A Calculated Whisk: Pumpkin Cake with Molasses Cream (Paleo, Gluten-free)

It is only September 21st, and I may already be tired of pumpkin.

I mean, "tired" is a little extreme--I probably just need one week off, and then I'll be ready to get back on the pumpkin train.

The reason is that I had to make this pumpkin cake four or five times. The first time, I tried to make a vegan version using flax eggs. I baked the cake for a long, long time, but it still did not set completely. It had a fabulous flavor, but it was like a pudding-cake. After cutting off a few slices, the rest of the loaf couldn't even hold itself together, and slumped into the delicious pumpkin version of an old, dilapidated house.

The next time I made it, it ended up staying in the oven for over three hours (not on purpose). You can see it here (and I'd be thrilled if you followed me on Instagram!). The third time, I substituted molasses for the honey, and the cake was so dark that it looked burnt even though it wasn't. I wanted a nice orange color, at least on the inside of the cake, so I tried a fourth time. I loved the molasses flavor, so I used it in the glaze, along with some creme fraiche (my new favorite thing). Finally, I got a cake I loved! It's still very moist, but it hasn't fallen apart yet. The molasses cream and pecans really take it over the top. If you're not a nut person, you could try adding a similar amount of chocolate chunks. I added them to the first batch and it was fabulous.

So, hopefully you're not tired of pumpkin! I promise to feature a different main ingredient in my next recipe.

Ingredients (serves 12):

For the pumpkin bread:

1 and 1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
2/3 cup coconut sugar, granulated maple sugar, or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 ounces (1 and 1/2 cups) pumpkin
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired* (optional)

For the molasses cream:

1/3 cup creme fraiche (or cream from a can of chilled coconut milk)
1 tablespoon molasses**
1 tablespoon honey**
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

*To toast pecans, heat a dry skillet over medium. Add the pecans and cook, stirring occasionally, until darker brown and fragrant, 3-5 minutes.

**A tip for molasses and honey: Grease the measuring cup or spoon with some coconut oil first. You won't lose all the molasses that usually sticks to the spoon!

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375. Grease a bundt pan very well, and dust with coconut flour, tapioca starch, or coconut sugar (I used coconut flour and you can see it on the finished cake, so I might try sugar next time for a more uniform color). Alternatively, you can bake this in a loaf pan lined with parchment, and won't have to worry about greasing at all.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and spices. In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla, pumpkin, and melted butter, beating well to smooth out any lumps of pumpkin. Add the eggs are beat again. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined, then fold in the pecans. Spoon the batter into the bundt pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until set and a toothpick comes out almost or totally clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan, then invert on to a rack. I recommend steaming the cake to make sure it doesn't stick to the pan when you turn it out--you can read about how to do that here. Mine still stuck a tiny bit, but the molasses cream works wonders for covering up patchy areas.

To make the molasses cream, stir all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use. I poured about half the glaze on the cake while it was still warm, then drizzled on the rest once the cake was cool. I recommend glazing the cake at least once right before you serve it, because the molasses cream soaks in after a while and doesn't look as pretty.