Introduction

This vegan pumpkin spice cake is a delightful treat full of warm autumn flavors. Moist and spiced just right, it’s perfect for celebrating the season with friends and family. The dairy-free frosting adds a creamy finish that everyone will love.

The image shows a tall round cake covered in smooth, light beige frosting with tiny specks. Around the sides are small, bright orange pumpkin-shaped decorations with brown stems spaced evenly. The top edge of the cake is decorated with a thick border of white swirled frosting rosettes, and some small pumpkin shapes are nestled within these rosettes. The cake sits on a simple white cake stand placed on a white marbled surface. Around it are small real orange pumpkins and some autumn leaves for decoration. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

480ml dairy-free milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
420g self-raising flour
350g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
120ml sunflower oil
100g pumpkin puree
400g dairy-free block butter
80g dairy-free cream cheese
360g icing sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Orange food gel
Cocoa powder
Vegan caramel sauce (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three 8-inch loose base or push-up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have three tins, bake the cakes separately and cover any unused batter until ready to use.
Step 2: In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle, creating a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Mix well to combine.
Step 4: Add the sunflower oil and pumpkin puree into the vegan ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly between the lined cake tins. Tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
Step 7: Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the cakes feel springy to the touch.
Step 8: Remove cakes from the oven and place them on a cooling rack. Allow them to cool slightly before removing from the tins, then cool completely before frosting. Store in a sealed container until ready to frost.
Step 9: For the frosting, whip the dairy-free butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy using a stand mixer with a balloon whisk or a hand mixer.
Step 10: Sift in the icing sugar and cinnamon, then whip on high speed for about 5 minutes to incorporate fully and achieve a fluffy consistency.
Step 11: Place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread or pipe some frosting evenly over the top. Optionally, make a well in the buttercream and fill with 1-2 tablespoons of vegan caramel sauce.
Step 12: Add the second cake layer on top, press down gently, then add the third layer. Coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to create a crumb coat.
Step 13: Chill the cake in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
Step 14: Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a thicker, final coat of frosting. Use a cake scraper to smooth the edges.
Step 15: Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip nozzle with some white frosting and pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake.
Step 16: Divide the remaining frosting into two bowls. Add orange food gel and a dash of cocoa powder to one bowl for a deep orange color. Add cocoa powder only to the other bowl for a chocolate color.
Step 17: Transfer the orange frosting to a piping bag with a small round tip nozzle and the chocolate frosting to a piping bag with the tip snipped off.
Step 18: Pipe small pumpkins scattered around the cake using the orange frosting. Use the chocolate frosting to add stalks to each pumpkin. Pipe extra mini pumpkins along the top edge if desired.
Step 19: Slice and enjoy your festive vegan pumpkin spice cake!

Tips & Variations

For an extra moist texture, be careful not to overmix the batter once wet and dry ingredients are combined.
You can substitute the sunflower oil with another neutral oil like canola or light olive oil.
Try adding chopped nuts or vegan chocolate chips into the batter for added texture.
If you don’t have loose base tins, use regular cake tins but grease and line them well to ensure easy removal.
For a maple twist, replace the caster sugar with coconut sugar and add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the wet ingredients.

Storage

Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture. The cake layers can also be frozen uniced for up to 2 months; thaw completely before frosting and assembling.

How to Serve

The image shows several slices of a three-layer pumpkin spice cake on white plates, each slice featuring two thick layers of brown spiced cake separated by creamy white frosting filled with a sticky, amber caramel layer that leaks slightly from the sides. The outer frosting is light cream color with small orange piped pumpkin shapes decorating the sides and top, accented with tiny brown stems. Each plate has a gold fork beside the cake slice. Small bright orange mini pumpkins and red and yellow fall leaves are placed around the plates on a white marbled surface, adding an autumn feel. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use regular milk instead of dairy-free milk?

Yes, you can substitute regular milk if you’re not strictly vegan. The apple cider vinegar will still curdle the milk to create a buttermilk effect.

How can I make the cake nut-free?

This recipe is naturally nut-free as long as you use nut-free dairy-free products. Just avoid any cross-contaminated ingredients if you have a severe allergy.