Pumpkin and Orange Mini Bundt Cakes

It’s Almost Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I am sharing some fun, new recipes to healthify your Thanksgiving meal!First up, are these Pumpkin and Orange Mini Bundt cakes. I wanted to come up with a Thanksgiving dessert that was gluten free, dairy free (without the icing) and refined sugar free BUT still tasted amazing! So, I came up with this mini bundt cake. Plus anything mini is instantly cuter and more delicious. Amiright?!?! 

Thanksgiving Mini Bundt Cakes

These mini bundt cakes are based off of my Healthy Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake. Instead of chocolate, I used some pumpkin puree and instead of milk, I used some freshly squeezed orange juice. To capture that Thanksgiving flavor, I added some ground cinnamon too. If you don’t have a mini bundt cake pan, you could even make this recipe as cupcakes. They would still be just as cute and equally as delicious!

Filled with Healthy Ingredients

I love that this cake is filled with lots of health-ful ingredients and still tastes so good!Instead of the typical all-purpose flour that most cakes use, this cake uses coconut flour. It’s high in protein and fiber so it really fills you up and gives your body more nutrition than a typical cake. Coconut flour does give a slight coconut-y flavor to the cake, but honestly, the cinnamon and citrus flavors are more pronounced so that makes the coconut flavor almost unnoticeable. I also used coconut oil in place of the usual butter that most cakes have. Coconut oil is a healthy fat containing medium chain fatty acids. These types of fatty acids are more easily broken down by the body and used as fuel. Medium chain fatty acids are also not as easily stored as fat in the body and is antimicrobial and antifungal. There are so many proven benefits to coconut oil ranging from helping diabetes to fighting off cancer cells. That’s pretty amazing stuff!

The Flavor of Thanksgiving

To epitomize the flavor of Thanksgiving, I knew I had to make these bundt cakes with pureed pumpkin. I mean, what’s more Thanksgiving-y than that?! To contrast the deep, rich pumpkin flavor, I used orange juice and orange zest to add a zing of color and flavor to the cakes. The orange really helps to brighten the flavors of the cake with an unexpected twist. I also used ground cinnamon in the cake to give that sweet, rich aroma and flavor that we so often love about holiday baking. The combination of the pumpkin, orange and cinnamon goes together so well!

All About that Icing

Now for the icing! My favorite easy icing recipe uses Neufchatel cream cheese, agave and vanilla extract. For this mini bundt cake, I added more orange flavor to the icing with orange juice and zest. I love the extra burst of citrus in the icing. It really adds brightness and interest to the dessert. Plus the tangy cream cheese is a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the cake. These Pumpkin Orange Mini Bundt Cakes are an awesome Thanksgiving dessert! The pumpkin, orange and cinnamon are such a delicious combination. I’ve made them a couple of times for my extended family and they always love them! Plus, each little bundt cake is the perfect portion size. You can even make these cakes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge till you’re ready to serve them. Or let them sit at room temperature for an hour or so before serving. I think these cakes would also be a great dessert to bring to a Thanksgiving meal at someone else’s house. And no one would even know that they are healthy! Give these little cakes a try! If you do, make sure you tag me at @nourish_with_renata as well as using the hashtag #nourishwithrenata. 

Pumpkin and Orange Mini Bundt Cakes

A Thanksgiving Dessert that you can feel good about eating. Filled with all your favorite Fall flavors like pumpkin, orange and cinnamon, this mini bundt cake is sure to be a hit! And no one will even know that it’s healthy!

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 4 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 7 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• Zest from half a large orange
• 4 tbsp melted coconut oil (cooled slightly)
• 4 tbsp raw agave nectar or other liquid sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

For the icing:

• 4 oz Neufchatel cream cheese
• Juice and zest from 1/4 large orange
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp raw agave nectar
• Garnish (orange zest (optional))

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
2. Grease a mini bundt cake pan, or a muffin pan, with non stick spray. If using an intricately shaped bundt pan, greasing is essential to ensure the cakes come out easily and with the shape you want.
3. For the cake, in a medium sized bowl, mix together the coconut flour and baking powder till well combined.
4. Add in the pumpkin puree, eggs, orange juice and zest, coconut oil, agave, vanilla extra and cinnamon, and whisk till thoroughly combined.
5. Pour batter into mini bundt cake pan or muffin pan till they are almost full. The cakes won’t rise too much during baking and will deflate a little as they cool.
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 mins, till a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached.
7. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
8. For the icing, whisk all the ingredients together till the icing is smooth and creamy.
9. Spread the icing over the top of the cooled mini bundt cakes and garnish with a little extra orange zest, if desired.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.

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