Gluten and Dairy Free Spice Cake

Gluten and dairy free spiced cake with dairy free cream cheese frosting sliced on top of a piece of parchment paper.

This gluten free spice cake is soft, perfectly spiced, and surprisingly simple to make. Made with almond flour and warm spices, it bakes up with a tender crumb and just the right amount of cozy flavor, all without gluten or dairy. It’s the kind of cake that feels special enough for the holidays but easy enough to make on a whim.

Jennifer Farley

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Serving Size servings

Equipment

1 9 inch round cake pan
Parchment paper

Ingredients

For the Cake

¾ cup maple syrup room temperature
½ cup refined coconut oil softened or melted and cooled
4 large eggs room temperature
1 cup cashew milk room temperature (any milk works)
2¼ cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
⅓ cup arrowroot starch (also called arrowroot flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1½ teaspoons allspice

Optional Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces dairy free cream cheese cold (recommended Miyoko's or Kite Hill brands)
8 ounces dairy free stick butter room temperature (recommended Miyoko's or Country Crock brands)
5 tablespoons maple syrup
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

To Make The Cake

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or with electric beaters), mix the coconut oil and maple syrup until smooth.
Add the eggs and milk to the mixer bowl and mix until smooth and well combined.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Don’t overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Bake for 30–40 minutes (see note below), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the edges are lightly golden, and the top has a small dome. Some cracks are normal.
Let cool completely. Enjoy as is, or frost and add toppings once completely cooled.

To Make The Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional)

Cream together the butter and cream cheese with electric beaters or a stand mixer (paddle attachment) on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the vanilla and maple syrup on medium speed until smooth. If the frosting is too soft, refrigerate for 30-40 minutes to thicken.
Spread frosting onto the cooled cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or crushed pecans if desired.

Notes

Make sure all wet ingredients are at room temperature before mixing so the coconut oil doesn’t seize.
You can microwave your milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil to warm them up a bit if they’re cold. Make sure they’re not too hot though. Just a bit warm. And make sure you let your coconut oil cool before mixing. It should be a bit solid but soft (not melted). You don’t want to mix it when it’s melted.
If you need to quickly, bring your eggs to room temperature, put them in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes.
Baking time can vary depending on the pan you use. Start checking at 30 minutes. When I use my Caraway cake pan, it bakes in 30 mins. When I used my regular non-stick cake pan, it was closer to 40 minutes of baking time.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting or the frosting will melt.
If the frosting feels too soft, refrigerate it briefly before spreading.

Please note nutrition facts are automatically calculated, and are only an estimate, not a guarantee.

Nutrition