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This vegan pumpkin cake is fluffy yet hearty, with a delightful natural sweetness. It’s vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free. Paired with a homemade cinnamon cashew cream, it’s the perfect cozy, wholesome dessert for Fall!
A Naturally Sweet Delight
This recipe uses pumpkin purée, which offers a light, natural pumpkin sweetness throughout. A touch of maple syrup and coconut sugar give it deeper depths of sweetness and flavor that’s just right.
There’s also a hint of almond butter, bringing a subtle, nutty aroma to the sweetness. Paired with cinnamon and pumpkin spice, it’s so good you’ll keep reaching for another bite!
Plant-based and Gluten-Free
This recipe is fully plant-based and vegan, using baking powder and baking soda to create a soft, fluffy texture without eggs. For milk, I like to use soy milk because it makes the cake extra fluffy, but oat milk, almond milk, or any plant-based milk will work too.
Instead of wheat flour, this recipe uses gluten-free all-purpose (plain) flour. While I’m not gluten-intolerant (I love whole wheat and sourdough breads), I actually prefer the soft, tender texture of gluten-free cakes.
If you don’t specifically need it to be gluten-free, feel free to use regular all-purpose flour, but be careful not to overmix the batter, or the texture might turn out a bit tough.
Irresistible Cinnamon Cashew Cream
The pumpkin cake is delicious on its own, but to take it up a notch, I made a cinnamon cashew cream to glaze on it. This creamy frosting has a gentle cinnamon aroma that perfectly complements the fluffy, hearty pumpkin cake. It’s the kind of combo that keeps you wanting more!
This cake is best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmed, which keeps it nice and soft. If you’ve refrigerated it, take it out in advance to bring it to room temperature, or warm it briefly in the oven or microwave for that perfect cozy fall treat. Give it a try and thanks me later. (wink wink)
Vegan Pumpkin Cake + Cinnamon Cashew Cream (Gluten-Free)
Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Cashew Frosting (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake – Wet ingredients
- 120 g canned pumpkin purée , (½ cup)
- 240 ml unsweetened soy milk, (1 cup) or any plant-based milk
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- 60 g almond butter, (¼ cup) or any nut butter of choice*
- 40 g maple syrup, (2 Tbsp) or agave syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cake – Dry ingredients
- 150 g gluten-free all-purpose flour, I use this gluten-free plain flour (1 cup)*
- 90 g oat flour, (1 cup) gluten-free if needed
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 45 g almond flour, (½ cup)
- 80 g coconut sugar, (½ cup) or caster sugar of choice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Cinnamon Cashew Cream Frosting (optional)
- 100 g raw cashews, (⅔ cup) soaked for 4-6 hours
- 45 ml unsweetened soy milk, (3 Tbsp) or any plant-based milk
- 40 g maple syrup, or agave syrup (2 Tbsp) to taste
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, I use ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ salt
- 12 g cacao butter, melted (1 Tbsp) optional (See Note)
Instructions
To make the Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 6-inch round or 7-inch bundt cake pan by greasing it with a thin layer of oil.
- Place all wet ingredients in a blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, folding with a silicone spatula until combined and no dry spots remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top. Tap the pan lightly to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, you can make the cashew cream.
To make the Cinnamon Cashew Cream
- Drain the soaked cashews and rinse them with water.
- Place the drained cashews into a small blender with the soy milk, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, salt, and melted cacao butter (if using). Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Store the cream in the fridge while the cake cools. The cacao butter will make it firmer as it cools. If it becomes too thick, adjust the consistency by blending in a bit of water.
Assembling the Cake
- Carefully remove the cooled pumpkin cake from the pan and place it on a serving plate. Cut off excess part if needed.
- Spread a generous layer of cashew cream over the top. If you have extra cream, serve it alongside the cake. For decoration, top with pecans or your favorite nuts. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Nut Butter: I use almond butter because it pairs nicely with pumpkin. Feel free to use other nut butters like peanut or cashew butter, but note that it may slightly affect the cake’s final flavor. (See How to Make Nut Butter)
- Flour: I used this gluten-free plain flour. Different brands might vary slightly in texture. If you don’t need it to be gluten-free, regular all-purpose (plain) flour works fine.
- Cacao Butter: Adding cacao butter makes the cashew cream firmer and more like whipped frosting. Add it if you prefer a stiffer texture. You can also use coconut oil.
- Storage: Store the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days or freeze for up to two weeks.
- Serving: This cake is best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warm. After refrigerating or freezing, let it come to room temperature or microwave a slice for a few seconds before serving.
- Adapted from Ela Vegan.
