next day (it doesn't dry out like some cakes do).  I like to store it in the refrigerator and a enjoy a slice of it cold the next day.     

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake (Sprouted Gluten-Free Flour & Egg-Free)

This makes 2 cake rounds to make a two layer cake.  Recipe can be divided in half if you only want to make 1 layer of cake or 12 cupcakes.

Equipment: Small Bowl, Food Processor, Standing Mixer or Hand Mixer w/ Bowl, Medium-Size Bowl, Two 8-9" Cake Pans, Parchment Paper, Cooling Racks

• 2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 6 organic apples, peeled, cored, quartered
• 1/2 cup pasture butter (See Resources)
• 1/2 cup honey (I use local raw clover creamed)
• 2 teaspoon gluten-free organic vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)
• 2 1/2 cups sprouted brown rice flour (See Resources)
• 1 cup cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

1. At least 10 minutes prior to making the cake, combine chia seeds and filtered water in a small bowl.  If possible, soak chia seeds in 1/2 cup water overnight or 24 hours prior to making cake.  [Note: Chia seeds will absorb water and form a "gel", this becomes the egg-replacer.]

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease cake pans.  Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper into a circle that will fit in the bottom of the cake pans.  Add parchment paper circles to the greased cake pans and set aside.  

3. In food processor, add apple pieces and pulse until apples become "applesauce", about 45 seconds-1 minute, scrape down sides during process if necessary.  Add pumpkin puree to the "applesauce" and pulse to combine.  Set aside.  Check out my post on How to Roast a Pumpkin & Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree.  

4. Fit a standing mixer with flat beater.  Add butter and honey, mix on low speed until combined, then increase speed until butter and honey become creamed, about 45 seconds.  

5. Add vanilla, chia seed gel and pumpkin-applesauce to butter-honey mixture.  Mix on low speed until combined.  

6. In a medium-size bowl, combine sprouted brown rice flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir to combine.  Add to wet mixture and combine on low speed just until incorporated.  

Little Love mixing the dry ingredients.

8. Add batter to cake pans, making sure to divide the batter evenly in both pans.  

9. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes in cake pans before removing cakes to cooling racks.  

10.  Do NOT frost until cake rounds are completely cooled.  Frost cake with your favorite frosting.  This cake was frosted with Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.  

Vanilla Honey Buttercream Frosting

Yield: Makes two 8-9" cake rounds.

Storage: Store cake in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  


This post is part of Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ day2day joys, Gluten-Free Wednesdays @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker, Real Food 101 @ Ruth's Real Food, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Pennywise Platter @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, and Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead.