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    Whip & Wander » Recipes » Desserts

    Published: Dec 5, 2019 · Modified: May 16, 2022 by Jenni · This post may contain affiliate links.

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

    This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on a wooden and glass cake stand with brown paper
    tan and blue plates topped with cake and cream
    pumpkin spice cake with whiped cream and butterscotch sauce on a blue plate with a fork

    a wooden tray with blue and tan plates with cake and whipped cream

    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.

    a cake stand with a pumpkin spice bundt cake on top

    Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce sitting on top of a piece of brown parchment paper

    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.

    Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on blue and tan plates with whipped cream and forks

    a whipped cream topped slice of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on a blue plate with a form

    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.

    slices of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on tan and blue plates

    a tan plate with Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and a dollop of whipped cream with a fork

    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.

    three plates with slices of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce on a wooden board with forks

    2 blue plates and a tan plate with wedges of pumpkin spice bund cake, whipped cream, and forks

    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.

    a wooden tray with 6 plates in blue and tan topped with Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and whipped cream

    blue and tan plates with sices of bundt cake and whipped cream

    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 fork sitting next to a side of Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce topped with whipped cream

    Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce and whipped cream on a dark blue plate with a fork

    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.

    3 slices of bundt cake on dessert plates on a wood board

    a blue plate with a whipped cream topped pumpkin spice cake

    Print
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    a wooden tray with blue and tan plates with cake and whipped cream

    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.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    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


    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.

    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.


    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

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Patricia Bozeman says

      January 14, 2020 at 10:29 am

      That butterscotch sauce is EVERYTHING! I agree that frosting doesn't live up to the hype, but this sauce is perfect. Is it wrong if I eat the whole cake? LOL! The perfect fall treat.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Dana says

      January 14, 2020 at 7:01 am

      What an absolutely GORGEOUS dessert! The presentation is stunning and the flavor combo is just perfection. The maple bourbon butterscotch amps up the coziness of the whole thing. Pumpkin Spice is usually the star flavor of cool weather desserts, but I love that you've kicked it up even more with maple-y bourbon-y goodness.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    3. Lathiya says

      January 09, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Making the pumpkin spice cake gluten-free is a an awesome thought. I loved the color of the cake.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Gloria says

      January 09, 2020 at 6:55 am

      First off, I love bundt cakes. No fancy decorating needed. Love the rustic look. Second...I love cooking with bourbon. This is the perfect cake to take to a dinner party....or just make in the middle of the week.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    5. Debra says

      January 08, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      What a gorgeous looking cake. Love the rich color on the outside next to the beautiful pumpkin color inside. I think I would LOVE this sauce on pancakes too. Thanks for the nostalgic tip on the apple cider vinegar....I actually do remember now, learning that in science class.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    6. Lisa says

      January 03, 2020 at 3:49 pm

      I never would have thought this was a gluten free cake if you hadn't said so. It looks rich, decadent with an absolute perfect crumb. And let's talk about that maple bourbon butterscotch sauce -- Holy cow! I'm pretty sure I could eat that by the spoonful. You've hit it out of the park with this gorgeous cake and I think it'll be perfect for my dinner party tomorrow night -- I know my pumpkin and spice loving cousin is going to want the recipe after she tries it!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    7. Cheryl Malik says

      December 17, 2019 at 6:40 am

      Oh, wow! Totally loving this cake recipe. This looks amazing!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    8. katie says

      December 16, 2019 at 12:35 am

      Oh man, that cake looks so dark and sticky! I'm drooling!!

      Katie xoxo

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    9. Candice says

      December 15, 2019 at 6:29 pm

      Oh my goodness... this cake is fantastic. And then the bourbon maple butterscotch sauce takes it to another level....I could drink it! It was that good. Cannot wait to make this again!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    10. Stacey Crawford says

      December 15, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      That butterscotch sauce looks divine with the pumpkin spice cake! Very dreamy 🙂

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    11. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

      December 15, 2019 at 9:46 am

      I want to pumpkin spice EVERYTHING around this time of year. This cake looks so good, and the flavour combo sounds out of this world!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    12. Abby says

      December 15, 2019 at 9:19 am

      This sounds so yummy! I can eat pumpkin source year-round. Mmm!

      Reply
    13. Zuzana says

      December 15, 2019 at 7:53 am

      i love cake and it looks very good you should use this for Birthdays

      Reply
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