Pumpkin Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

I tried this moist and delicious pumpkin chocolate cake that was posted at one of my favourite gluten free blogs: The Baking Beauties: Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Sheet Cake.    You can use wheat flour if you don't need a gluten free version and omit the xanthan gum.  I also omitted some applesauce she had in the recipe and used all pumpkin.  I had made a chocolate zucchini cake in the past but not one using pumpkin or squash puree and was please to find out that I like this recipe.  The icing a cream cheese and sour cream mixed.

The photo below shows a great harvest I had on summer when I grew an abundance of lemon pumpkins, baby sugar pumpkins and just plain old fashioned orange pumpkins.  Below is a shot of the pumpkins still on the vine after being hit by an October frost.

Click on this link to go to a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
4 1/2 cups pumpkin puree - 1.25 litres - from a can or a smaller sugar/pie pumpking
1 1/2 cups sugar, cane - 375 ml - I used organic
1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil - 125 ml
4 eggs
3 cups gluten free flour mix - 750 ml - I used Bob's Red Mill
2 tsp xanthan gum - 10 ml
1 Tbsp baking soda - 15 ml
2 tsp cinnamon - 10 ml
1/2 cup cocoa powder - 125 ml - I used fair trade organic Cocoa Camino
1/2 tsp sea salt - 2.5 ml

ICING:
1 cup sour cream, 14% MF - 250 ml
8 oz cream cheese - 225 g
2 tsp vanilla - 10 ml - I used pure, fair trade
1 cup icing sugar - 250 ml

METHOD:

1. If using fresh pumpkin you will have to cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and bake in a 350'F oven until soft.  I add some water to the baking pan so it steams and bakes..

2.  Add sugar, oil and eggs to bowl of food processor and mix until well combine.  Pour into the pumpkin puree and process until smooth.  

3.  In another bowl use a whisk to combine the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon,, cocoa and salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet adding a little at a time as you stir by hand.

4.  Grease cake pan.  I used a spring form pan that is usually used for cheesecakes.  Bake at 350'F for 45-60 minutes or until cake tests done.  Remove from oven and cool completely.

5.  Frost with cream cheese sour cream icing (below).  You can top with chopped nuts like walnuts or even honey roasted pumpkin seeds.

For the icing:

1.  Beat the cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer. You can also use a food processor. The cream cheese should be at room temperature.
2.  Sprinkle in icing sugar, vanilla and lemon zest (optional) and beat some more until smooth and well combined.  You can add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
3.  Spread over fully cooled cake.  Your icing will run if you put it on a warm cake.

Nutrition Facts (based on 1/12th of the cake): 360 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 60 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 6 g protein. % Daily Values: 4% calcium, 10% iron, 410% vitamin A, 6% vitamin C.

A rich moist cake.

Roasted the seeds on an oiled pan until lightly browned and toasted.

I baked a sugar/pie pumpkin to get 4 1/2 cups of pureed.  Simply scooped it out.

The caked baked up nicely in a spring form pan.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/