Holiday Indulgences: Healthy Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake (a tribute to Paula Deen)

Pumpkin. Gooey. Butter. Cake.

If you've heard of Paula Deen, you know what this awe-inspiring seasonal dessert creation is. Or more importantly, how it tastes. When I made this for my family as a freshman in high school, a new holiday tradition was born. We couldn't stop eating it, and somehow a day after Thanksgiving there was nary a crumb in the pan of leftovers.

I can't promise you that this low carb, sugar-free, and gluten-free version of Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake will put you into a sugar coma like the original recipe, which includes a package of storebought cake mix and a whole pound of the white stuff. It is still, however, a stick-to-your-ribs ending to a Thanksgiving feast. I just took out all of the carby badness and left in all of the nourishing, natural fats and flavor. Just half of a piece of this rich cake is completely satisfying, likely because all of the sugar that gets your seratonin going and kicks up your appetite is blissfully gone. It's nice to have only one stuffed Turkey at the Thanksgiving table, no?

Pumpkiny, sweet, and buttery. Just a bit gooey at room temperature. Not too spicy, with a hint of fragrant vanilla. Treat your tastebuds and your body right and make this superior alternative to pumpkin pie! Just don't destroy its health benefits and serve it was a side of mashed potatoes, okay?

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Recipe Notes:
~Make these one full day before you want to serve them, so they have time to set up and reach maximum yumminess.
~I made a small version in an 8 by 4 loaf pan, due to limited resources (read: a college student budget). If you want to make a half recipe, go for it!
~Bake this cake on the middle rack in your oven.
~For best results, powder the erythritol (in a coffee grinder or blender) before adding it to the crust layer.
~Try to beat as little air as possible into the filling so it doesn't crack on top.
~You can amp up the spices if you like, using your favorite blend from a pumpkin pie recipe.
~I didn't use organic cream cheese due to said student budget, going against my self-imposed organic dairy rule. Go for it if you have the means to do so!

Relevant Links:
~All you ever wanted to know about erythritol (the nitty gritty scientific data, confirming that it is safe and natural)
~A research-based perspective on saturated fat (buy Taubes' book!)
~The Soft Science of Dietary Fat (more than you ever wanted to know about fat and heart disease)



Healthy Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
Adapted from a recipe by Paula Deen

Serves eight

Ingredients:
Crust Layer:
1/4 cup of organic unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces of cream cheese, softened
2 cups almond flour
1 large organic egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup erythritol or 1/2 cup xylitol, powdered
1/4 teaspoon pure stevia extract (NuNaturals)
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted organic butter, melted
1-15 oz can of pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup erythritol or 1/2 cup xylitol
1/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract (NuNaturals)
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For crust, melt butter and soften cream cheese in microwave. Grind erythritol in coffee grinder and mix into batter. Mix together until smooth, then add vanilla, egg, and sea salt. Add stevia, baking powder, and almond flour. Scrape into an 8 by 8 metal pan and spread out over the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes and remove to cool.

Soften cream cheese and melt butter in microwave. Grind erythritol in coffee grinder or magic bullet. Beat cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth and without lumps. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and melted butter, and beat until incorporated. Next, add erythritol, stevia, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and mix just until smooth. Set pan down on counter top a couple times to get out air bubbles. Pour pumpkin mixture over crust and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center jiggles a bit when you move the pan. It will set up and sink down upon cooling overnight in the refrigerator.

Serve topped with fresh whipped cream to max out the decadence factor. Let eyes roll back in head.



~4.5g net carbs per serving