I admit it, I have a slight addiction to all things pumpkin spice. Call me a millennial (I am one), call me a sucker for marketing (I am totally a sucker for marketing), call me a lover of this fall tradition (I totally love this tradition). Seriously, what's not to like about Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake!? You better believe that's a fluffy spiced frosting on there too. Initiate drooling sequence.
Reasons why I love this Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake:
- PUMPKIN SPICE!!!!!! (Duh).
- The pumpkin in the recipe makes this cake super moist, not too sweet, and it's balanced with the perfect amount of party in your mouth pumpkin pie spice goodness.
- If you're not the frosting type of person (who are you!?), it's great without as well and pairs marvellously with coffee if I do say so myself.
- I cut the sweetness of the frosting ever so slightly by adding a touch of apple cider vinegar. WAIT! Don't run away. I promise this is a brilliant addition that sounds all sorts of weird but tastes amazing. It gives it a slight cream cheese frosting feel. Sam cooking hack 101. Don't do it if you don't want to (but you'll want to).
- This is the perfect cake for Thanksgiving, tea time, to celebrate autumn, or just as an excuse to eat more pumpkin spice... as if you even need an excuse!
Every visitor I've had this week has happily walked away with a cake to take home. While my first test run of this cake was pretty great, I ended baking up 6 whole cakes. YES, 6! My house smells like pumpkin spice permanently I'm pretty sure (and I'm not mad about it).
Call me nitpicky but I test my recipes multiple times before posting them on It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken so that I know they will work perfectly for you. With this cake, it was a little tricky figuring out the perfect ratios of pumpkin but I finally nailed it. Woohoo!
To make Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake:
In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Then in a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the batter just comes together, don’t over mix.
Divide the batter among the cake pans and give the pans a little wiggle to help flatten the batter. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients together with a hand or stand mixer until fluffy.
Frost your cake as desired. This time I kept it a little rustic by exposing the cake layers, but there is enough frosting to cover the whole cake if you prefer. I then added a little extra pizazz by grating a bit of fresh nutmeg on top.
This easy to make, super moist cake is the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving or to welcome the autumn season. Spread with fluffy pumpkin spice frosting or serve without.
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup plant-based milk (such as soy or almond)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons plant-based milk (such as soy or almond)
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Preheat your oven to 350 F (180C). Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans.
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In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together.
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In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until the batter just comes together, don’t over mix. Divide the batter among the cake pans and give the pans a little wiggle to help flatten the batter. Bake for about 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
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To make the frosting, mix all the ingredients together with a hand or stand mixer until fluffy, adding 1 - 2 tablespoons plant-based milk to reach desired consistency. Frost your cake as desired. This time I kept it a little rustic by exposing the cake layers, but there is enough frosting to cover the whole cake if you prefer. I then added a little extra pizazz by grating a bit of fresh nutmeg on top.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Swapped out the oil with applesauce and it was perfect. Did not make the frosting as we are trying to be as oil free as possible. It is a little sweet, but another amazing recipe Sam.. Thank you!!
These were a mistake 😉 I added two Grated apples and made them as muffins. THEY ARE SO DELICIOUS. They won't last long in my house. Easy, moist, delicious. I'll be making these again and again.
Any replacement for non dairy milk? Normal milk or curd would work?
I made this cake for the second time but since I make it in cake pan I added 20 more minutes. It was delicious I added walnuts and raisins because I did nott frost it. . I have a question.... this cake is the easiest cake I have ever made and is wonderfully moist and delicious!!!... is there any way that I can replace some of the flavorings to make for example a birthday cake or orange cake or vanilla?
So happy you love it, BeeH! You can try my other cake recipes here (they are just as easy and delicious). 🙂
Re. BeeH comment, when you say you made it in a cake pan, what do you mean? One rectangular pan as opposed to the two round cake pans?
