Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

5 from 1 vote
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This decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is a moist bundt cake recipe with just the right amount of pumpkin spice and plenty of chocolate chips. The perfect fall dessert with a cup of coffee or tea!

Joan’s Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Joan was a shining light in the food blogging community and a force to be reckoned with behind the blog Chocolate, Chocolate and More. Sadly we lost her too soon, and we all still miss her.

The food blogging community still has a hole in it without her. Someone is always saying, “Oh, I learned that from Joan.” or “Joan told me about this.” or “Remember when Joan…” or “That’s something Joan would have said.” That was the lasting impression made by a woman who has left a legacy built on desserts as sweet as she was.

And if there was anything as big as her personality, passion, and love, it was her love for chocolate recipes. In honor of Joan, I wanted to enjoy and share a gluten free version of her Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe.

This epic chocolaty gluten free dessert is the ultimate pairing of fall’s favorite flavor and total chocolate indulgence. The sweet and earthy flavor of pumpkin with the warm spices of autumn seems to go so perfectly with chocolate. And when loaded with chocolate chips for extra little bursts of chocolate, this is a bundt cake recipe worthy of a special celebration. It’s moist and decadent. Just try to stop at one piece.

Joan, you will forever live in our hearts. I wish we could be sitting together enjoying a slice or three of this…

Sliced gluten free bundt cake on a platter

Making this Cake Gluten Free

As I was looking for some guidance on how to convert the all-purpose flour to gluten free, I’d been checking out The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook from my friend Mary of Barefeet in the Kitchen. I had made the gluten free version of her Chocolate Chip Pound Cake, and I had a feeling the texture would translate well to this bundt cake. So I pulled out the recipe, my pencil, a piece of paper, and my chemical engineering brain that still likes to do unit conversions.

It’s a basic blend of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch, along with a bit of xanthan gum to achieve the right texture. While I often make things like Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread with a 1-to-1 flour blend, sometimes it is worth it to break out the individual flours and starches to get the right ratio. These are four ingredients that I would recommend any gluten free baker keep in their pantry.

Keep Your Bundt Cake from Sticking

I have noticed that gluten free Bundt cakes do have a tendency to stick a bit more. And gluten free flour is not always as effective when you simple grease and flour the pan. So here is the surefire way to keep a gluten free bundt cake from sticking.

Make a paste by mixing together one tablespoon of vegetable shortening and one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Use this to thoroughly grease the Bundt pan by working it into every crevice. You can use a pastry brush or just a paper towel to spread a nice layer.

It turned out perfectly! I hope you enjoy it too! Just wait till you see how simple it is to make!

A big slice of moist Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Ingredients

Here is a quick overview. The full amounts and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Brown rice flour + tapioca starch + potato starch: Start with this basin blend of gluten free flours and starches (or follow Joan’s original recipe with regular all-purpose flour if you don’t need a gluten free cake).
  • Xanthan gum: Improves the texture of gluten free baked goods.
  • Cocoa powder: To make it nice and chocolaty.
  • Baking soda
  • Pumpkin pie spice: Buy a blend or make your own pumpkin spice blend.
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter: Softened to room temperature.
  • Light brown sugar: Adds a caramelized sweetness.
  • Eggs
  • Pumpkin puree: NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • Chocolate chips

How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Grease the bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease your pan with the shortening and cocoa powder mister I described earlier.

Combine the dry ingredients. In a bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.

Make the wet mixture. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar at high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and then beat in the pumpkin.

Finish the batter. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake and cool. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread evenly on the top. Bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a rack before inverting it to remove it from the pan.

Cake on a platter dusted with powdered sugar

Serving Suggestions

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Storing the Cake

Room temperature: If covered tightly, it will keep on the counter for 2 to 3 days.

Refrigerator: Wrap or cover the cake and refrigerate it for up to 4 or 5 days.

Freezer: This cake freezes quite well, especially if you do not frost it. Wrap the whole cake or individual slices in a double layer of plastic wrap and freezer for up to 2 months.

a big slice of chocolate pumpkin cake on a white plate with the rest of thee bundt cake on a platter behind it
5 from 1 vote

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is a moist bundt cake recipe with just the right amount of pumpkin spice and plenty of chocolate chips. The perfect fall dessert with a cup of coffee or tea!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch
  • 1/3 cup potato starch
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder plus extra for coating the pan
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar, frosting, whipped cream, or chocolate ganache, if desired.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan, or mix together one tablespoon of shortening and one tablespoon of cocoa powder and grease the pan thoroughly with this mixture.
  • In a bowl, sift together the brown rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add the butter and brown sugar and cream at high speed until light and fluffy.
  • Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, and then beat in the pumpkin.
  • Set at low speed, and slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture just until combined.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Pour the batter into prepared bundt pan and spread evenly on the top.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in the pan before inverting to remove from the pan.
  • Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar or cover with frosting, whipped cream, or chocolate ganache if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Chocolate, Chocolate and More, with gluten free flour conversion based on Barefeet in the Kitchen.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
Calories 341 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 77mg26%
Sodium 246mg10%
Potassium 280mg8%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 25g28%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 5195IU104%
Vitamin C 1.5mg2%
Calcium 52mg5%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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More gluten free cake recipes for fall

16 Comments
  1. Jennifer

    Could I substitute a prepared gluten free flour, instead of the combination of brown rice flour and starches?
    I 5/6 cups worth? Thank you

  2. Lo

    I take it you are supposed to add the pumpkin before the flour? It isn’t in the directions. Could you please clarify? Thank you!

    1. Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips

      Yes, Lo. I apologize for the missing information in the recipe. Mix the pumpkin in after you’ve added the eggs.

  3. What a beautiful remembrance of your friend, Brianne. This cake looks and sounds absolutely delicious. I’ve always loved pumpkin in brownies and the additon of the spices to those flavors sounds amazing! I’ve never used brown rice flour before and I’m really curious to try it!

    1. Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips

      Thanks, Stephanie. I hope you have an opportunity to try rice flour. It’s become a staple at our house!

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