Pumpkin Spice Cake

Maybe, just maybe, we've jumped the gun on the Pumpkin Spice obsession this year...
Yes? Eh, I'm thinking maybe not, because we are officially two days past Starbuck's official launch of fall.

My daughter waited as long as she could. She's been begging for WEEKS, for me to make anything pumpkin spice. Since we have been prepping to evacuate for Hurricane Dorian, I figured a nice Pumpkin Spice Cake, would be good for our evacuation party. Since we were in prep for evacuation, I knew I needed to do something super easy for this cake. I did the easiest and the most cost effective thing I could, considering gluten free baking is so expensive. I grabbed a vanilla/yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin in the madness of people throwing cases of water and batteries past my head, and I got on out of there.

The wonderful thing about this recipe, is that it is very easy to make "normal" and not gluten free, if you don't have to be gluten free, like me. Since gluten free baking mixes are usually thicker, if you're using a normal (glutinous) cake mix, you may not need as much liquid as I did. Follow your gut on this one. This batter will be a little bit thicker, it won't be runny like a normal cake mix. It will be closer to brownie batter consistency than cake batter.

Good luck and I hope your's turns out as fantastic as mine did!

Cake Ingredients:
1 Yellow Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Mix, for reference, it makes 24 cupcakes.)
1 Cup of Pure Pumpkin
3 Eggs
3/4-1 Cup of Milk, see note above about milk. (I used Unsweetened Original Almond Milk)
1/2 Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon of Almond Extract (Vanilla will work if that's what you have.)

Glaze Ingredients:
3/4-1 Cup of Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
2 (ish) Tablespoons of Milk


Preheat the oven to 350.


Make The Cake:
In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, milk, and extract. Make sure these items are combined well and then slowly start to add the cake mix. For this recipe, you do not have to mix on high for 2 minutes before you can put it in the pan, like a normal cake. Just give it a good minute of mixing and then you're ready!

Grease your bundt pan VERY well, before you pour in your batter. You want it to just fall right out, when it's done baking. Bake your cake for about 45 minutes. My oven is VERY inconsistent, in all corners and your's probably is too. Check your cake at 40 minutes, with a toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a crumb or two, then it's perfect. If your toothpick comes out with a little bit of batter, then you need to bake it a bit longer.

I usually take my cake out of the oven and while it's setting, still in the pan, I make my glaze.
Just whisk together all of the ingredients and make sure it's a runny consistency, this isn't a frosting, it's just to "glaze" your cake.

Once you have flipped your cake out, drizzle the glaze and enjoy!
It's a requirement that you eat a slice while it's still warm, so if you're making it for an event, tell them that it's part of the recipe, to have a slice right after it's glazed. :) You clearly don't have a choice!

Enjoy & happy FALL!