Easy single-layer Vegan Pumpkin Cake that's rich, moist, loaded with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavour, and finished with swathes of brown sugar frosting!
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Please welcome into your life: Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting.
And what is there not to love? The tender crumb, the stick-to-the-fork moist texture, the cozy pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavours...
Also, I’d be lying if I said I wasn't obsessed with the brown sugar frosting because I am. Its caramel undertones really complement the pumpkin and spices, and of course, if there are swathes of frosting involved then I'm all in. 🤭
You’ll appreciate this no-fuss vegan pumpkin cake recipe as an easy addition to your holiday dessert menu alongside your other delicious Thanksgiving recipes. It can be made ahead and because it's a single-layer cake there is no time-consuming assembly. It's easy to cut up and serve to guests, and easy to transport.
My family loves this Vegan Pumpkin Cake and I hope yours does too!
Mel x
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Ingredients
Here is what you need at a glance, along with some important ingredient notes & substitution ideas:
FOR THE PUMPKIN CAKE
- Flour - This should be all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) because it's a thick, wet batter. Don't be tempted to use cake flour in this recipe. The batter is too thick and wet.
- Sugar - A combination of cane sugar and dark brown. Both contribute to the texture (cane for structure, brown for moisture), and the dark brown sugar also brings lots of lovely caramel undertones to the sponge. It is also acidic so reacts with the baking soda to create more lift. I don't recommend using an alternative here because other sugars (or artificial sweeteners) are not as acidic which means your cake will not turn out as light and will not rise as much. it also won't taste as good.
- Dairy-free milk - Any such as cashew milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk will do. I do recommend using unsweetened if possible.
- Oil - Any neutral liquid oil will work such as light olive, canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil.
- Baking soda & baking powder - Both are necessary in this recipe for lightness and a good rise.
- Spices - Lots of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. See the FAQs or notes if you can't get hold of pumpkin spice.
FOR THE BROWN SUGAR FROSTING
The usual suspects for fluffy vegan frosting plus the addition of some brown sugar for a delicious brown sugary caramel flavour that is delicious with the pumpkin spiced cake. You could use vegan cream cheese frosting (half the recipe) instead if you prefer.
Brown Sugar Frosting Tip
I use the brown sugar as it is straight out of the bag when making the frosting. Doing this will give you a very slight sugar crystal/grainy texture in your frosting. I really like the texture and the contrast it gives and it does gradually get smoother as the sugar dissolves with time. This might not be for everyone though and if that's the case I recommend blending the brown sugar in a blender until it has a powdered sugar texture before using it in the frosting.
Let's Make Vegan Pumpkin Cake!
Can't wait to make it? Here's a quick visual walkthrough (see the recipe card and recipe video for the full and detailed version):
1 - Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
2 - Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. I did try to make this a one-bowl affair but it's way too hard to get everything mixed together well. Combining the dry and the wet separately really helps the process and ensures you don't overmix (important for good texture).
3 - Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a thick gorgeous orange cake batter.
4 - Spread out evenly in a 9 x 13-inch dish or pan.
5 - Bake and admire the colour of that sponge when you pull it from the oven! 😍
6 - Whisk the vegan brown sugar frosting up. Have a taste. It's seriously good!
7 - Slather the frosting all over the cooled cake.
Making Ahead
The pumpkin sponge can be made a day ahead. Cover with a dish towel (or something else that's breathable) and leave at room temperature until you get to frosting it. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
The frosting can be made 3 or 4 days ahead. Cover and store in the fridge. Remove about 30 minutes before you want to use it so it can soften a little, then give it a quick whisk before using.
Storage Tips
Cover the frosted pumpkin cake with clingwrap or a lid. It will be fine at room temperature for 2 days but if you aren't going to eat it that quickly I recommend refrigerating it. The frosting firms up a little when cold so if time allows take the cake out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving to give it time to warm up and soften.
This is a cake that keeps very well for about 7 or 8 days in the fridge. After that, it does start to dry a little but we were still enjoying it 10 days later despite this.
Recipe FAQs
You can use smooth cashew or almond butter instead of the oil. Use the same amount and blend it with the milk before you begin. I don't recommend using applesauce as an oil substitute because it will add way too much moisture. You won't be able to make the frosting without vegan butter though so you will need to top the cake with something else.
If you can't get hold of pumpkin spice you can use ¾ teaspoon each of ground allspice, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon ground cloves. This is in addition to the cinnamon already in the recipe.
Pretty much all sugar is vegan in Canada. The 2 major producers Redpath and Rogers do not use bone char. Sugar in the UK and Europe is also vegan. In the USA a lot of sugar brands are not vegan. However, all organic sugar there is vegan, as are popular brands such as Wholesome Sweeteners, Florida Crystals, Billingtons, Now Foods, Sugar In The Raw, Kirkland Organic Sugar, Trader Joe's Organic Sugar, Rapunzel, Imperial, and Diamond Crystal.
Yes, this cake has been tested and works well with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour (the one in the blue bag that contains xanthan gum).
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
For the cake
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK) or GF 1 to 1 baking flour containing xanthan gum
- ¾ packed cup (150 grams) dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 grams) white or cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice , see notes for alternative
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 x 15oz can (2 cups or 455 grams) pumpkin puree , not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 cup neutral oil , such as vegetable, canola, sunflower or light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180 ml) dairy-free milk
For the frosting
- 1 cup (220 grams) vegan butter
- ½ packed cup (100 grams) dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 cups (375 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
For the cake
- Line or grease a 9 x 13-inch cake pan or glass dish and preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C).
- To a large mixing bowl add the flour, both sugars, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and milk to another medium bowl and mix them together well.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix together gently until well combined. Be sure to scrape right into the bottom of the bowl to get all of the flour as it likes to hide out under the batter. Don’t overmix. Stop as soon as all of the flour is combined.
- Spoon the batter into the pan then level the top with a spatula. Bake for about 40 minutes in a glass dish or about 35 to 36 in a metal one. All ovens and bakeware cook differently though so keep checking near the end. When done the cake will be coming away from the edges and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the middle will come out clean.
- Place the pan on a wire rack, cover it with a clean dry dish towel, and allow the cake to cool completely in the dish/tin.
For the frosting
- With an electric hand mixer beat the butter with the brown sugar and salt until soft, light, and fluffy. Then let it sit for 5 minutes. This gives the grains of sugar time to dissolve into the butter. Add the powdered sugar gradually, beating between additions. With the last addition add the vanilla and continue beating until fluffy and well combined.
- Swoosh the frosting over the top of the cake.
NOTES
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Tracie says
I was craving pumpkin cake, so this recipe released at the perfect time for me!! The cake is delicious, and I think it's really good even without the icing. I liked the brown sugar buttercream, but it's a little too sweet for my taste. Next time I think I'll try your cream cheese frosting (which is so yummy!) or even eat it without the frosting. Thank you so much for this amazing cake!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it Tracie! It would be great with some whipped coconut cream (the hard bit from a can of full fat coconut milk) too.