Make this cake.. Delicious and suuuuuuper easy. I made it in one cake pan and it was a success. I added 20 more minutes. No frosting.. It wad delicious without it. I wish I can post a Pic.. I am making it again and added walnuts... We'll see...
I followed this recipe to the tee and it turned out amazing. It's perfectly moist, not too sweet, and decadent. The frosting was delicious as well, I enjoyed that splash of apple cider vinegar, it gave the frosting a distinct taste. I know I'm saving this recipe and making it again.
Wonderful!!! So happy you loved it, Angie 🙂
Hello, I’m wondering what size can of pumpkin to use?
I beleive 1 15oz can of pumpkin has about 2 cups in it so you will have some leftover.
I’ve been using this recipe seasonally for years and it is so damn amazing! everyone including non vegans love it, with and without frosting! i always make cupcakes because i find them easier, and i love gifting these to people. they are always devoured, sometimes they even disappear while i’m waiting for them to cool so i can frost them
Haha! Awesome! So happy they are a fave for you, Meagan 🙂
Hi. This looks delicious. If I make the cake the day before is it best to store in the fridge or at room temperature?
I always think baked goods stay best stored at room temperature. Enjoy!
Sorry if this has already been asked, but if I wanted to make cupcakes instead of layer cake, would temp and/or cook time vary drastically? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi April, the temperature would be the same but the cooking time would be less. Keep an eye on them and when the cupcakes start to look done, use the toothpick test to check if they are cooked. ENjoy!
Do You think I could sub spelt flour?
Using alternative flours is not my speciality, but you could try checking out this article which may be helpful. My guess is a 1 to 1 ratio would not yield good results.
Hi! I have two questions. One, can I replace coconut sugar for the granulated sugar in this recipe? Two, how many servings is this recipe for?
Cooling with alternative sweeteners is not my expertise but this article should help you. As for the nutrition information, I have updated it for you, a 2 layer 8" cake serves about 18 people (depending on how large or small you prefer your slices of course).
Hi, I recently discovered that most white sugar isn't vegan because of how it's processed. Wondering if you could note that in the recipe for those that eat vegan because of autoimmune diseases. Thanks!
Hi Karen, using bone char in sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US. Always good to double-check with the brand you are purchasing. I use Redpath here in Canada and they say on their site that it’s vegan-friendly. A good tip is that organic sugar is always vegan.
Hey Sam,
Do you think I could add walnuts to the batter?
Absolutely! That would be delish. I would stir them in last before pouring into the pans. Enjoy!
I’m not vegan, but I am allergic to milk, cheese and butter. This is my go-to website for dairy-free recipes! I made this cake and it’s delicious! I made it in a bundt pand and dusted with powdered sugar. Yum!!
That's wonderful, Nancy!! Thrilled you are enjoying my recipes so much 🙂
Hi Nancy,
I don't always have great luck with bundt pans. Did you bake at the same temperature? Approximately how long did you bake the cake?
Oh, my gosh -- it was so long ago I don't remember how long I baked it. But I'm pretty sure I baked it at the recommended temperature, although I recall it took longer than usual. I just kept poking it with a bamboo skewer til it came out clean. But it came out perfect. I was a little worried that the edges would be tough since it was in the oven so long, but it was great.
OK, now I want to make this cake again. Thanks for the reminder!
Used squash purée and it came out awesome! Couldn’t believe how fluffy it was, great texture for something without eggs. We have a daughter that is allergic so finding good recipes is hard. This one is being saved!
Awesome!!! So happy you loved the recipe so much, Jacqueline!
Apple cider vinegar makes everything better! (Well, most things.) Seriously!
Haha! It's a magical ingredient 🙂
I made this as a bundt cake (it needed to bake ~20 minutes longer than what you called for) and topped it with a chai glaze. So good!
Ohhhh sounds delish! Love the idea of chia glaze 🙂
Next week I have to bake six cakes for a cake walk fundraiser and plan to have six varieties so I test baked this one last night.It came out beautifully. I took it to work and it got, overall, rave reviews. It is fairly sweet so a small piece goes a long way (which is really nice).
