Vegan pumpkin cake is made with simple ingredients and easily comes together in one bowl. This soft, moist cake is filled with fall flavor from the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and warm cinnamon. Top this spiced cake with my cream cheese frosting for a delicious holiday dessert.
This vegan recipe is made without eggs or dairy, of course.
But don't let that fool you!
This pumpkin cake is perfectly soft, super moist, and packed with pumpkin flavor. No one would ever know it was vegan.
And the cream cheese frosting adds just the right amount of sweet and tangy flavor to the top of the cake.
This truly is the best vegan pumpkin cake out there!
Ingredients
Vegan pumpkin cake is made with common pantry staples. No weird ingredients!
Notes and Substitutes
- Pumpkin Puree Any brand of pumpkin puree will work as long as the contents are thick, and not runny. If your pumpkin puree is watery, place it in a sieve to strain out the excess liquid, then measure.
- Cane sugar can be replaced with any granulated sugar or even coconut sugar. Keep in mind, that coconut sugar will darken the color of the cake. Also, for an ideal soft cake texture, I recommend powdering the sugar in a blender or equivalent, but it's not required.
- Refined coconut oil has a neutral flavor so there is no worry about the cake tasting like coconut. But if you don't mind a slight coconut flavor, you can use unrefined coconut oil. You can also use any neutral oil of your choice.
Instructions
Vegan pumpkin cake is made with simple ingredients and can be mixed in ONE bowl. It doesn't get much easier than that!
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl. Mix until combined.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to the bowl.
Step 3: Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently mix/fold the ingredients together just until the batter is well combined. The batter will be thick and airy after mixing.
Step 4. Spread the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake!
Baker's Tips
These tips will help you perfectly bake and frost your cake.
Baking the Cake
Bake this cake low and slow for the softest, most moist vegan spiced pumpkin cake.
Low and slow baking is when you lower the oven temperature and slow down the baking time. That means the cake will need to bake slightly longer (25-30 minutes) at a lower temperature (325ºF).
This method also produces an ideal taste and texture and helps prevent an unwanted domed top.
Cream Cheese Frosting
My cashew-based cream cheese frosting is my favorite topping to slather over this vegan pumpkin cake. It's rich and creamy with a subtle sweetness and slight tang.
This frosting has been my go-to for cakes and cupcakes. And because this recipe is made with cashews, it uses a lot less sugar than traditional cream cheese frostings.
The linked frosting recipe also includes a vanilla-flavored option. So, if you’re not a fan of tangy cream cheese frosting, you can still enjoy my cashew frosting.
Tip: The linked cashew frosting recipe is made for a two-layered cake. You can cut the recipe in half or use it to frost 2 cakes.
Serving Suggestion
Enjoy this spiced pumpkin cake as a simple fall-flavored dessert.
Or, bring it to your next Thanksgiving dinner.
It's perfect for holiday parties too!
Everyone will be raving about this cake and asking for the recipe.
FAQ's
Absolutely! Make the cake in advance and store it covered on the counter for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. I recommend waiting until the day of the event to frost the cake.
Yes! The cream cheese frosting from my carrot cake uses store-bought vegan cream cheese instead of cashews. Just choose a nut-free brand. Or, you can always purchase a ready-made vegan frosting.
Yes! The pumpkin puree is a great egg replacement. It adds moisture to the pumpkin cake and binds the ingredients together. So, there's no need for eggs in this cake!
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Scones
- Vegan Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Vegan Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
We'd love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
See ya there!
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ⅔ cup cane sugar, or coconut sugar, (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Ingredients
- one batch vegan cashew cream cheese frosting
- or one batch vanilla frosting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF and oil an 11x7-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.2 cups all-purpose flour,⅔ cup cane sugar,2 teaspoons baking powder,½ teaspoon baking soda,½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt,2 teaspoon pumpkin spice,1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry.
- Gently mix until the batter starts to come together. Then, use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together until the batter is just combined with no dry flour patches. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake at 325ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it.
- Store frosted cakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted cakes can be left at room temperature or placed in the fridge.
Notes
- The cane sugar can be replaced with any granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Keep in mind the coconut sugar will darken the color of the cake.
Also, I suggest powdering the sugar in a blender or equivalent for a softer cake texture, but it is not required. - The batter will be thick and airy after mixing. If it seems too thick add 1 to 2 Tablespoon more non-dairy milk.
- For a watery pumpkin puree, place it in a sieve to strain out the excess liquid, then measure.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Delicious Vegan Sweets
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Priscilla
Hi, can I use canned pure pumpkin for this recipe instead of pumpkin puree?
Marlena Luna
Yes, as long as it is blended or thoroughly mashed before adding it to the cake. The pumpkin needs to be pureed for a smooth cake. Enjoy!
Michele
Would unrefined coconut oil work as well?
Marlena Luna
Yes, unrefined coconut oil is perfect for this cake if you don't mind a slight coconut flavor to the cake.
CC
Made this last evening to celebrate son’s bday, everyone agrees it’s a keeper. I replace the coconut oil with grape seed oil.
Marlena Luna
That's great to hear! I'm glad everyone loved the cake! Thanks for your wonderful feedback!
Martine Walker
Can I use melted vegan butter in place of the coconut oil?
Marlena Luna
Yes, melted vegan butter can be used instead. I suggest reducing the salt in the recipe if the butter is salted. Enjoy!
Carol
Anyone try this recipe with GF flour?
Marlena Luna
This recipe works well with a 1:1 ratio all-purpose GF flour. Enjoy!
PARUL
Thank you Marlena
Parul B.
HI,
This recipe looks interesting and would like to try tomorrow. Can I use buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour following the same proportion of the ingredients in this recipe?
Thanks
Marlena Luna
Whole wheat flour and buckwheat flour absorb more liquid than all purpose flour. I don’t recommend replacing more than 1/2 of the all purpose flour.
Halle
And also can I use cake flour instead?
Marlena Luna
Yes, but you may need to add about 1/4-1/2 cup extra cake flour. Or for a more accurate measurement , you can also weigh out 9oz. of cake flour. Enjoy!
Anqoinette
Hi. Can you use coconut sugar? And will I have it powder that?
Marlena Luna
Yes, you can use coconut sugar. There is no need to powder it, but you can if you’d like to.
Samia Ahmed
Hey, Marlena. I love pumpkin. I am doing a vegan diet and facing a lot of problems. I am being confused about what to cook cause I don't want to compromise with my taste bud. After seeing such positive comments, I tried your recipe. Your recipe is fantastic. I really liked the taste.
Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Marlena Luna
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, Samia!
Allison
This cake was really delicious - the perfect sweetness level, not super dense and thick like other pumpkin cakes, and was light and fluffy. I was concerned looking at the batter pictures that it would be too thick and would come out dense but when I made it, the batter seemed slightly thinner than the pictures here. This recipe did not disappoint and everyone loved it! I multiplied the recipe by 1.5 and made a 2 layer 8 inch cake. Will definitely make again :)
Melissa Weimer
I really love the vegan pumpkin cake. I have made the cake by following your recipe. I wish I could send you the pic..It looks amazing. It was delicious.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Marlena Luna
That’s great to hear, Melissa!
Farzana Tunni
Thanks, Marlena for this awesome and delicious recipe. Vegan Pumpkin Cake is one of my favorite cake. It is very yummy and healthy too,
After switching to veganism, I have faced many problems like what to eat or what to not. Especially some foods taste are not satisfactory. I have made the Pumpkin cake by following your recipe. It tastes awesome. I really loved it a lot!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Halle
Does it have to be Himalayan pink salt?
Marlena Luna
Nope. Any salt will do.