Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce (Gluten-Free)

A worthy fall bake: Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

If you're anything like me, the second the temperatures properly drop you'll be looking to warm the kitchen up with a delicious fall bake. This Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is packed with gorgeous fall spices and a sauce so decadent you might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful before it ever reaches the cake.

Let's talk about the Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce for a moment

I'm not big on frosting, but this cake needed just a little bit something extra so I thought I'd take a beloved butterscotch sauce (from this Butterbeer Frozen Custard recipe) and make it decidedly extra for this recipe by adding a splash of maple syrup and a splash of bourbon. This Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is lovely enjoyed drizzled on top of the cake when first prepared and served at room temperature, or poured on warm as you serve slices - much like a classic English sticky toffee pudding cake.

The elements of a moist and fluffy gluten-free cake

• A mix of gluten-free flours: I use a combination of almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour in this recipe. Are they all necessary? Yes. Atleast if you want to properly fool people into believing this cake isn't gluten-free. Though the bulk of this cake is made up of almond flour, both tapioca flour and coconut flour play an important role in giving the cake the structure and fluffiness of a traditional cake and softening the sometimes gritty texture of almond flour - so don't skip them! If needed, you can substitute arrowroot powder for the tapioca flour in this recipe and achieve similar results, but please don't mess with anything else.
• Apple cider vinegar: Do you remember those fun volcanos from science class that were made from baking soda and vinegar? They bubbled up and created lots of fluffy froth. Using apple cider vinegar in this recipe is more or less the same concept, except it results in a fluffier cake instead of a frothy explosion.
• Coconut sugar: The other element that really helps the cake obtain a great bake is coconut sugar. Though honey is my favorite refined sugar-free sweetener for its natural gut-healing properties, it often encourages a denser bake. Therefore, coconut sugar is my preferred sweetener in this recipe because it helps further provide structure (the fluffy air pockets you get on a traditional cake) and helps lock in moisture.

My favorite way to ensure a clean cake release

It's always frustrating to turn a bundt cake out of its pan only to have part of it stick to the pan and ruin the design. My favorite way to ensure a clean cake release is to prep the pan with plenty of butter + a dusting of coconut sugar.

I like to use this pan prep method immediately before adding the cake batter so it doesn't get a chance to melt and run:

Coat your bundt pan in a generous layer of softened (not melted) butter with a basting brush, making sure to butter the inner stem and over the top edge of the pan in case the cake bakes over the edge when rising. After greasing the pan, coat with coconut sugar, tilting the pan until you have dispersed the coconut sugar evenly across the surface. Not only should this method help prevent the cake from sticking, but you don't end up with a floury white coating on your dark bundt cake like you often do when coating with flour.

What tools do you need to make this recipe?

• a bundt pan
• a large mixing bowl
• a medium mixing bowl
• a whisk
• measuring cups and measuring spoons
• a basting brush
• a spatula
• a cooling rack
• a medium saucepan
• an instant-read thermometer

Are you looking for an upgrade to your kitchen tools or looking to replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and my pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

How long will this cake keep?

When stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this cake should last for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To defrost, allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours until thawed.

A note for special diets

This Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and can be made to fit paleo diets with a few small substitutions (below).

For paleo diets: The butter in the Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake batter may be swapped out for an equal amount of melted ghee or coconut oil. The butter in the Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce may be substituted for an equal amount of ghee. The bourbon (lamentably) will need to be omitted altogether.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

★★★★★ 5 from 29 reviews

• Author: Whip & Wander
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 65 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 12 slices 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce is a Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar-Free fall bake for easy entertaining.

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Ingredients

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For the cake:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup coconut sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened (may substitute softened ghee or coconut oil)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 ½ cups almond flour
• ¾ cup tapioca flour (may substitute arrowroot flour)
• 2 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt
• additional butter/ghee/coconut oil + coconut sugar for prepping the pan

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp bourbon
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter or ghee
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp of sea salt

Optional: Whipped cream or whipped coconut cream to top

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Instructions

To make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, eggs, butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar until well combined.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet, until fully combined. The mixture will be quite thick.
4. Prepare your bundt pan. Grease the bundt pan with a generous layer of softened butter (alternatively you may use softened ghee or coconut oil) with a basting brush, making sure to butter the inner stem and over the top edge of the pan in case the cake bakes over the edge when rising. After greasing the pan, coat with coconut sugar, tilting the pan until you have dispersed the coconut sugar evenly across the surface.
5. Spoon the cake batter to the bundt pan, then gently tamp down to make sure that it is fully dispersed in all of the crevices of the bundt shape.
6. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. You can tell the cake is ready when the surface is springy. When in doubt, you can take the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The temperature in the middle should reach between 200-210 degrees F.
7. Cool the cake in its pan for atleast 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.

To make the sauce:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer bourbon until reduced by half.
2. Add coconut sugar, coconut milk, butter, and maple syrup and stir to combine. Allow to come to a low rolling boil and allow to thicken, stirring occasionally. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reached 140 degrees F.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt.
4. Drizzle over the cake before serving. This sauce is delicious cooled to room temperature or served warm. Optionally, this cake is also lovely served with the addition of a dollop of whipped cream or whipped coconut cream on top.
5. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 377
• Sugar: 35 g
• Sodium: 435 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Carbohydrates: 42 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 8 g
• Cholesterol: 82 mg

Keywords: pumpkin, cake, bourbon, butterscotch