Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Cake
This whole wheat healthy pumpkin cake is made with whole wheat pastry flour. This pumpkin cake recipe is the perfect autumn dessert to bring to Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. Pumpkin pie is a classic, but if you're not super into pie like me this is a great alternative that is just as pumpkin-y and festive.
If you’re feeling creative, then this cake looks even more festive when you add a garnish such as autumn flowers, fresh herbs (such as rosemary), walnuts, candied pecans, or a simple dusting of pumpkin spice. I prefer the more rustic look of a naked cake with flowers, but you can definitely do the more traditional, fully frosted cake if preferred! Also side note: be careful with non-edible flowers and always remove before serving guests.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU USE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR IN CAKE?
Using whole wheat flour in cake is a great way example of incorporating more whole grains and fiber into your recipes. Ands that’s why we used whole wheat flour in this healthy pumpkin spice cake. When you substitute whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour or even cake flour, we do want to be careful. The texture and taste of the final product will vary. That’s why it is important to use a recipe tested recipe before trialing it yourself, where you risk ending up with wasted ingredients and wasted time which is never fun!
WHY IS MY PUMPKIN CAKE TOO MOIST?
Hmm great question! Pumpkin helps add moisture to cake to give it that nice, non-dry texture that has us going back for just one more bite. But if you notice your pumpkin cake is more dense and too moist, then let's check on a few things!
Bake Time - Sometimes if we do not bake the cake long enough and take it out too soon or prematurely, the center of the cake can still be somewhat raw and un-cooked. Which will leave us with a way too moist cake texture. Use a toothpick to check multiple parts of your cake to determine the level of doneness. We want the toothpick to come out clean each time! If it comes out still wet, add 3 minute cook time intervals.
Pan Material - sometimes the material that our cake pans are made of can affect how well the cakes bake. According to NY Times, aluminized steel cake pans yield the most optimal baked cake. If you bake cakes often, it can be worth investing in a nice quality cake pan to yield consistently evenly baked cakes each time. Great places to find cake pans are your local restaurant supplier, hobby store, or even Amazon.
Oven Temperature - sometimes our oven’s need some help with calibration. A good way to check to see if your oven is baking at the proper temperature that it is supposed to be at, simply place an oven safe thermometer on your oven rack to verify if the oven is getting as hot as it should be. If it does not read at the desired temperature, read about your oven manufactures calibration details.
Measuring Ingredients - we’ve all heard time and time again, how baking is a science, and let me tell you that is very true! Even the slightest of shifts in our measurements can affect the entire end product. Which can be disappointing after all that work when our baked good ends up a flop. My favorite way to ensure we are measuring exactly is to use a baking scale. Measure out your ingredients by weight and it will help yield consistent baked goods and less dishes to clean at the end since we will not have used all the measuring cups in our drawers. a win, win!
WHAT IS PUMPKIN CAKE MADE OF?
This might come to be a surprise, but this easy pumpkin spice whole wheat cake is made out of … pumpkin. Yep you guessed correctly! There are a few more ingredients that go into it, but pumpkin cake is similar to how you would make banana cake, banana bread, or even pumpkin bread. The added ingredient of pumpkin puree adds a warm flavor paired with warm spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Pumpkin also adds a moisture to the cake which yields that perfect texture paired with the cream cheese frosting.
WILL THIS CAKE WORK AS A PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE?
Yes! but note that the cooking time will vary since we will have a much thicker cake, but add 10 minute intervals to the bake time below and keep checking with toothpick for done ness to ensure we don't end up with a an underbaked cake in the end. When ever baking in a bundt cake, always remember to grease and flour for a clean design at the end! Once it is cooled you cake make a simple glaze, this cream cheese frosting, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. You could try these in a mini bundt cake pan, which would instead need shorter bake time.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE CUPCAKES?
Cupcakes are great for portion size control, sharing, and freezing! To make this healthy pumpkin cake as cupcakes - let's grab a muffin tin, cupcake liners (bonus points if the're fun, fall festive ones), and a cookie scoop. Once your cake batter is well mixed, use the cookie scoop to evenly distribute the batter between the lined muffin pan. Let's bake for 15 minutes and check with a tooth pick. If the toothpick does not come out clean, add 3 minute bake time intervals to avoid over baking. Now frost with the cream cheese frosting and maybe a dusting of cinnamon for a cute, rustic garish or some fall sprinkles for a cute garnish!
DOES PUMPKIN CAKE HAVE TO BE REFRIGERATED?
For optimal storage and food safety - yes! Especially since we are using a dairy based frosting with both cream cheese and Greek yogurt, we really do not want this cake sitting out for too long. Having the cake sit at room temperature for maximum of 2 hours is alright for serving at a party, but let's try to keep it cold by popping it into the fridge.
WHAT DOES PUMPKIN SPICE CAKE TASTE LIKE?
AMAZING! For real though, trust me. If you are a fan of pumpkin spice coffee and sweet and cinnamon and warm spices, this is the cake for you. If you are not a fan of pumpkin spice, then still try this cake to see what you think. Our taste buds adapt more than we realize so we might surprise ourselves!
Recipe: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients:
For the pumpkin spice cake:
1 + 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp + 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 + 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup neutral oil [avocado oil, canola oil, etc.]
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
For the cream cheese frosting:
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
4 ounce of plain greek yogurt
1 cup + 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of salt
Instructions:
For the pumpkin spice cake:
Whisk together the white whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside the dry ingredients
Whisk together the oil, brown sugar, and sugar. Slowly add in egg. Add in pumpkin puree.
Slowly add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined. Add in vanilla and vinegar.
Pour into a greased cake pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minute or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cake cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting (see recipe below).
To make layered cake, slice cakes in half to yield a 2 layers. Spread cream cheese frosting in between layers. Leave naked for a naked cake look, or frost the sides for a traditional cake. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon, herbs, or your favorite flowers.
For the cream cheese frosting:
Using a hand mixer or a whisk, beat together the cream cheese and greek yogurt.
Slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
If too thick, add in 1 teaspoon of milk at a time.
Notes:
Not in a pumpkin mood? Try subbing 1:1 mashed banana instead for a fun twist with banana cake.
Use a heart healthy fat by using any liquid oil - avocado oil is my favorite.
