I’ll be honest. When I was putting together this recipe, my goal was a delicious dish full of pumpkin brownies. As it so happened, the result is a whole lot denser than the usual brownies I enjoy. So, cake it is!
Can you believe it’s already autumn? There’s nothing like stagnant weather to push me off the edge into a fantasy land, walking through pumpkin patches and breathing in crisp air. I like the seasons. They remind me that change is inevitable.
Each year I “fall” into my annual love affair with autumn, and it has nothing to do with the pumpkin spiced latte. I’ve been counting down the days until leaves crunch beneath my feet and I can bring pumpkin into the kitchen again.
There’s just something special about autumn. The season is like a close friend who invites you home, wrapped in a fluffy sweater with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon wafting through the house. Each day we’re brought closer to winter, the second best season – both perfect for cooking and warming the house. More than anything, I feel like the harvest season is a reminder of our primal roots: those centered around seasonal hunting and gathering.
Here are six reasons to be excited about the changing of the seasons:
- We get to heat the entire house with cooking and baking, dusting the air with wafts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. No more sweating in the kitchen while trying to cook something in 100 degree weather.
- The Equinox (equal night) means that we have equal night and day before we head into darker nights. The moon has been chasing the sun until this day, and having caught up we see it racing ahead for the next six months. It’s the perfect reminder that the world needs darkness for there to be light, and that’s reflected inside of ourselves.
- The leaves transform before our eyes to remind us of our own life cycles. Like Mother Nature, we remember with the changing of the seasons that there is time for activity and time for rest; time for concentration and time for meditation; for pursuit and for relaxation.
- Orange leaves reflect the colors on our plates and crunch beneath our footsteps.
- Community and celebration are in the air, with the light from candles and fairy lights kissing the faces of friends around us.
- And simply: the first snow, crisp air, fresh apples, pumpkin everything, warm hugs, layers, fireplaces and bonfires, hayrides, and inner reflection.
Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
Yield: 8
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoons full-fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 4 Tablespoons honey
- 3 eggs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Frosting:
- ½ can coconut milk
- ⅛ cup pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- dash of cinnamon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Melt the chocolate. To avoid burning the chocolate, you can boil water in a pot and place the chocolate in another bowl on top. Check it and stir every few minutes so it doesn’t burn.
- Add the coconut oil, coconut flour, and coconut milk to the chocolate (I found it mixed smoother this way).
- After the chocolate mixture is blended smoothly, let it cool.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, honey, and spices together.
- Combine the egg mixture and the chocolate mixture. Blend together.
- Pour into a greased baking dish (glass or ceramic works fine), about 8×8 inches.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- For the frosting, mix all ingredients together until blended.
- After the cake has cooled, lather with frosting and serve!
Photo courtesy of Savannah Wishart.
