This right here is fall in a cake pan! And if you ask me, the perfect way to ring in the season. Bring on the fall desserts!
A little backstory as to how this one came about: I homeschool our kids. This is something I really never in a million years thought I would do and had no interest in doing, but after the pandemic, and having Penelope go through leukemia treatment throughout the entire pandemic, this became our normal.
Once Penelope’s treatment was complete and the doc finally gave the OK for her (and our son) to go to school in-person, we all decided that we actually liked this new routine of ours.
Life is funny like that, isn’t it?
I like to approach how we do school with the rhythm of the seasons, and this week, we’re studying the Fall Equinox. Since different cultures have all sorts of traditions as to how they celebrate we decided to make our own tradition and bake ourselves a Fall Equinox Spice Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
This is the time of year that we crave those fall spices, and this cake works my favorites right into it. It’s also nice and light, thanks to the almond and coconut flour, and the yogurt and applesauce keeps it moist.
The coconut whip and cookie crumbles add a nice texture to the top (I love a crunch to my dessert!), and for me, this is even a good breakfast option for a busy morning because it’s not very sweet. I love that it’s both gluten-free and dairy-free.
Serve this up with my Pumpkin Spice Latte and you’ve got yourself a perfect morning meal.
Ingredients for Fall Spice Cake
To make the Fall Equinox Spice Cake you’ll need these key ingredients:
- dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, coconut sugar
- wet ingredients: eggs, coconut yogurt, coconut oil, applesauce
- toppings: crumbled cookies, coconut whipped cream, shake of cinnamon (not pictured)
I made this cake both gluten- and dairy-free. You can of course use regular yogurt if you prefer, and regular all-purpose flour, and even top it with regular whipped cream. But I like this particular combination because it’s so light and fluffy. I also opted for coconut sugar, which is low-glycemic, meaning it doesn’t spike your blood sugar the way regular white sugar does.
I could even eat this for breakfast without feeling heavy afterward, which I love.
How to Make the Fall Equinox Spice Cake
This is pretty much your standard baking situation, in that you first mix the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, then combine them together and pour into a cake pan.
The only difference here is that I mixed the sugar in with the wet ingredients, just because I thought you might want to swap it out with honey or maple syrup, which would go with the wet ingredients.
So first the dry ingredients…
Then the wet ingredients…
Then you combine them together and mix, then pour into your cake pan and bake for 55 minutes.
Now comes the fun part: the toppings! Start first with your coconut whipped cream:
Then, let the kids get involved for the cookie crumbles in the shape of a moon.
On the day of the fall equinox, we get just about the same amount of daylight hours as night, so the moon taking up half the cake is a symbol of that equality of time.
Top with a shake of cinnamon, and you’re done! You now have a yummy, fall dessert or breakfast to enjoy on the equinox.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Can I use different flours for this cake, or all almond flour?
Answer: I used this combination in particular because the coconut flour is light and fluffy which keeps the cake from becoming too dense. If you were to substitute I would use an all-purpose baking flour (and a gluten-free one like this if you want to keep it gluten-free).
Question: Can I use dairy products for this Fall Spice Cake?
Answer: Yes, you can use regular whole milk yogurt, or Greek yogurt if you like the tangy taste. You can also use butter or ghee instead of coconut oil, and regular whipped cream instead of coconut whipped cream.
Question: Can I use my own flavor of spices, if I don’t want cinnamon or nutmeg?
Answer: You can use 2 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice if you prefer instead of the spices I used here.
No matter how you do it, I think you will love this Fall Spice Cake! If you are like me and love fall recipes, try my Pumpkin Spice Latte, my Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie, or my Paleo Pumpkin Muffins. And if you make this cake, please rate it and let me know how you like it in the comments!
Fall Equinox Spice Cake
10-12
servings10
minutes55
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup coconut yogurt
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1/3 cup coconut oil
- Coconut Whipped Cream
1 15 oz. can full fat coconut cream, chilled overnight or for at least 2 hours.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. honey
- Toppings
1 cup crushed cookies of your choice (cinnamon, toasted pecan, Oreos, or other favorite)
cinnamon shake for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch cake pan with butter or oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add both the flours, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- In a medium bowl add the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut yogurt, applesauce, and coconut oil, and whisk until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and, using a spatula, mix until blended evenly. Transfer the mixture to your greased cake pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooling, make your frosting (see below). Once that is done, frost the cake, and if you like, use the crushed cookies to create the shape of a moon on one side. Top with a shake of cinnamon, and enjoy your equinox cake as you usher in the season of fall!
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- Using a spoon, scoop out only the cream from the can of coconut milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and honey, and beat with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer for about a minute, or until light and fluffy. Use it to top your cake, and if you have any leftover you can store it in your refrigerator for 5 days.
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