This Healthy Pumpkin Cake delivers an explosion of flavor, offers the perfect moist texture, and couldn't be easier to make -- we throw everything into a blender and give it a whirl! Pour the batter into a pan, bake, and be prepared to enjoy this tasty seasonal treat.
PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
BLEND TO CREATE BATTER: Add the cashews, oats, oil (measure when melted), maple syrup, eggs, and pumpkin to a large powerful blender (Blend-tec/Vitamix) and pulse until smooth-- 90-120 seconds. Add in the rest of the cake ingredients. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 60-90 seconds. Stop and scrape down edges as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape every bit into the pan.
BAKE: Smooth the top with the spatula and bake for 33-38 minutes or until cake is lightly browned at the edges and set in the middle (toothpick when inserted in the center should come out clean). 36 minutes is perfect in my oven!
OPTIONALFROSTING: Meanwhile, place softened cream cheese in a large bowl with room temperature butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese with the butter until smooth and creamy. Add in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar (beating in between additions) until smooth and creamy and to your desired consistency.
DECORATE: Frost the completely cooled cake with as much frosting as you'd like (the batch of frosting makes a lot; you can certainly use it all if you'd like, but if you want a less-frosted cake, you will likely have about 1/4 up to 1/2 cup extra frosting -- save and add to your favorite pancakes or waffles!). If desired, top the frosting with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice (optional).
SERVING: Use the overhang of parchment paper to remove the pumpkin cake to a cutting board.Then use a sharp chef’s knife to make decisive cuts. Run the knife under warm water, dry it on a kitchen towel, and repeat for each cut.
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Notes
Note 1: Blender: You'll need a good, powerful blender (think Blendtec® or Vitamix®) to break down the cashews without over-heating the machine.Note 2: Cashews: We love dry-roasted and lightly salted cashews best — more flavor without any extra effort on your part. (Here's what we use in this cake.)Note 3: Oats: Although it would make sense that any oats would work since they’re getting blended anyways, it’s important to use old-fashioned to ensure you get the right measurement. Both quick and steel-cut oats are smaller, denser, and more compact so measurements would be off and the cake would end up too dry.Note 4:Pure maple syrup is a natural sweetener (unlike corn syrup or pancake syrup) made from the sap of a maple tree, which is boiled down to a thicker consistency. I don't recommend any substitutes. Note 5: Pumpkin: make sure to get purecannedpumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling which has added sugars and spices). We recommend Libby's® canned pumpkin. Also note that this recipe only calls for 3/4 cup, not the entire can!Note 6: Corn starch: This is an important ingredient since we aren't using flour and need some additional support and thickness.Note 7: Pumpkin pie spice: This is a combination of warming spices that can be found with the other spices in the grocery store, or you can make your own pumpkin pie spice!Nutrition information does not include the optional cream cheese frosting. With the frosting, one serving of this cake is 226 calories.