Gluten Free Spice Cake with Maple Frosting

Name: Gluten Free Spice Cake with Maple Frosting
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients: gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix (follow package directions + spices listed below)**; 3 cups (405 gr) gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour; 1 Tbs. baking powder; 1/4 cup powdered pudding mix measure out 1/4 cup of gluten free instant pudding mix; 1/4 tsp. salt; 2 tsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. ground allspice; 1/2 tsp. ground cloves; 2 cups brown sugar or coconut palm sugar; 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (like Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks; 3 large eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature (for egg-free option see options here or use aquafaba); 2 tsp. vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract; 1 cup buttermilk milk or vegan milk, room temperature (like Milkadamia Milk Unsweetened, coconut, soy, hemp, or rice, etc. “milk” with 2 Tbs. lemon juice added and set aside to curdle); 1 cup shortening (I use Spectrum® Organic Palm Oil Shortening or butter; 6 Tbs. pure maple syrup; 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 4 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar; 3-4 Tbs. +/- milk/vegan milk of choice (as needed for consistency)

Jump to Recipe

One of our favorite cake recipes is gluten free spice cake. Even when it’s not necessarily the time of year you would expect for yummy gingerbread-y spices, I bake this cake because we all love it so much. Take my husband’s birthday in March — he always asks for this autumnal spice cake and no one complains!

Zig when they zag with this amazing flavor combination and serve it when your guests are least expecting it. I bet you’ll receive high praise, too!

One year I tried a little something different and I made 1 1/2 recipes of my gluten free spice cake as the birthday cake so that I could stack the cake tall with 3 full layers (the recipe as written bakes 2 8- or 9-inch rounds).

We joked that I needed to make such a tall cake because my husband is 6 foot 4, but I really think any true cake lover would rise to the occasion with this beauty.

I just love all the warm and aromatic spices in this gluten free spice cake. And again, just because we tend to think of spice cake as being a fall treat, it can be a favorite anytime of year if you’re a lover of cinnamon and clove, or the type who can’t wait for pumpkin spice latte season to come around.

Maple fans will also love the flavors of this cake and icing combination.

cake leveling screenshot — Click photo for quick video how-to level your layer cakes.

In order to level the cakes before frosting, I shaved the crown off the bottom two layers with a bread knife, and used the leftover “scraps” of cake to make cake balls (I could never be accused of wasting cake — gasp! the horror!).

Using the reverse creaming method of blending this cake, which I now use for this updated recipe (yes, even recipe writers continue to tweak their own recipes!), there’s not so very much to cut off the top of this cake, but it’s good to know how to level cakes for future reference anyway!

gluten free spice cake made with gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix — 8-inch cake pan

If you use my gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix to make this gluten free Spice Cake, you’ll still get some crowning, but not too much.

From scratch using the reverse creaming method, the cakes are less domed on top with a more even, dense crumb that’s just right for this delicious spice cake!

It’s nice to know you can bake this beauty from scratch OR using my gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix if you’re in a rush or just want the convenience of a pre-measured, no-fail mix.

However you slice it, stack it, bake it or layer it, this yummy gluten free spice cake recipe is a keeper, and truly is delicious any time of year!

And if you’re really in a hurry, or just like the ease of sheet pan cake, feel free to bake all the batter in a 9×13 pan instead.

Baked with my gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix AND in a sheet pan, it couldn’t be easier, and it’s oh-so delicious!

If you bake this recipe from scratch or with my mix, let me know! And please leave a 5-star review if you love it!

Gluten Free Spice Cake with Maple Frosting

Yield: 2 8-inch round cakes or 28 cupcakes

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

The aroma of this gluten free spice cake is enough to make your mouth water, but top it with delectable maple frosting, and you have an irresistible, decadent treat you'll be craving year-round!

Ingredients

Spice Cake**

gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix (follow package directions + spices listed below)**

OR

3 cups (405 gr) gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 cup powdered pudding mix measure out 1/4 cup of gluten free instant pudding mix
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups brown sugar or coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (like Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks
3 large eggs + 2 egg whites, room temperature (for egg-free option see options here or use aquafaba)
2 tsp. vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk milk or vegan milk, room temperature (like Milkadamia Milk Unsweetened, coconut, soy, hemp, or rice, etc. “milk” with 2 Tbs. lemon juice added and set aside to curdle)

Maple Frosting

1 cup shortening (I use Spectrum® Organic Palm Oil Shortening or butter
6 Tbs. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
3-4 Tbs. +/- milk/vegan milk of choice (as needed for consistency)

Instructions

Gluten Free Spice Cake** (see notes for how to bake using gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix)

Pre-heat oven to 325º F (static). Bring eggs and milk to room temperature.

Spray two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and dust entire surface lightly with gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour (line bottom with parchment paper, if desired). To make cupcakes, oil or line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (Makes approximately 28 cupcakes).

Whisk together the flour, powdered pudding mix, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices in a large mixing bowl. Cut cold butter into small pieces and add to bowl.

Using flat paddle attachment on a stand mixer or hand mixer with beaters, work butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, vanilla paste and buttermilk (or milk + lemon juice).

Slowly add the liquid mix to the dry mix, beating just until smooth (not more than 1 minute).

Pour into the prepared pans and smooth tops with a rubber spatula.

For cakes, bake for 40 minutes; for cupcakes, test after 20 minutes for doneness; for sheet pan, approximately 40-42 minutes. To test the cakes for doneness, insert a cake tester or toothpick in the middle of each cake and be sure it comes out clean, with very few dry crumbs attached. The cakes will also begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pans. Add time if necessary to fully bake the cakes.

When done, turn off the oven and leave the oven door open to let the cakes cool slowly there for 3-5 minutes, then remove the cakes to a cooling rack. After 15-20 minutes of total cooling time, gently invert the cakes to remove them from the pans, then flip gently back onto the cooling rack until fully cooled. (No need to remove from pans if baking in a sheet pan.)

Maple Frosting

Cream shortening with maple syrup, vanilla and sifted confectioner's sugar until light, but spreadable. If using butter, it may be necessary to add more confectioner's sugar so the frosting isn't too thin; if using shortening, more milk may be necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Notes

**To bake using gfJules Best Gluten Free Cake Mix instead, simply add all listed spices to the mix and add with dry mix according to package directions. Also add 2 tsp. Maple Extract for enhanced spice flavor (optional); add with liquids. Follow instructions on cake mix to make batter and bake.