This pumpkin spice cake is loaded with protein, and it's soft, creamy, and good! It's similar to a dense cheesecake in texture. Rather than processed sugar, artificial sugar, or highly processed "natural sweeteners," the cake is sweetened primarily with dates, which contribute taste, lots of vitamins and minerals, and extra fiber. You can use pumpkin puree in the cake or, my favorite, leftover mashed Kabocha squash (sometimes called "Japanese pumpkin"), which is becoming easier to find in grocery stores and makes a great dinner side dish. The cake includes lots of sweet spices, and you can add some raisins if you like for extra sweetness. I make the batter for the cake in minutes in the food processor, and the cake cooks in the air fryer in 20-25 minutes. With plenty of protein, fiber, and nutrients, the cake is great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." The cake makes a great snack, and a nice dessert that won't send you into a sugar spin. Enjoy!
Low Sugar Pumpkin Spice Cake (Diabetic Friendly) -- Makes an 8-inch Square Cake
1/2 cup of rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
3/4 cup of pitted dates
15-16 ounce can of rinsed and drained chick peas (garbanzos)
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/2-2/3 cup of pumpkin puree or mashed kabocha squash
1 large egg
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of walnuts, plus 2 tablespoons of finely chopped walnuts for the top of the cake
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of raisins (I use gold, but any will do)
Spritz an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray or line the pan with foil and spritz the foil with cooking spray for extra easy removal and cleanup. Put the oats and dates into a food processor bowl with the s-blade and process them together until the oats are ground into a flour and the dates are incorporated into the oat flour in tiny bits. Add to the food processor bowl the chick peas, oil, pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and process them into the oat/date mixture. Add the salt, 1/2 cup of walnuts, spices, and baking powder and process them into the mixture until blended. Add the raisins and pulse them in a few times (they don't need to be totally chopped). Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the batter out until it's even. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top of the batter and press them into the batter gently. Air fry the batter at 320 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the top of the cake is golden brown, mostly firm to the touch, and the cake is pulling away a bit from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan before lifting it out to serve it. You can cut it into bars or slices.
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