This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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…
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!
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.
Serving Suggestions
- Keep it simple: This Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is so moist and rich that a simple dusting of powdered sugar is all it needs.
- Add some frosting: You can always cover it with anything from a basic Vanilla Buttercream to rich Chocolate Frosting
- Give it a drizzle: Try it with Nutella ganache, like I put on this Pumpkin Cheesecake Flourless Chocolate Cake Roll or some Caramel Sauce.
- Go a la mode: Have a scoop of No-Churn Cheesecake Ice Cream.
- Have a cuppa: Of course on a cold day, a cup of hot tea or coffee or Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate from Lauren Kelly Nutrition would be nice. But if you prefer, try a Blended Iced Coffee.
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.
Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
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.
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
You can use 2 cups of gluten free flour. If you use a blend that contains xanthan gum, then don’t add additional.
If your using the original recipe which calls for wheat flour how much do you use? You can email to abelu@aol.com
Thank you,
You can follow the recipe here – https://chocolatechocolateandmore.com/chocolate-pumpkin-spice-cake/
Excellent recipe!
Thank you, Rhonda!
i tried your recipe that was delicious
Happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Sarah!
This is simply amazing, Love to read more about gluten pumpkin
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!
Yes, Lo. I apologize for the missing information in the recipe. Mix the pumpkin in after you’ve added the eggs.
Your cake looks yummy and healthy. Thank you for linking up with us at #HomeMattersParty. See you again next week.
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!
Thanks, Stephanie. I hope you have an opportunity to try rice flour. It’s become a staple at our house!
Absolutely felt the same way. I didn’t want to write the post because it made it too real! This cake looks amazing and I think Joan would of loved it!