This vegan pumpkin cake is super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. The batter mixes up in one bowl and requires no mixer! The best part: it's absolutely delicious!
This vegan pumpkin cake tastes just like a big hug you get while wearing a cozy hand knitted sweater from grandma while taking an autumn stroll outside among the leaves.
And isn't that what we all need this time of year? After a long hot summer I know I'm pretty beat, and ready for cake that's loaded with fall flavor. Well this cake packs in about as much fall flavor as possible, with minimal effort.
Pumpkin not only gives this cake a beautiful fall-themed orange color, but it also makes it wonderfully moist and spongy. In addition to pumpkin, this cake features our favorite fall spices: cinnamon and pumpkin spice blend.
The recipe couldn't be easier to make. We're not messing with lots of layers or fancy pans here. I adapted my vegan spice cake recipe (another great one for fall!) to create this one, because I knew the method was great for making a cake form batter that you could mix up by hand, throw into a pan, and bake, all in minutes.
Jump to:
Ingredients You'll Need
- Flour. We're using all-purpose wheat flour. I haven't tried making this cake with any other types of flour, so I can't say if they'll work.
- Brown sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the cake vegan. Coconut sugar can be substituted if that's what you have on hand.
- Sugar. This one also needs to be organic.
- Baking powder.
- Baking soda.
- Pumpkin pie spice. Also known as simply pumpkin spice, this stuff isn't just for pumpkin pie. I used a premade blend, but you could also mix up your own pumpkin spice if you have all the ingredients on hand.
- Cinnamon.
- Salt.
- Canned pumpkin puree.
- Non-dairy milk. Most varieties that are unflavored and unsweetened will work. Almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk are all great choices. Canned coconut milk is the only one to avoid. For more guidance, check out my guide to dairy-free milk.
- Canola oil. Feel free to substitute your favorite baking oil, such as melted coconut oil, corn oil or vegetable oil.
- Vanilla extract.
- Apple cider vinegar. You can use another type of vinegar from my list of apple cider vinegar substitutes if you'd like.
Tip: This recipe uses less than a full can of pumpkin puree. The extra will keep for a few days in an airtight container in the fridge, or for a few months in the freezer. I like to make my pumpkin mug cake to use up small amounts of pumpkin.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Whisk your dry ingredients together in a large bowl: flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder and soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate container stir together the wet ingredients: pumpkin, milk, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. A large liquid measuring cup works great for this, but you can use anything sized to hold just over 2 ½ cups of liquid.
- Stir the batter together using a large spoon. Stir it just until everything is mixed.
- Spread the batter into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In an abundance of caution I like to oil and line my pan with parchment paper, but just oiling the pan should be sufficient if you don't have parchment paper on hand.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the vegan pumpkin cake cool completely, then frost if it you'd like and slice it. I like to top my cake with vegan vanilla buttercream frosting, but you could also go bold and use vegan chocolate frosting, or keep things simple and serve your cake plain or with just a sprinkle of organic powdered sugar.
- Enjoy!
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan pumpkin cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. As with all cakes, it will generally keep a bit longer if it's frosted, as the frosting helps seal in moisture and prevent it from going stale.
You can also seal your cake up tightly and freeze it (frosted or unfrosted) for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Possibly, but I haven't tried it myself so I can't say for sure. Try using an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend if you'd like to give it a shot!
You can, but you'll need to cook and puree it first. Try this pumpkin puree recipe.
More Vegan Pumpkin Desserts
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📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup organic brown sugar
- ¾ cup organic granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups canned pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. (Note 1)
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate container such as a large liquid measuring cup, stir together the pumpkin, oil, milk, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and stir the ingredients just until combined. The batter will be thick and fluffy.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer.
- Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cake cool completely.
- Optionally, frost the cake (Note 2), or sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- You can optionally also line it with some parchment paper.
- My vegan vanilla buttercream frosting or vegan chocolate frosting both work well for this cake.
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I felt it didn't taste as good as I would like. I would have used more spice and maybe more sugar? Not sure
What about the milk you’re using?
What kinds do you recommend? How sweet is it and is it sweetened with sugar?
I use almond milk just because that's what I usually have on hand for drinking, but almost any unsweetened variety will work. Check out the section titled "Ingredients You'll Need" for some tips!
Will this work as cupcakes in paper liners?
I'm sure it will but I haven't had a chance to try yet. They will probably need less time in the oven. I'm thinking 20 minutes, but can't say for sure yet. I'll either update this post or share a new one for vegan pumpkin cupcakes as soon as I've got it down!
Can u make into cupcakes?
This looks delicious! Would it be possible to sub another oil in place of canola?
Thank you! And yes, you can use whatever oil you normally use for baking - coconut, vegetable, corn, etc. They'll all work!
Do you know if gluten free flour would work?
I haven't tried gluten free flour in this particular recipe, but I have in similar cakes and had no problem, so I think it would work! I like Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur's all-purpose gluten-free blends.