If you follow me on social media, you know I have been in the kitchen testing new recipes for you all. I am so excited to share this recipe for Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake! It is a rich and flavorful cake finished with a decadent dairy-free cream cheese frosting. This cake recipe is perfect to make for Halloween and the holiday season. I also have a nut-free version on another blog post!
This version of Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake uses a combination of almond and coconut flour mixed with fresh pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and fresh vanilla to create a dense and moist cake. It will surely become one of your go-to autumnal treats for special occasions or anytime a pumpkin spice treat craving hits! I had actually planned on giving away two of the tester cakes to friends and family, but my family (mainly Ryan, ha ha!) kept sneaking into the fridge for a sliver of cake here and there and we nearly ran out!
The Cake:
This nut-based adaptation of Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake has a very robust pumpkin flavor and almost reminds me of pumpkin pie when it is cold texture-wise. If you know me, you know my favorite way to enjoy pumpkin pie is cold and for breakfast! It is ideal for an autumn dinner party or add it to your Thanksgiving dessert menu. You can serve it on its own, with a scoop of your favorite dairy-free vanilla ice cream, or even with some fresh homemade coconut whipped cream!
The Frosting:
I debated on whether this cake needed a frosting, and while it’s optional, I’m so glad I decided to try one with a cream cheese base – it came out amazing! I like to use lactose-free Green Valley cream cheese. It does still contain some dairy, so if you prefer to keep it 100% dairy-free, the brand Miyokos has a great, clean cream cheese as well! It is lightly sweetened with honey and has a dash of vanilla to tie all the flavors together.
More Pumpkin Recipes:
I hope you give this recipe a try and be sure to check out the nut-free version too. Even if you are not nut-free, you will definitely enjoy it!
If you are looking to satisfy more of your pumpkin cravings, I have this blog post where I rounded up my favorites from the blog and my books.
Shop this recipe!
PrintGluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup maple sugar
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 3 tablespoons palm shortening, or ghee
- 1 ¾ cups super fine almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons grain-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 3 ounces cream cheese (I used lactose free Green Valley Organics, Miyokos brand for dairy-free)
- ¼ cup light-colored raw honey
- 2 tablespoons palm shortening or unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch by 12-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, cream together the eggs, maple sugar, coconut sugar, pumpkin puree, and palm shortening for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Process for 10 seconds, then let the batter rest for 5 minutes. Process for 15 seconds longer, until the batter has thickened and is smooth.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared dish and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, beat the cream cheese, honey, palm shortening, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric handheld mixer until smooth and creamy. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cake. Frost, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 10 days.
10/19/21
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Sheet Cake
Have you ever tried baking with chia eggs?
I think an aquafaba or flax egg would work best here but I haven’t tried making it egg-free!
Can’t wait to try. One question, the post says the recipe uses fresh pumpkin purée but the ingredients list calls for canned purée. Could I use fresh purée? Would it be too watery?
You can use fresh or canned in this recipe. Enjoy!
I made it yesterday. I live in Europe and we don’t have canned pumpkin puree so I roasted and blended one butternut squash. This cake is AMAZING! Very moist, sweet and sour from cream cheese perfectly balanced. You can serve it to anybody and they will not know it’s gf 😀 Also you can use the cake same way as “sponge cake” and layer it! Frosting is delicious so just make a bit more.
So glad you enjoyed it – thanks so much for the tip about the butternut squash!
We all loved this! It’s quick, easy, and delicious! I skipped the frosting and drizzled honey on top before serving. All 3 of my kids asked for seconds and my oldest said it’s the best cake he’s ever had!
What can I use instead of maple sugar? All coconut sugar or maple syrup?
You can use all coconut sugar!
Could this recipe be made in a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8″ pan instead? If so, how would the baking instructions differ?
Hi! You can begin checking the cake at 25 minutes baking time if using a smaller pan
Absolutely delicious! It was really quick and easy to make and the whole family loved it (especially the frosting)!
This sounds amazing! Looking forward to trying the recipe!
Just an FYI, lactose free cream cheese is still 100% dairy. Lactose is the sugar in milk to which some people have an intolerance or sensitivity. When a dairy product is lactose free that means the sugar has been broken down already into its components of glucose and galactose to allow those individuals with lactose sensitivity or intolerance to digest the dairy product.
Lactose sensitivity and intolerance should not be confused with dairy allergies. That is a separate issue where individuals are typically allergic to the protein (casein) in dairy products and cannot consume dairy products.
My son is very allergic to all things maple – how would it be to sub the maple sugar out and only use coconut sugar instead?
Yes – you can!
Can I use a sugar substitute like monk fruit blend to make this recipe Keto friendly?
Taste is great. Mine is suuuppppeeerr dense though, enough to make me question if it’s cooked all the way through. I know from cooking MANY of Danielle’s recipes that my oven always needs more time than what is called for, I gave these four extra mins but they still seem very heavy. Maybe they are supposed to be more dense?
I made these for Halloween weekend! They are amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe! I sprinkled some pumpkin spice on top of the frosting for a little extra flare. 😊
I made this and it was absolutely amazing! I doubled the frosting recipe because it was so good and I wanted to put more on the cake! thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Wow, I was surprised at how moist and delicious this cake turned out. I will double the frosting next time. Thank you!
How many calories per slice? I’ve made this three times now with rave reviews.
Hi Lori, I don’t have the calorie count on this recipe
Can I use extra baking soda if I can’t have the baking powder?
Hi Megan! Yes, you can, but you’d have to experiment with the ratios! Let us know how it turns out; another reader might have the same question!
Do you post nutrition information? I count macros and would love to see how your recipes fit into my diet.
Hi! I don’t but I have seen readers mention that they use an app to enter ingredients and it will calculate all of the nutritional information for them!
SO GOOD!!! I made this for my small group and everyone was raving about it – loved that I could say it was way healthier for us than so much of the store bought things out there. If I were to make them in a cupcake form, would that work? TIA!!
Sure! Just adjust cooking times accordingly.
Would you be able to substitute the maple sugar and coconut sugar for honey and/or maple syrup? I follow IBD-AID for my UC and those are the only sugars allowed. Thanks!
Hi! It might not work because you’re replacing dry ingredients with wet.
Has anyone tried to adapt this to a layer cake recipe? I loved it as a sheet cake and was thinking about making it for my birthday tomorrow. Would you maybe need to double it and use two 8 inch pans? Or use amounts as they are and make two 6 inch layers? Not sure if there would be enough batter even for two 6 inch layers. Thanks!
Has anyone tried other flours besides almond flour? I have an allergy to almonds.
Hi Deanne! I have nut-free version of this recipe here on the blog! Just search for “nut-free.” Enjoy!!