If you’ve never attempted gluten-free baking, Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake with Maple-Candied Walnuts or Pumpkin Tea Cake with Maple-Candied Pepitas is a wonderful way to start.
The simple flour blend and a short list of common ingredients make it easy to show some love to your gluten and dairy-free friends.
Your gluten-free friends and family will love this amazingly moist, gluten-free tea cake with pumpkin pie spices and candied walnut topping.
Although there is certainly less sugar than in pie, this tea cake is still calorie-dense since it is made with almond flour, so it is important to consider portion size as with any dessert.
Make-Ahead Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake
One of the ways we try to avoid the temptation of treats sitting on the counter is freezing half at the time it is made, if possible.
So while the tea cake is still fresh, but completely cooled, you can slip it into a zip-type freezer bag and into the freezer. Enjoy within 3 months.
Not all gluten-free baked goods freeze as well as this tea cake. Last night I pulled it out of the freezer for a taste test with a little whipped cream (the things I do for you) and it was still moist and delicious–can’t say that about many gluten-free baked goods.
I love having muffins, quick bread, and tea cakes in the freezer for unexpected guests or an easy bring-along to a potluck.
Step by Step
- Heat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a spring form or tart pan with parchment paper. Using your fingers, lightly grease the pan and paper with butter.
- Mix flours in a medium sized mixing bowl (break up any lumps with your fingers), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice with a whisk until well combined.
- Mix the pumpkin, eggs, honey, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until well blended.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed (the batter is pretty thick), spread into prepared pan with a spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes while preparing the maple glaze.
- Prepare the maple glaze in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in the walnuts and pumpkin pie spice; continue stirring until syrup thickens slightly.
- Drizzle the maple-walnut glaze over the cake, gently spreading the walnuts around.
- Return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to release from pan, and remove pan sides from cake. Cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve.
More Gluten-Free Desserts You’ll Love
- Cream Cheese Fruit Tart with Gluten-Free Almond Crust
- Wholesome Apple-Cranberry Crisp [Gluten-Free]
- Grilled Strawberry Semifreddo with Pistachios & Balsamic
- Blueberry-Carrot Cake Muffins [Grain & Gluten-Free]
- Peppermint Chip Chocolate Cookies [Gluten-Free]
- Triple Ginger & Coconut Scones [Gluten-Free]: International Scone Week
- Orange Ginger Tea Cake: Healthy Grain-Free Dessert
- Lazy Mary’s Lemon Tart [Gluten-Free]
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes 2-Ways: Gluten-Free & Lactose-Free
Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake with Maple Candied Walnuts [Gluten, Grain, & Dairy-Free]
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup honey or coconut palm sugar add honey to wet ingredients, CPS to dry
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup walnuts whole or broken into large pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- butter or coconut oil for dairy-free — to lightly grease pan
- 9-inch spring form pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a spring form or tart pan with parchment paper. Using your fingers, lightly grease the pan and paper with butter.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix flours (break up any lumps with your fingers), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice with a whisk until well combined.
- In a small bowl, mix the pumpkin, eggs, honey, and vanilla extract until well blended.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed (the batter is pretty thick), spread into prepared pan with a spatula.
- Bake for 20 minutes while preparing the maple glaze.
- Pour the maple syrup into a medium skillet and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in the walnuts and pumpkin pie spice; continue stirring until syrup thickens slightly. When the first 20 minutes of baking is done, remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the maple-walnut glaze over the cake, gently spreading the walnuts around.
- Return the cake to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to release from pan, and remove pan sides from cake. Cool completely on wire rack. Slice and serve.
April says
Our bible study loved this!
Mich says
This looks amazing! I was looking for something to bring to a Halloween party this weekend – this recipe wins! And bonus, it’s healthy without looking healthy. I like to trick my friends into eating healthy foods – plus my boyfriend can’t eat dairy anyway. Thanks 🙂
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
What a gorgeous pumpkin spice pie! Those candied nuts really enhances it. I just want to grab a spoon and dig right into this cake!
Raymund says
I think this will be my first pumpkin cake recipe! I never made one so I will keep this and when pumpkin season arrives here watch my space out 🙂
Thanks for sharing
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
I had to pin this under recipes to try! I’m not eating a lot of gluten these days and it seems to be helping:) Love the spices!
Linda says
Judy, you are truly a special friend and woman. How thoughtful of you to create a dessert everyone will enjoy. I also try to accommodate my friends who have allergies but it does become a bit nerve wrecking to try out a new switch of ingredients! I agree this sounds perfect for Thanksgiving. And I also agree, I do not leaving sweets around my kitchen as the temptation is killer!! So I’m glad to hear you feel the same and freezing a portion is a good idea!!
Mandy - The Complete Cook Book says
I have to share this fabulous recipe with my sister-in-law who’s son is allergic to just about everything the poor fellow. She will love this and so will he.
🙂 Mandy xo
mjskit says
What a challenge you gave yourself by eliminating any chance of allergy reactions or other diet restrictions. I can’t believe the outcome. This cake looks so creamy and delicious! I can see why everyone loved it!
john@kitchenriffs says
Great recipe! We don’t need to cook GF for ourselves, but like you have friends who are intolerant, so we’re developing recipes that work for us and them, too. You really had an additional challenge, though, and handled it wonderfully well. Terrific cake – this looks full of flavor. Thanks so much.
ChgoJohn says
This tea cake sounds delicious, Judy, and I marvel at your ability to convert a recipe to GF so easily. I don’t bake nearly enough to feel comfortable making the adjustments you did without batting an eye. I guess I really do need to bake more. 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Since we have no food allergies that will make us more than mildly uncomfortable, I don’t ever think about how to change recipes to suit a particular allergy but I have a good friend that’s like the woman you cooked for. It IS a challenge but it’s fun. Your tea cake sounds so good!
Lizzy (Good Things) says
Wow, what a wonderful recipe. But please Judy or Maureen tell me, what’s the different between baking powder and baking soda, and why both? And what to use instead of pumpkin pie canned stuff? I want to make this one… I do try to freeze our cakes, but we just eat them instead!