Pumpkin Sheet Cake (Gluten Free/Vegan)

I stumbled upon this recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen last week and changed it around a bit to fit the way I like to eat. I did use her vegan cream cheese recipe and it was FIREEEE, the best vegan cream cheese frosting I've tried hands down so I didn't change a thing about that part. (Tap here for her vegan cream cheese frosting recipe.)

When it comes to desserts, I'm obsessed with trying to find healthier ways to bake them! So instead of using 1 1/2 cups can sugar, I used 3/4 cup maple syrup. I also love subbing out wheat (flour) in baking recipes for a 1:1 oat flour and all purpose gluten free flour combo so I did that here too.

What you need:

• 1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I used Pamela's)
• 1 cup gluten free oat flour (you can grind up whole or quick oats in a food processor to make your own!)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup grape seed or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup oat milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (this helps the more dense gf flour rise)
• 1 batch of Jessica in the Kitchen's Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

What to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 inch brownie pan with non-stick or line with parchment paper. (I used this pan.) The brownie pan works best because it's not too large and the edges go up higher than a regular baking sheet so it holds the shape better.
• Combine the dry ingredients (sifting is best to prevent clumps) in a large bowl.
• I used my Kitchen Aid to mix/combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, milk vanilla and apple cider vinegar.
• Pour in the dry ingredients in two equal parts until you have a cake batter.
• Transfer the cake batter to the brownie pan and spread it out evenly with a frosting spatula or just a regular spatula.
  
• Bake for 25 minutes and check the center with a toothpick. If it comes out dry, you're good if it comes out wet with batter, cook for another 5-10 minutes and check the cake again. (You can cover the top with tinfoil to prevent too much browning or any burning on top.)
• Let the cake cool completely before frosting. (I made the frosting while the cake was cooling but you could make it at any of the waiting times while you bake the cake!)
• Sprinkle the applied frosting with a little cinnamon, slice into squares and serve. Store in the fridge if you're not eating it right away and bring back to room temp before serving.