Pumpkin Cake with Creamy Maple Frosting

The start of September means fall is officially here, and nothing says fall like…PUMPKIN!  Pumpkin offers that creamy, cozy, comforting feel that we so crave as the chilly fall weather starts to roll in; pumpkin makes you want to cuddle up under a blanket with a good book next to a warm fire. If what I just described is how you feel every year as the cooler temperatures roll in, I have the perfect cake recipe for you! The original pumpkin cake recipe I am about to share has been passed down in my family for generations, but I have made substitutions and updated the recipe to reduce the guilt without sacrificing on flavor.

Growing up in New England, another key fall flavor was maple syrup. Maple and pumpkin together? All the Fall feels. Not to mention maple sugar is an unrefined sugar and therefore a better alternative to the classic table sugar used in the original recipe (and many other cake recipes). Maple sugar also has a lower glycemic index than table sugar, meaning it doesn’t cause such a rapid blood sugar spike then drop. The other secret ingredient in the frosting is another guilt-reducing swap: cottage cheese. I know, I know — it sounds crazy, but just trust me! Once you blend the frosting into a smooth texture, no one will ever know and it can be our little secret.

This mouth-watering, flavorful pumpkin cake recipe makes a full sheet cake worth of cake, so it is perfect for any dinner party or other fall function. However, sometimes we don’t want a special occasion to be the only excuse to bake a cake, and with this recipe, you can do so without feeling like you’ve over-indulged. I will leave you with a word of warning: you may need to exercise some serious self-control if left alone with this entire cake — it is THAT good!

Pro-tip: Bake the cake the night before you plan to serve it. The pumpkin flavor intensifies as it cools and sets, making it even more delicious the next day!

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 eggs + 1 egg white
• 3 C gluten-free flour
• 1 C coconut sugar
• 3/4 C maple syrup
• 3/4 coconut oil
• 3/4 non-fat greek yogurt
• 1 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie puree)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 C cream cheese (lighten up by using reduced fat)
• 1 C non-fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 C coconut sugar
• 1/4 C maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients and mix with a stand mixer or hand blender until well blended.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients together, stirring until well combined.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring after each addition.
5. Once all ingredients are combined, continue mixing until a thick, uniform batter forms.
6. Grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and use a spatula to evenly distribute the batter throughout the pan, creating a nearly flat top surface on the cake.
8. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
9. Set the cake aside to cool.
10. In a small bowl, combine all the frosting ingredients.
11. Use a stand mixer or transfer mixture to a blender to blend until the frosting ingredients form a creamy texture, free of any lumps.
12. Once cake has cooled, pour the frosting over the cake and spread with a spatula until the frosting forms a smooth, even coating on the cake.
13. Cut, serve, and enjoy all the delicious flavors of fall!