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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Skull Cakes

Gluten-free pumpkin skull cakes with a hidden cream cheese filling that are so moist and delicious. A from scratch Halloween bake in a skull pan that's warmly, spiced and easier than they look.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Cookies and Cakes, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine gluten free
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

For the cream cheese filling

  • 100 g cream cheese
  • 25 g icing sugar

For the cake batter

  • 85 g pumpkin purée
  • 70 g brown sugar
  • 30 g white sugar
  • 90 g soft butter
  • 50 g maple syrup
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 g psyllium husk powder
  • 40 g almond flour
  • 100 g millet flour
  • 60 g sorghum flour
  • 75 g tapioca starch
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the icing

  • 30 g cream cheese softened
  • 15 g butter softened
  • 20 g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp milk for a thinner consistency, for brushing
  • 1-2 drops Red food colouring

Instructions
 

  • Beat together the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth.
  • Freeze 6 dollops of the cream cheese filling (about 2 tsp each) for 15-20 minutes.
  • Brush butter then sprinkle flour into the skull cavities, ensuring a good coating.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and psyllium husk powder.
  • Beat the sugars and butter until creamy, then add the pumpkin and egg. Add a third of the flour mixture, followed by the maple syrup, then fold in the remaining flour.
  • Spoon half the batter into the bottom of each cavity in the pan, add the chilled cream cheese filling, and top with the rest of the batter. Smooth the surface.
  • Bake for 20–25 minutes, then let the cakes cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes before flipping them out.
  • To make the Icing, whisk the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar. Thin the icing with milk if needed.
  • Remove about a teaspoon of the icing and add a few drops of red food colouring.
  • Lightly brush the white icing over half of the skulls, then add the red icing to the eyes.
  • Storage: 2–3 days at room temperature.
Keyword Gluten Free Cake, gluten free pumpkin baking, halloween skull cake, pumpkin cream cheese cake, skull cake pan