This Vegan Pumpkin Cake recipe is super moist, packed with pumpkin pie spice, and is so delicious, all while being completely eggless and dairy-free! It's the perfect Autumn cake for any celebration.
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I know I'm not alone when I say I love Fall baking! It's the best excuse to make all kinds of pumpkin recipes from Vegan Pumpkin Bread to Vegan Pumpkin Bars and Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodles. They smell so good while they're baking and taste incredible when they're ready to devour.
And one of my favorite ways to ring in Fall baking season is by making this Vegan Pumpkin Cake. It is surprisingly simple to make, and it's absolutely packed with pumpkin pie spices. It truly tastes like Autumn in cake form, and I know you are going to love it as much as I do. So, let's make it!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This vegan cake recipe requires easy-to-find ingredients and uses simple methods.
- It is packed with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices.
- This Vegan Pumpkin Cake is vegan, dairy-free, and completely eggless, so anyone can enjoy it!
- The cake is tender and moist, and the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- And most importantly, it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Purée: My favorite brand is Libby's. Just be sure to grab 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix! I always keep a few cans of pumpkin puree in my pantry so I can make my Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes, Vegan Pumpkin Cookies, and this cake whenever the craving strikes!
Pumpkin Pie Spice: I love to keep pumpkin pie spice mix on hand because it is a one-stop shop for all the Fall flavors. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, though, I will share a homemade spice mix below.
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but any non-dairy milk will work.
Non-Dairy Butter: I love Country Cock Plant Butter Sticks. They taste great and are easy to find!
Canola Oil: You can use any neutral oil like vegetable or grapeseed oil. But do not use coconut oil! It does not bake the same.
White Vinegar: You won't taste this in the finished product. It helps activate the baking soda for a light and fluffy cake. You can also use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Variations
I have included my Vegan Brown Sugar Frosting in this recipe because that's what I usually use to frost my Vegan Pumpkin Cake. The combination of the spice cake and brown sugary frosting is seriously incredible.
But, it would also be absolutely delicious with my Vegan Maple Bourbon Buttercream Frosting, or even Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. First, in a large bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin purée, non-dairy milk, canola oil, vinegar, and vanilla and whisk well.
Step 2. Now, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice into the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter.
Then, divide the batter evenly between two prepared 8-inch round cake pans, using an offset spatula to even the batter out.
Step 3. Bake the Vegan Pumpkin Cake layers in a 350* F oven for about 24-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cake layer comes out clean.
Allow the cake layers to cool completely before stacking and frosting.
Step 4. Make the vegan brown sugar frosting by creaming vegan butter until completely smooth.
Then, add sifted powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Finally, add molasses and vanilla extract and mix until light and fluffy.
Step 5. To stack the cake, place a vegan pumpkin cake layer upside down on a cake board or cake stand.
Then, add about ¾ cup of frosting on top and use an offset spatula or a butter knife to spread it out evenly.
Step 8. Top with the remaining cake layer and frost the outside of the cake with the same knife or offset spatula and serve.
From here, decorate however you like! I used an Ateco 808 piping tip to create a border and sprinkled the top with cinnamon.
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cake into a cake box or other large container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can bake the cake layers up to a month ahead of time! Bake the layers and allow them to cool completely, then wrap them with plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month.
My favorite canned pumpkin purée brands are Libby's and Farmer's Market.
If you don't have a pre-made pumpkin pie spice, use this mix:
2 ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 ¾ teaspoon Ginger
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon Cloves
Or, apple pie spice makes a great swap!
Expert Tips
If you are a beginner, freeze the cake layers for an hour before stacking. This will make the cakes more stable and make it much easier if you haven't made many layer cakes.
Be sure to use 100% pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling!
Looking for More Pumpkin Recipes?
If you tried this Vegan Pumpkin Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment Or a handmixer
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Medium Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 2 8" Round Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Kosher Salt half this amount if using table salt
- 5 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice See note!
- 1 ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, tightly packed
- 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Purée Not pumpkin pie filling
- ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- ¾ Cup Canola Oil
- 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Frosting
- 24 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature see note
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- ¼ Cup Baking Molasses See note!
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350*F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them and inserting parchment circles into the bottoms.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk to combine.2 ⅔ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 ½ tsp Baking Powder, ¼ tsp Baking Soda, ¾ tsp Kosher Salt, 5 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin purée, non-dairy milk, canola oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter. See note.1 ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, tightly packed, 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Purée, ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk , ¾ Cup Canola Oil, 2 tsp White Vinegar, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans and gently spread it out with a spatula or knife. Bake the cake layers in a 350*F oven for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then remove from the pans onto a parchment-lined sheet tray to cool completely, about 2 hours.
Make the Brown Sugar Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter until its completely smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar and mix on low until it comes together.24 Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature, 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- Add the molasses and vanilla and mix on low until combined. Then, turn the speed to medium and mix until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract, ¼ Cup Baking Molasses
Stack the Cake
- Place a cake upside down onto a cake board or cake stand. Top the layer with about ¾ cup of frosting and use a butter knife or an offset spatula to spread it out, then top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again.
- Use the same butter knife or offset spatula to frost the outside of the cake with brown sugar frosting and decorate as desired. I used a round pastry tip to pipe a border around the top and sprinkled it with cinnamon.
- Serve!
Notes
- 2 ¾ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 ¾ teaspoon Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon Cloves
Stephen Chase Wathen says
Hi looks great will try to make this not sure if I can was wondering how to order something for a catering event for the Don Jacobs house, myself or my Grandpa who's been a season ticket holder of UK since he graduated in the 50s. Thanks. That old fashioned looks awesome too.
Megan Calipari says
Hi! I live in Boston, and unfortunately I am unable to ship at present. Thanks so much for reaching out though!
Melissa Gelfand says
Do you have a cookbook? if not "why?" I need your cookbook...
Shannon says
This cake is the best! I’ve made it several times and it’s fabulous. Thank you!
Megan Calipari says
Thank you! This one is my fave too!
Karen says
This pumpkin cake is so moist and so freak and delicious! I made two layers of this cake and one layer of a chocolate vegan. I frosted the whole cake with chocolate butter cream and it is absolutely delicious. This pumpkin cake has perfect flavor and I can't believe how easy it was! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Michelle Corsi says
If I were to make this into cupcakes how many does a single batch make?
Megan Calipari says
This recipe will make 12-14 cupcakes!