This Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake is a show-stopping dessert for Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas or any special occasion. The moist cake is full of warm spices and a whole can of pumpkin! The easy caramel glaze adds the perfect crowning touch.
Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free!
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Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake
There’s something about bundt cakes – they are always so charmingly old-fashioned.
And there’s no reason to skip them just because you’re Paleo.
So I created this Paleo pumpkin cake recipe so that anyone can enjoy a festive treat, Paleo or not.
Instead of regular flour, this recipe uses coconut flour. It doesn’t add a coconut flavor but, combined with arrowroot flour, it gives the cake a great texture.
And by using coconut flour instead of almond flour (a flour alternative often found in Paleo desserts), this cake is also nut-free!
Instead of regular sugar, it uses coconut sugar, a less refined sweetener that retains some nutrients.
And of course, don’t forget the whole can of real pumpkin puree, plus all the warm, fragrant pumpkin spices!
As for the glaze, you’ll be surprised how much homemade powdered coconut sugar and coconut milk mixed together make a thick, sweet glaze that tastes like caramel.
So if you’re looking for Paleo pumpkin recipes with coconut flour, or any recipes with coconut flour and pumpkin, this Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake is a great choice.
What you need for this Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients for the cake:
- avocado oil spray
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup arrowroot flour/starch
- 4½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 (15 oz. can) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1½ cups coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients for caramel glaze:
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour/starch
- 8-10 teaspoons full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
Equipment:
- a Bundt pan
- a cutting board
- a large mixing bowl
- a medium mixing bowl
- 2 small mixing bowls
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a whisk
- a spatula (the kind for stirring, not flipping)
- a cooling rack
- a food processor or high-speed blender (for the caramel glaze)
- a kitchen towel
- a fine-mesh sieve
How to make this Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake
For the cake:
Step 1
Heat the oven to 350°.
Step 2
Lightly grease the Bundt pan with avocado oil spray.
Step 3
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, allspice and nutmeg.
Step 4
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, coconut sugar and vanilla.
Step 5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly blended. The batter will be thick.
Step 6
Scoop the batter into the greased Bundt pan and smooth to an even layer.
Step 7
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (a few dry crumbs are fine, but there should be no wet batter).
Step 8
Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Step 9
The cake should naturally pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools. If necessary, use your fingers to gently pull the cake away from the middle tube as well.
Step 10
Then place the cooling rack upside down on the pan and carefully flip the rack and pan so the pan is now on top, upside down. The cake should fall onto the rack – if not, give the pan a few taps until you hear it fall out.
Let the cake cool completely on the rack.
For the caramel glaze:
Step 1
Meanwhile, make the glaze by blitzing the coconut sugar and arrowroot in a food processor. Drape a kitchen towel over the processor or blender to contain all the fine powder.
Blend until most of the sugar is finely ground.
You might have to occasionally stop the machine and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl/blender.
Step 2
Spoon the sugar mixture into a fine-mesh sieve and sift it over a small mixing bowl. You might have to use the spoon or your fingers to push some of it through. You just don’t want to force through any large bits or the glaze will be gritty.
Save the larger bits for another use.
Step 3
Measure out 1 cup of the sifted sugar into a small bowl. Add 8 teaspoons coconut milk and whisk or stir until fully blended. The glaze should be thick but pourable.
If necessary, add more coconut milk, about ½ teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Step 4
Once the cake is completely cooled, spoon over the glaze (you might not need all of it – feel free to eat the rest with a spoon), then serve!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can NOT substitute anything for the coconut flour. It is a very unique ingredient that acts different than any other flour, gluten-free or otherwise.
You can use tapioca flour/starch in place of the arrowroot.
Feel free to adjust the spices to your liking, or add other spices like ground cloves or ground cardamom.
You can use almond milk (or any non-dairy milk) instead of coconut milk for the glaze but then the cake won’t be nut-free.
This coconut flour pumpkin Bundt cake, without the glaze, can be made up to 5 days in advance.
Keep at room temperature for 3 days, then store in the fridge for another 2, if necessary.
The glaze can also be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in the fridge. It might need a bit of coconut milk or water to loosen up so you can pour it over the cake.
Glaze the cake right before serving.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (but the glaze will kind of seep into the cake).
You can also freeze the whole, un-glazed cake or individual slices by wrapping in 2 layers of airtight plastic wrap and then 1 layer of aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge. Do not thaw by placing in the oven or microwave – it could change the texture of the cake.
Other recipes you might like:
- Paleo Pumpkin Bread
- Paleo Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Paleo Pumpkin Pie
- Maple Walnut Paleo Bundt Cake
- Paleo Chocolate Cake
Paleo Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze
Ingredients
For the cake:
- avocado oil spray
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup arrowroot flour/starch
- 4½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1½ cups coconut sugar
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
For the caramel glaze:
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour/starch
- 8-10 teaspoons full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions
For the cake:
- Heat the oven to 350°.
- Lightly grease a Bundt pan with avocado oil spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the coconut flour, arrowroot, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, allspice and nutmeg.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, coconut sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until evenly blended. The batter will be thick.
- Scoop the batter into the greased Bundt pan and smooth to an even layer.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean (a few dry crumbs are fine, but there should be no wet batter).
- Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
- The cake should naturally pull away from the sides of the pan as it cools. If necessary, use your fingers to gently pull the cake away from the middle tube as well.
- Then place the cooling rack upside down on the pan and carefully flip the rack and pan so the pan is now on top, upside down. The cake should fall onto the rack – if not, give the pan a few taps until you hear it fall out. Let the cake cool completely on the rack.
For the caramel glaze:
- Meanwhile, blitz the coconut sugar and arrowroot in a food processor. Drape a kitchen towel over the processor or blender to contain all the fine powder. Blend until most of the sugar is finely ground. You might have to occasionally stop the machine and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl/blender.
- Spoon the sugar mixture into a fine-mesh sieve and sift it over a small mixing bowl. You might have to use the spoon or your fingers to push some of it through. You just don't want to force through any large bits or the glaze will be gritty. (Save the larger bits for another use.)
- Measure out 1 cup of the sifted sugar into a small bowl. Add 8 teaspoons coconut milk and whisk or stir until fully blended. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If necessary, add more coconut milk, about ½ teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, spoon over the glaze. Then serve!
Janessa says
This cake is fantastic! I made it for a recent family dinner and no one suspected that it was paleo! That caramel glaze really puts it over the top.
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks, Janessa! Glad to hear it was a hit.
Shelby says
So I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to make double the caramel sauce for this because I will eat half of it by itself… so delicious!
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
I think that’s a very good idea and now I’m kicking myself for not doing the same 😉
nancy says
this paelo pumpkin cake is really moist and so easy to make with a can of pumpkin! Thanks for this great recipe i can use to impress my guests with
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Thanks!
Alene says
How can I eliminate the coconut flour? I have I.B.S. and coconut is impossible for me to digest. Thank you.
Paleo Gluten Free Guy says
Hi Alene,
Unfortunately, you cannot leave out the coconut flour nor can you substitute anything else for it. Coconut flour is a very unique flour that behaves differently than anything else. If you need a grain-free recipe and can handle almond flour, I suggest Goggling “almond flour pumpkin cake” or something similar. So sorry this recipe doesn’t work for you. Good luck!