How do you brown butter?

Melt it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and keep cooking past melting until the milk solids toast and it turns nutty golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Swirl occasionally and spoon off most of the foam if it rises. Pour it out, leaving the dark bits in the pan, since those are bitter.

Why do gluten-free cake layers break when you turn them out?

They have nothing holding them together while hot. Let them cool in the pans a full 15 minutes before turning out, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, and spray both before and after the paper goes in.

Can you make a layer cake ahead?

Yes. Bake the layers a day ahead, cool completely, and wrap tightly at room temperature. The assembled frosted cake keeps 2 days refrigerated under a dome, and it is best served at room temperature, so take it out about an hour before.

Does the Bread Mix yeast packet go in this cake?

No. Set it aside before you measure. The cake is leavened with baking soda and baking powder, and the yeast has no role. It is easy to tip in by accident when emptying the bag.

Can you use fresh pumpkin puree?

Yes, which is why the recipe lists 2 teaspoons of oil as conditional. Fresh puree is wetter and less rich than canned, so drain it in a sieve first and add the oil to compensate.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Layer Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

Name: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Layer Cake with Brown Butter Frosting
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 42 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, for the brown butter; 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the topping; 2/3 cup pecans, for the topping; 1/2 cup unsalted raw hulled pepitas, for the topping; 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, for the topping; 1/4 teaspoon salt, for the topping; 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger, for the topping; 2 cups (300 g) Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix, yeast packet set aside; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh; 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, only if using fresh pumpkin puree; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 large eggs; 1/3 cup buttermilk; 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, for the frosting; 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, for the frosting; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, for the frosting

Recipe by Pamela's Published Jun 6, 2025

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Gluten-free pumpkin layer cake with brown butter frosting and a ring of candied pecans

This is the project cake. Two layers, brown butter in both the cake and the frosting, a skillet of candied pecans and pepitas, and crystallized ginger through the topping.

It takes an afternoon and it is the one you make when the occasion warrants it.

Built on Pamela's Bread Mix, which gives the crumb enough structure to hold two layers without crumbling.

So good, no one will guess it is gluten-free, the way Pamela's has done it since 1988.

Brown Butter Is the Whole Point

Browning butter means cooking it past melting until the milk solids toast and it turns nutty and golden. It takes 5 to 10 minutes and it changes the flavor of everything it touches.

Use a heavy saucepan and swirl it occasionally. If it foams, spoon most of the foam off; the rest subsides as it browns.

Pour it into a bowl and leave the brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Those bits are bitter rather than nutty.

The recipe divides it two ways: three quarters of a cup for the cake, and half a cup plus two tablespoons for the frosting. The frosting portion goes into the refrigerator to solidify while you make everything else, since it needs to be solid to beat properly.

The mix this is built on Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix Dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free. Yeast packet included in the bag. GFCO-certified.

These Layers Are Fragile

A gluten-free cake has nothing holding it together while it is hot.

Let the layers cool in the pans a full 15 minutes before turning them out. Rushing this is how a layer breaks in half.

Line the pan bottoms with parchment rounds and spray twice, before and after the paper goes in. Or use pans with removable bottoms.

The cake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean, about 38 to 42 minutes.

Assembling It

Three quarters of a cup of frosting on the first layer, then three quarters of a cup of the nut mixture over it, then the second layer.

Frost the top and sides with the rest, then arrange the remaining nut topping in a ring about an inch and a half in from the edge. That ring is what makes it look finished.

It can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated up to 2 days, and it is best served at room temperature.

Made with

Gluten-Free Bread Mix, 19 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$11.49 Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 380 reviews.

Free shipping on orders $39+

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 42 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Yield 12

Serving Size 1 slice

Ingredients

1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, for the brown butter
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the topping
2/3 cup pecans, for the topping
1/2 cup unsalted raw hulled pepitas, for the topping
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, for the topping
1/4 teaspoon salt, for the topping
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger, for the topping
2 cups (300 g) Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix, yeast packet set aside
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, only if using fresh pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature, for the frosting
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, for the frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, for the frosting

Used in this recipe

Gluten-Free Bread Mix, 19 oz. (opens in a new tab)

$11.49 Rated 5.0 out of 5 from 380 reviews.

Directions

Make the brown butter. Melt the 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons of butter in a heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until it turns nutty golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon off most of the foam if it rises. Pour into a bowl, leaving the brown bits in the pan.
Leaving any brown bits behind, measure out 3/4 cup for the cake and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons for the frosting into two bowls. Refrigerate the frosting portion so it solidifies while you work.
Make the topping. Melt the 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy 10 to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and cook until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and coats the nuts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Remove from heat and let cool in the skillet.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the center. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment rounds, and spray again. Or grease and flour two 9-inch pans with removable bottoms.
Set the yeast packet aside, it is not used here. In a medium bowl, whisk together the Bread Mix, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and cloves.
In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree with the oil if using fresh, the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the dry mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the 3/4 cup of cooled brown butter until fully incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake 38 to 42 minutes, until the cake starts to pull away from the sides and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the layers in the pans 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. They are very tender, so do not rush this.
Make the frosting. With a stand mixer and paddle attachment, beat the solid brown butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high until the sugar dissolves and the frosting lightens, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Assemble. Put one layer on a cake plate and spread 3/4 cup of frosting over it. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides with the rest, then arrange the remaining topping in a ring about 1 1/2 inches in from the edge.

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