Miso Pumpkin Spice Cake
Vegan, gluten-free
Alright. The air is crisp. The leaves are changing colors and crunchy underfoot. It is fall. For me, that means sweaters, beanies, and fuzzy socks. However, for oh-so-many others it means pumpkin spice everything. Yes, you do detect a hint of an eye roll.
The crumb-topped, round-cake version of this recipe.
I love spiced gourd breads. I do not love the cultural phenomenon that is pumpkin spice. But we aren’t here to talk about social critique (though I am sure that I could talk about it for ages). We are here for the sweets, particularly a spicy, sweet, and slightly funky pumpkin spice bread. Or cake.
If you saw on Instagram, I made two versions of this recipe: a round, crisp-topped cake and a pumpkin-seed-topped loaf cake. As promised, I will give you the recipe, with both variations and how to make them.
Before digging into the ingredients, a tip for making this recipe (and really any other): use a food scale. Baking is an exercise in chemistry. Delicious chemistry, but chemistry nonetheless. Amounts need to be precise and exact to ensure you get the desired outcome.
You might say, but cups are an exact way of measuring right? Nah. Everyone measures cups differently. Weights for ingredients will always be the same. So get a food scale (this one is a favorite of mine).
Ok, I am done. Let’s dig into the important ingredients.
Flour Mix
I have a few favorite gluten-free flours and this cake contains most of them. And, all of them play an important role.
Teff and Brown Rice Flours are the backbone of the flour mix, providing most of the structure. Both are wholegrain, very absorbent and lend a whole-wheat-like flavor to the final cake. Arrowroot flour binds everything together (which gluten would normally do in part). Almond flour adds a bit more fat, which leads to a more delicate, soft cake crumb.
Lastly, let’s talk about the chickpea flour. That wondrous legume. Chickpea flour is important because it has natural protein. That protein is very important in gluten-free baking. Gluten is a protein that occurs naturally in wheat flour. When you take that out, you need to replace it with something—hello chickpea flour.
Do you have to use this flour mix? No. I won’t force you to do anything. If you don’t have these flours, don’t want to go out and buy these flours, you can use a gluten-free, measure-for-measure flour mix. I have not tested this recipe with one. If you do, start with about 1 and 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour. If the batter still looks too runny, add a 1/4 cup more.
Miso
I love miso. Miso is having a moment when it comes to desserts. Many a restaurant are adding to their pastries, ice creams, and desserts. Why? It’s freaking delicious. But also because it adds an undefinable umami quality to whatever you add it to. Desserts can suffer from being too sweet; miso provides that balance.
For this recipe (and like most of the times I use miso), I prefer a light, yellow miso. Light miso will still have a distinct flavor, but will not be as strong as a darker miso. I prefer to use Muso Organic Yellow Miso (found on Amazon).
Miso contains soy. If you are avoiding soy or have an allergy, you can find a chickpea-based miso. If you would prefer to omit the miso all together, you can use an equal amount of alternative sour cream.
Sugars
The sugars in this recipe (in both variations) are very important. Yes, they add sweetness and we all want a little more sweetness in our lives. But they are also adding acidity. Why does acidity matter? It not only adds tenderness to the finished cake, but also activates the leavening.
Maple syrup and molasses both have natural acidity; however, they are liquid sweeteners. Liquid sweeteners also add, well, moisture, and that can work against you as well. So, I have used coconut and cane sugar to provide the remaining, but necessary sweetness.
Is one better than the other? No. I prefer the molasses-cane-sugar version, but that is simply because I like the flavor that molasses imparts.
Fruit Juice
As with the sugars, the fruit juices play an important role in this recipe aside from just making it more yummy. They are adding acid. If you have had made vegan recipes before, you may notice that some call for adding apple cider vinegar. While effective, I don’t love the harsh acerbic taste that it can leave in a baked good.
Also, aren’t there other options for acid? Yes! There are. Orange juice and apple cider are the two that I tested and with equal success. Both have a decent amount of malic and citric acids (sorry, food science nerd showing) that give the cake it’s lift and both have flavor!
Can you use another fruit juice? Sure, but I have not tested this recipe with other versions.
RECIPE
87g (1/2 cup) brown rice flour
101g (1/2 cup) teff flour
68g (1/2 cup) chickpea flour
68g (1/2ish cup) arrowroot flour
45g (1/3 cup) packed almond flour
9g (1 tbsp) flax meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp each cardamom, cloves, and allspice
1 tsp instant espresso powder (optional, but delicious)
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
362g (about 1 and 1/4 cups) pumpkin puree
18g (about 1tbsp) yellow miso
60g (6tbsp) olive oil
70g (3tbsp) maple syrup (or use 55g, about 3tbsp molasses)
152g (1 cup plus 2tbsp) cane sugar (3/4 cup/154g cane sugar)
2tbsp bourbon (optional, but why not)
52g (1/4 cup) oat milk
57g (1/4 cup) orange juice (I also used 1/4 cup/56g apple cider)
Crumb topping (makes more than needed)
31g (3tbsp) coconut sugar
42g (3 tbsp) vegan butter (I prefer salted. If you use unsalted, then add a generous pinch of salt)
36g (1/3 cup) oat flour
46g (1/2 cup) quick cook oats
28g (1/3 cup) shredded coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Optional: chopped nuts, maybe some pumpkin seeds
To make a loaf cake (aka the obligatory pumpkin spice bread):
Use a standard loaf pan (I prefer to use a pullman loaf pan, but not necessary). Use the dry mix above. For the wet ingredients, substitute the maple syrup and coconut sugar with the molasses and cane sugar. And use the apple cider.
Before baking, mix together a couple tablespoons of cane or coconut sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle it on top of the batter in the loaf pan before baking
And the sugar-and-seed-topped loaf cake version.
For an 8-inch round cake, liberally grease a springform cake pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. For a loaf cake, liberally grease a standard or pullman loaf pan with coconut oil.
Preheat your oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, making sure to get out any lumps in the almond flour.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple or molasses, cane or coconut sugars, and bourbon (if using) until everything gets together all nice. Add the apple cider (or orange juice) and oat milk, whisking until incorporated. Set aside.
Make the crumb topping (if you want to) now, before mixing together the wet and dry mix. Trust me. In a small bowl, combine the crumb ingredients, using the tips of your fingers to mix the butter into the oats, etc. You want it to look like wet, moldable sand. Set aside.
Combine the pumpkin mixture with the flour mixture, whisk to start (gets things melding together faster) and then folding together with a spatula. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
If making the round cake, top with the crumb topping (there will be some left over). If making a loaf cake, top with cinnamon sugar and pumpkin seeds.
Let’s bake it! For the round cake, bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the the center springs back from your touch. For the loaf cake, bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center springs back when you lightly press it.
Let the cake cool completely before removing from either pan. Serve it up! I personally like it just how it is, but you do you. Drizzle some tahini on a slice? Maybe some nice cream? Toast a slice and lather it in fig jam?