So thrilled you and everyone at your work raved about it, Shannon 🙂
Hi Sam,
lovely page and recipe, however i never manage to get the right consistency frosting. ever!
My frosting always turn out runny, no matter how much sugar i add :'(
could you please advise on what brands i could use for the butter and shortening? I like in the UK so they most likely be different but it would help me compare with the ones i buy?
thank you so much in advance,
Ale 🙂
I use Earth Balance brand. Make sure the vegan butter your working with is cold and firm, not melted. You want to make sure you're using a powdered sugar (sometimes called icing sugar or confectioners sugar). If you're doing all of that and still have the problem, then I would start with less vegan butter and slowly work your way up as needed.
This looks wonderful! However, I am WFPBNO (whole food plant based no oil) so I was excited to see this listed under the Oil Free Recipe section. Sadly, I click on the recipe and it has oil. I can manage the cake and replace with applesauce but the icing has vegan butter and vegetable shortening. YIKES! I'll have to search around for another oil free icing recipe.
Apologies for that, Sherry, I incorrectly labelled it. Fixed now! I hope you find a good frosting recipe 🙂
I’m so glad I found this recipe! It’s lovely that it’s so fuss free and doesn’t call for anything too crazy. I live in China so finding weird vegan ingredients that some recipes call for can be near impossible and I only have a toaster oven but this still turned out amazing. I decided to not do frosting and it reminds me of my favorite pumpkin bread from my pre-veg childhood.
So happy you enjoyed the cake so much, Emma!! Fuss-free is the name of the game here 🙂
I made this for our Thanksgiving dessert. Only hiccup was that I didn't actually have icing sugar to make a frosting, but we ate these up regardless! So tasty and delicious!
So happy you loved it, Jenn 🙂
Hi Sam! This looks delicious! could I use a bundt pan instead of two cake pans?
Thanks
Hi Coleen! Yes, that should work, but the baking time would likely be much longer. Here is some info on it for you to check out. Enjoy!
Thanks very much Sam.
I made this cake for my father's birthday and it got rave reviews. My husband, who claims he doesn't like pumpkin, went back for seconds. I turned these into cupcakes. It made about 20, and I cooked them for about 20 minutes. The only recommendation I would make is to leave the vinegar out of the icing. I found it too overpowering, and ended up making a second batch of icing without it. I think the icing is just fine without the vinegar.
Aww so happy you enjoyed it so much, Rebecca 🙂
Have you ever made cupcakes from this recipe?
If so, how many does it make and what was the cooking time?
Love this recipe and you’re book!
Thanks Dawna! This recipe would make about 24 cupcakes. The oven temp would be the same but the baking time would be reduced. I haven't tried it myself so I don't know the exact time, but I would guess they would take about 2/3 of the time to bake. Keep an eye on them and do the toothpick test. Enjoy!
Just made this today! Wowie wow the flavors are so yummy! Tastes just like fall. Thanks for sharing.
You're most welcome, Katie! SO happy you enjoyed 🙂
Wow wow wow! This is the most amazing cake EVER! I made it as the conclusion to a plant-based meal I prepared for my omnivore friends (it was my month to host our book club and to provide our food) - it can be quite challenging to find things to eat that satisfies everyone but I can say that everyone loved this cake... and wanted seconds! I even shared with my son-in-law who isn't a pumpkin spice fan but he was pleasantly surprised at the flavors and said he'd eat another piece - if I had one to give him! Thank you!
Tagging you in IG 😀
PS. I made it in a glass 9x12 pan and it turned out great!
