1. Set oven rack in the middle position; Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter and flour Bundt pan (you can also use a 9 x 5 – inch loaf pan); set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the GF Flour, Xanthan Gum, Baking Soda & Powder and Spices; set aside.
4. Using a Stand or Handheld Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the Butter until light & fluffy; add the Granulated Sugar and blend until thoroughly mixed and fluffy.
5. Add the Eggs, one at a time, blending well after adding each Egg; scrape sides of bowl often; whip until the mixture is very light & fluffy.
6. Next, add the Canned Pumpkin and mix until blended.
7. Add the Dry Ingredient mixture and Orange Juice in 3-4 segments, mixing and scraping bowl and paddle well between each addition.

8. Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt Pan; place in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 45 minutes (check the cake around the 30-35 minute mark to make sure it isn't browning too much – if it is, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil); test doneness after 45 minutes with a toothpick and pressing lightly on the top to see if it springs back; bake an additional 15-30 minutes, depending on your oven (my cake was ready after 45 minutes).

9. Once cake is done, remove from oven and let cool in the pan for approximately 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
10. While the cake is cooling, thoroughly whisk the Powdered Sugar and Orange Juice together in a small bowl until desired consistency is reached; spoon the Glaze over slightly warm or completely cooled cake.
11. Serve with or without Vanilla Ice Cream and Enjoy! 🙂
    

Making the Cupcakes:

1. Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 1-2 muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the GF Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Salt and Cinnamon until completely blended; Set aside.
4. Using a Stand or Handheld Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the Butter and Sugars until light and fluffy.
5. Next, with the mixer set on low, add the Vanilla Extract and the Eggs, one at a time; Continue mixing until thoroughly blended.
6. With the mixer still set on Low, alternate adding the GF Flour mixture (1/2 cup at a time) and the Apple Cider (a couple of Tablespoons at a time) to the Butter-Sugar mixture, blending until just combined after each addition.
7. Scoop the Cupcake Batter into the lined muffin tin/tins, filling each about 2/3 full.
8. Bake for approximately 17-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Making the Frosting:

1. Using a Stand or Handheld Mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened Cream Cheese and Butter until light and fluffy.
2. Slowly add the Vanilla Extract and Apple Cider, blending thoroughly.
3. Next, with the mixer set on low, add the Powdered Sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well between each addition. I usually add between 3 1/2 to 4 cups of Powdered Sugar for the right consistency. Note: If you’re adding Ground Cinnamon into the Frosting, do so now (I usually add several pinches).
4. Spread or pipe the Frosting onto each cooled cupcake and top with a little Ground Cinnamon, if desired.
   
5. Enjoy!
   

1. Gather all your ingredients.
   

The Flour Mixture

1. In a large bowl, combine the Flour, *Xanthan Gum (only if needed), Baking Soda and spices. Mix well and set aside.
   

The Shortening Mixture

1. In a small saucepan, melt the shortening, remove from heat and cool for about 10-15 minutes (this is so you don’t cook the eggs when you add it).
2. While the shortening is cooling, combine the Molasses, Sugar and egg using a Stand or Handheld Mixer. Add the cooled shortening and mix well.
   

Combining the Wet and Dry Ingredients

1. Slowly add the Flour Mixture to the wet mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, blending well after each addition.
   
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours – I find that chilling the dough overnight gets the best results.
3. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. While the oven is preheating shape the dough into small 1″ balls (you can use a small cookie scoop to get more uniform cookies) and roll in a bowl of granulated sugar, coating well.
   
5. Space cookie balls at least 2″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment paper.
   
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they are covered in “cracks.”
   
7. Let cool for about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely…try one (or two) while they’re still warm!
   
8. Once they are completely cooled, you can package them in cellophane gift bags
9. Enjoy!