Hokkaido pumpkin cake | Gluten-free recipe

November 11, 2021

As promised, I’ve got for you another (certainly not the last one this year) pumpkin recipe. Today, however, it’ll be sweet for a change - this simple pumpkin cake is a great idea for autumn months when pumpkins are easily accessible. Hokkaido pumpkin cake is moist, but at the same time very fluffy, and not too heavy. With the addition of spices, it tastes a bit like gingerbread. Decorated with pumpkin-cheese frosting it tastes really good! Plus, it's gluten-free too! Did I convince you to give it a go? 🙂

If you are looking for a recipe for a gluten-free cake that tastes like a standard cake then this recipe should satisfy you. For its preparation, I used a store-bought gluten-free flour blend and homemade pumpkin purée (details below) and it turns out delicious.

Simple pumpkin cake - what gluten-free flour to use?

To make this cake, I used ‘all purpose’ gluten-free flour blend and a small addition of almond flour and this combination worked great.

I also tried a combination of sorghum flour (75 g), rice flour (75 g) and almond flour (30 g), which worked just fine. The cake rose a little less, but the texture and taste were very similar.

In gluten-free recipes, slight changes in the proportions or types of flour can completely change the result. Therefore, unfortunately, you have to experiment here or stick to tried recipes.

How to prepare pumpkin purée?

For this recipe, I used hokkaido pumpkin purée, which comes out very thick. To make it, follow a few simple steps. Peel your pumpkin, remove seeds, cut into smaller pieces, brush with a little oil (e.g. rapeseed). Bake the prepared pumpkin for about 30-40 minutes or until tender. After cooling down, blend your pumpkin using a food processor. If purée is too thick, you can add a little water when blending.

Hokkaido pumpkin doesn’t need to be peeled, but I have the impression that purée made with skin has a more intense, specific flavour, therefore I usually peel my pumpkin. Perhaps this is my personal feeling, choose what is the most convenient.

I like to keep ready purée in the refrigerator for a few days and gradually use it in my pumpkin recipes.

If you prepare purée from a different type of pumpkin and it turns out too watery, you can easily pour it into a pot and simmer on a very slow heat. That should remove the excess water.

To prepare purée, I also use butternut squash, kabocha, and hopi orange, depending on what I have on hand.

Gingerbread-flavoured pumpkin cake?

If you don't have all of the recipe's spices at home, you can add ready-made gingerbread spice instead (1 tsp).

Store your cake in an airtight food container to prevent it from drying out.

Hungry for more? Here you go! Try a few more pumpkin recipes.