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Vegan pumpkin cake on a white cake stand.
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5 from 76 votes

Vegan Pumpkin Cake

Perfectly moist and utterly delicious vegan pumpkin cake with a cinnamon buttercream frosting. Packed with holiday spices and ideal for any special occasion!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Cakes, Desserts
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 10
Calories: 501kcal

Ingredients

For the Pumpkin Cake:

For the Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting:

  • ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
  • 3 ¾ cups Powdered Sugar (450g)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Milk or other non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

For Decoration: 

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 7 inch cake pans (*see notes) with non-stick spray and cut out circles of parchment paper line the bottoms.
  • Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the light brown sugar, white granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
  • Prepare your flax egg by adding 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then adding in 3 Tbsp of Hot Water and allowing to sit for a minute to become gloopy.
  • Add the flax egg, pumpkin purée, oil, vinegar and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix into a batter. Don't overmix.
  • Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans.
  • Place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  • Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
  • Prepare your frosting by adding the vegan butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and soy milk to the bowl of an electric mixer. Starting at slow speed, gradually increase the speed until the frosting is thick and smooth. If your frosting is too thick, add in soy milk a drop at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
  • Add the cinnamon last and mix on low until just mixed in.
  • When your cakes are completely cooled, frost them and then sprinkle cinnamon and crushed walnuts on top.

Notes

  1. Measure your flour correctly. Either weigh it out on a food scale for the most accurate results or use the spoon and level method. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don't scoop it and don't pack it into the cup. 
  2. Pumpkin purée. I used homemade pumpkin purée. I baked peeled and chopped pumpkin in the oven (plain, no oils or spices) for 30 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until soft and cooked and then pureed it in the food processor. If you do it this way and your purée is a bit 'wet' then stand it in a strainer so any excess water can run off.
  3. Cake Sizes: This cake can be adapted for different cake sizes as follows:
    • Three 6-inch round cake pans - bake for 25 minutes.
    • Two 8-inch round cake pans - bake for 25-30 minutes. 
    • One 9-inch round cake pan - bake for 30-35 minutes.
    • 9x9 square cake pan - bake for 35 minutes.
    • 9x13 sheet cake - bake for 25 minutes. 
  4. Storing and freezing: Keep it covered at room temperature where it will stay fresh for 2-3 days, or keep it covered in the fridge where it will stay fresh for up to a week. It's also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.
  5. Nutritional information is for 1 slice of 10 with a generous amount of cinnamon buttercream frosting. It excludes crushed walnuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 501kcal | Carbohydrates: 98.3g | Protein: 3.2g | Fat: 11.4g | Saturated Fat: 1.8g | Sodium: 375mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 75.1g