I know I know, it’s October and I’m sharing a pumpkin recipe.

So original.

If we’re being honest, I’ve never really been a fan of pumpkin flavor. It’s one of those things that I tried once, didn’t like it, so I didn’t try it again for years. After I found out I had Celiac disease, I started to open my mind to foods and flavors that I’d previously written off, even though my options were more restricted. I’m not sure if it’s my palette maturing or my taste buds starting to die off from aging, but either way I’m glad that I was willing to give pumpkin another shot. Now I’m definitely a fan!

This cake is so ridiculously easy to make, and its comforting fall-inspired flavors and fragrances instantly bring back fond memories of holidays past. It’s a great crowd-pleaser, even if the crowd is full of gluten connoisseurs.

Ingredients

• For the topping:
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • 1/3 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup of sliced almonds
• For the cake
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 ½ cups of almond meal
  • 3 tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 cups of pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon of rum
• For the glaze
  • 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the topping:
   1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the 1/3 cup of brown sugar and mix well. Bring it to a boil, then remove from heat.
   2. Grease a bundt cake pan with cooking spray or butter.
   3. Sprinkle the sliced almonds around the bottom of the pan, then pour the brown sugar butter mixture over them.
3. Make the cake:
   1. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, almond meal, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and rum. Stir well, then pour the batter into the cake pan.
   2. Bake for 45 minutes.
4. Once the cake is done baking, let it cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
5. Make the glaze:
   1. In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar and almond milk. It should make a drizzle-consistency icing. Add more almond milk if it needs to be thinned out, then drizzle the icing over the cake.