Is it fall where you live?
I suppose it’s “fall” here too, in San Antonio. But it’s a weird fall, if I ever knew one.
For example, this photo wasn’t taken in mid-July. Nope. This was Monday. As in this past Monday.
We’re still swimming, it’s still in the mid 80’s most days. And the low during the night is typically in the mid 70’s. It is getting cooler they say.
True, it’s raining & actually cold this morning, but all this is foreign to me. Having grown up in Washington state (the dry side) & then having lived in Utah for almost a decade, I’m used to seasons changing, of autumn looking more like this,
image repinned to my autumn board from Danna Lisa, originally from flickr
and this,
image repinned via Aileen Allen, to my autumn board, originally from style me pretty
Instead, we’ve got this.
I’m not complaining. It’s just going to take some getting used to, ya know.
I’m used to cool Octobers, leaves changing, cold mornings where you can see your breath. Nights cold enough for flannel pj’s & a cup of hot tea to warm up.
Maybe as a part of my transition to this hot place, I’m using baking as an attempt to simulate my perception/experience of what fall feels like–warm foods, squashes, sweaters, baking (lots), cinnamon, all the cliche fall stuff northerners can appreciate.
I had every intention of sharing a soup for today’s post, but that will have to wait. Because after pulling this out of the oven & taking a few crumbly, warm & pumpkin spiced bites of this cake, I just knew I couldn’t wait to share.
gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan gingerbread bundt cake with pumpkin filling & warm vanilla syrup | grain-free option
Ingredients
- 2/3 c. tapioca starch
- 1/3 c. potato starch
- 1/3 c. chickpea flour
- 2/3 c. brown rice flour | to make grain-free, use toasted quinoa flour
- OR, for non-gluten-free friends: use 1 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour instead of gf flours
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. virgin coconut oil
- 1/4 c. coconut sugar | or sucanat
- 1/3 c. blackstrap molasses
- 1 TBS. apple cider vinegar | white vinegar works, too
- 2 TBS. flaxseed + 1/2 c. warm water | reduce to 1 TBS. if using whole wheat
- 1, 15 oz. can pureed pumpkin (about 1 3/4 cups)
- 1/2 c. raw cashew pieces
- 1/2 c. coconut sugar | or sucant
- 1/4 c. tapioca starch | or flour of choice
- 2 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- 2 TBS. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/2 c. agave | or pure maple syrup
- 1/3 c. water
- 1 TBS. cornstarch + 2 TBS. water
- 1 TBS. virgin coconut oil
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, cover cashews in water & allow to soak.
- Preheat oven to 340 F.
- Mix flours together. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, & baking powder. Sift.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in solid coconut oil (if liquid, put in fridge for an hour or so to solidify) with the flour mixture. I like cutting in the coconut oil to the flour--this creates a "crumbly" texture, which I think goes well with this type of cake. Add sugar & mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flax seed & water. Add molasses & vinegar.
- Combine dry & wet mixtures. Add a few tablespoons of water if needed, but the batter will be, & should be thick.
- Set the batter aside & drain cashews. Place pumpkin, then cashews, sugar & cinnamon in blender or food processor & blend until smooth. Stir in tapioca starch (or other flour) to thicken.
- Spray or grease a medium/large non-stick bundt cake pan. Pour about half the batter into pan.
- Put pumpkin puree in a quart size plastic bag. Cut a small hole in one corner of bag.
- Squeeze pumpkin puree onto batter. Try to stay in the middle, & away from edges of batter.
- Add remaining gingerbread batter on top of pumpkin puree. It's okay if it mixes a little (see images above).
- Bake at 340 F for 50-55 minutes.
- While cake is baking, make syrup.
- For the syrup, mix agave & water in small saucepan. Mix 2 TBS. water & 1 TBS. cornstarch. Bring agave & water to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture. Lower heat & whisk until thickened. Remove from heat & add vanilla & coconut oil.
- To test doneness for the cake: Using a toothpick, insert toothpick in cake, about 2-3 inches down. When you pull out, there should be no batter on toothpick.
- Remove & allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Sift cornstarch, cinnamon & ginger.
- Place a plate or cake holder over top of cake pan. Gently flip the plate over. This should easily release the cake from the pan.
- Using a sieve, gently sprinkle cornstarch/cinnamon mixture over cake.
- Cut into slices & when ready to eat, serve individual slices with a generous amount of warm vanilla syrup.
- Store in a tight container, un-refrigerated for 1-2 days. Otherwise, freeze leftovers in freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Additional nutrition info: 40 g carb, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber,10 mg sodium, 6 Weight Watcher Plus points; per 1 tablespoon syrup--37 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g protein, 8 g carb, 0 g fiber, 8 g sugar, 1 WWP point
{this recipe shared as part of Ricki Heller’s Wellness Weekend–for more healthy treats & dishes, check it out here}
♥
Do you live in a warm climate too? Can you relate with all the fall stuff?
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