Vegan pumpkin cake is soft, moist, fluffy, and made in 1-bowl! This easy-to-make recipe is filled with real pumpkin puree and warming pumpkin spice for an abundance of fall flavor! Top this spiced pumpkin cake with my cashew cream cheese frosting for a decadent vegan holiday dessert.
Since this is a vegan recipe, it's 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, the coconut sugar will darken the color though. 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 whipped up 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
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.
Note --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.
Enjoy this spiced pumpkin cake as a simple fall-flavored evening 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 brand that's nut-free. Or, you can always purchase a ready-made vegan frosting.
Yes! The pumpkin puree is actually 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!
We'd love to hear from you!
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Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Vegan pumpkin cake is soft, moist, fluffy and easy to make! It's filled with real pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, warm cinnamon and topped with my homemade cream cheese frosting. for an abundance of fall flavor!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ⅔ cup cane sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF and oil an 11x7-inch or 9x9-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients -sifted flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry.
- Gently mix until the batter starts to come together. Then use a spatula to finish gently folding the ingredients together until the batter is just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake low and slow 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.
- Store frosted cakes in the fridge. Unfrosted cakes can be left at room temperature or placed in the fridge. Keeps for up to 5 days in there.
Notes
- The cane sugar can be replaced with any granulated sugar or even coconut sugar. Keep in mind the coconut sugar will darken the color of the cake. Also, the sugar can be powdered in a blender or equivalent for a softer cake texture, but it's not required.
- The batter will be thick and airy after mixing. If it seems too thick add up to 1 Tablespoon more non-dairy milk.
- For a watery pumpkin puree, place it in a sieve to strain out the excess liquid, then measure.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 cake slices Serving Size: 1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 179Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
More 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!!
Where you get your protein
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!!!
Where you get your protein
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.