Mini Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Cakes
Two weeks to the day, folks.
We’re almost to The Big Day.
This means I’ve been spending my evenings testing out gluten free sweet treats that will be suitable for Thanksgiving.
I’ll save you the grudge work and present you with the winning recipe.
Mini (Gluten Free) Pumpkin Spice Cakes
This recipe has been adapted from Country Living to be gluten free and miniature. The original is here.
WHAT WE NEED:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown Sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin purée (PRO TIP: Buy a big can so you have enough for the frosting)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Betty Crocker Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
WHAT WE DO:
Preheat to 350˚
Generously coat the sides and bottoms of 8-20 small ramekins or brulee cups with softened butter. I used these, which are available at Crate and Barrel for a mere $1.95 ea. I made eight mini cakes, PLUS one 9″ sheet cake with this recipe.
Next, cream the butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed- if you have a standing mixer (yay!) then use it. Add the sugars and mix until smooth. Add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each, until the mixture is smooth and light. Set it aside. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, buttermilk, and vanilla and set that shit aside, too. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition until smooth. This step can get a little messy, so be an adult and move your machinery out of the way (lift your paddle attachement before adding ingredients) before half of your stuff flies onto the walls and you have to start over.
Pour your beautiful batter into your ramekins/cake pans. I filled the ramekins nearly to the top.
Put those puppies in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the cake gods say it’s done. We appease the cake gods by inserting a toothpick into our cake. The cake gods bless us with a clean toothpick. If they give us crumbs on our toothpick, it is foretold the cake needs another 3-5 minutes.
When they’re ready, let them cool on racks for at least 45 minutes before frosting.
FROSTING?!
PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
WHAT WE NEED:
1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted Butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh orange (or lemon) juice
1 teaspoon grated orange (or lemon) zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, SIFTED
WHAT WE DO:
Blend the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, butter, orange (or lemon) juice, zest, and vanilla in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy — about 5 more minutes.
Once the cakes have cooled, begin to gently lift them out of the ramekins. I did some light lifting and then turned them over, having the cakes gently fall into my hand.
Once loosened, fully remove the cakes and cut each in half, horizontally.
Reinsert the bottom half into the ramekin and spread a good spoonful of the frosting onto it, spreading it evenly so it covers the entire layer. Top it with your “cake top” and frost away.
While this layer-cake step is optional, it will give your guests a little surprise and a lot of extra yumminess.
And feel free to take some stress off your plate and make them in advance because they’re safe to live in the fridge for up to four days.
YOU’RE WELCOME.
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