Name: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I recommend Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice; 1 cup canola oil (or oil of choice); 4 large eggs; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pie filling) or 1¾ cups fresh pureed pumpkin; 1½ teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract; 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (½ block); ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature; 3½ cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2–4 tablespoons milk

Why I Keep Making This Cake

I started baking this cake the first fall after I went gluten-free, back when every pumpkin dessert I tried came out either gummy or crumbly. Pumpkin puree turned out to be the fix. It brings so much moisture that gluten-free flour finally behaves, and the spice does the rest of the work. I made it three weekends in a row that October, mostly because my family kept “checking on it” until the pan was empty.

Now it’s my no-stress dessert. Two bowls, a whisk, one 9×13 pan, and nobody at the table can tell it’s gluten-free. I usually bake it the night before a party, let it cool completely on the counter, then frost it in the morning so the cream cheese layer stays thick and swoopy. If there’s a leftover corner slice the next day, I eat it cold with coffee and call it breakfast.

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-free flour blend: Use a 1-to-1 cup-for-cup blend that already contains xanthan gum. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1. Blends without gum will bake up crumbly.

Pumpkin puree: Grab plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced. Fresh puree works too, just drain off any watery liquid first.

Canola oil: Oil gives you a moister crumb than butter here. Avocado oil or melted coconut oil both work.

Eggs: Four eggs sound like a lot, but they give gluten-free batter the structure it’s missing. Room-temperature eggs mix in more smoothly and evenly.

Spices: Cinnamon plus pumpkin pie spice is the combo I’ve landed on. If you’re out of pumpkin pie spice, use extra cinnamon plus a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese only. Tub-style spreads have too much water and will give you runny frosting.

Room-temperature butter and cream cheese are essential for creating smooth, creamy frosting. Let the ingredients sit at room temperature for about an hour before you start baking.

Vanilla extract: Check the label if you’re highly sensitive; most pure vanilla is naturally gluten-free.

Gluten-free pumpkin cake batter smoothed into a bowl

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Recipe Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set it aside while you prepare the batter.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.

Add the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin purée, and vanilla directly to the dry ingredients.

Whisk until the batter is smooth and everything is evenly incorporated. Don’t overmix once it comes together.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top with the back of a rubber spatula.

Bake 35–38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake completely in the pan, about 1½ to 2 hours. Frosting a warm cake will melt it.

Make the frosting: Beat the room-temperature cream cheese and butter in a large bowl on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and well combined. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with the milk. Beat in the remaining sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, slice, and enjoy.

Cream cheese frosting spread with an offset spatula over gluten-free pumpkin cake in a glass 9x13 pan — Cream cheese frosting spread with an offset spatula over gluten-free pumpkin cake in a glass 9×13 pan

FAQs About Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake

Can I make this pumpkin cake dairy-free?

Yes. Use a dairy-free block cream cheese, vegan butter sticks, and any plant milk in the frosting. The cake is naturally dairy-free because it’s made with oil instead of butter.

Can I substitute pumpkin pie filling for pumpkin purée?

No. Pie filling is pre-sweetened and pre-spiced, which throws off both the sugar and the texture. Use plain 100% pumpkin puree.

Why did my gluten-free cake sink in the center?

Usually underbaking or an overmixed batter. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and stop whisking as soon as the batter is smooth.

Can I make this recipe as cupcakes or a layer cake instead?

Yes. Fill cupcake liners two-thirds full and bake 18–22 minutes, or split between two 9-inch rounds and bake 25–30 minutes.

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Yield: 12 slices