Aww that's wonderful! I'm so thrilled you loved the cake so much! I made it for my book club too once 🙂
I was wondering how well it would work in a 9 × 12. Did you change the cooking time? Can't wait to try this recipe
This cake was amazing.. Made it for my husband's birthday and omg... Delicious.. I am not a baker but these was definitely a success. However I made a different frosting from another website it uses only vegan butter cinnamon powdered sugar and vanilla and I added pumpkin spice it was absolutely outstanding!!!! I wish I can share a picture
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed the recipe so much 🙂 You can always tag me in a photo on Instagram @itdoesnttastelikechicken 🙂
I'm making this recipe for a friend's wedding in a couple of weeks, thanks for the recipe! I'm starting my first practice runs, and so far, it's tasting delicious but the consistency is slightly dense, more like pumpkin bread than like a cake. Any idea what I could be doing wrong? I'm at high altitude (Colorado) and I'm not sure how to adjust for that, so that could be part of the problem. Also, would you recommend cooling the cakes in the pans or taking them out right away?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Hi Allison, I don't know anything about high-altitute cooking so I can't help there. I let the cakes cool in the pan. If you find the cakes too dense it may mean that you are overmixing them a bit. Hope that helps!
Get really excited for fall and want to make this recipe in August! However I never have apple cider vinegar around. What would you think is a better sub - lemon juice or white vinegar?
Either would work, but white vinegar tends to have a strong flavour so I would use the lemon juice as you will likely taste it less. Enjoy!
Thank~you! Can't wait for the first cool(er) day of August to whip this up 🙂
I tried this recipe but turned it into a carrot cake by using the same ammount of grated carrots instead of the pumpkin-puree.
I am from Germany and we dont have these cans of pumpkin puree available in stores and as the pumpkin season is over I could’nt make my own. I also dont have pumpkin spice, maybe I buy it online sometime Go try the original recipe.
Also I substituted some of the flour (maybe 1/3) with potato starch. The cake turned out verry light and fluffy and was a huge success 🙂
Thank you for your time and efford to make these recipes available to us!
Aurora
You're welcome 🙂
I set this recipe aside last fall and finally made it a couple of days ago. This is my first cake to bake since we became vegans two years ago. It is so flavorful. I've made several of a variety of your recipes and want to thank you for your creativity. Too bad I waited so long to taste this deliciousness!
You're most welcome, J L. So happy you finally made it 🙂
Hi Sam, the recipe looks fantastic, I am going to do it today! I am from the UK so may be asking a really silly question: how many people does the recipe serve? I have clicked on the arrow so that it says Servings: 2 but I don't know if that means it only serves two people? Sorry, really dumb but I am a baking novice! Thank you
2 would mean "2 8" layer cakes with frosting", enough for a 2 layer cake as shown in the pictures. A 2 layer cake usually makes 10 to 20 servings (depending on how thick of slices you like). Enjoy!
Favorite fall cake. I make it with GF flour and it turns out perfect every time! My kids love it too.
Oh wonderful! Great to know it can be made gluten-free as well 🙂
I am going to make this for Thanksgiving! I am a relatively new vegan so I am still trying to figure things out so sorry if this is an obvious question! Why do you use both vegetable shortening and vegan butter in the frosting? Is it a flavor thing, or could you just use something like Earth's Balance for both? I am going to get both and make it like you suggested, I was just wondering for future reference!
I will let you know how it turns out after Thanksgiving!
Hi Eileen, congrats on your new veganism! I use vegan butter (Earth Balance brand is my preference), and vegan shortening so that they frosting holds up and doesn't melt. I find the combo gets the perfect flavour and consistency. Enjoy!!! 🙂
Hey, what if I do not have pumpkin puree? Can you please tell me her w to make it at home ?
You can follow any recipe, such as this one.
Hands down the BEST pumpkin spice cake I've ever made, There is nothing "vegan tasting" about this cake, It's light, fluffy, and has the perfect texture. (meaning NOT gummy, or dense). It was great the day I made it, but even better the next day!! Thanks so much for sharing!! xoxo
Woohoo!! Thrilled you loved it so much, Rosie 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful recipe - I used it for a Halloween Party and changed it a little bit, since it was handier carrying brownies to a party rather than a cake. If you are interested in my result, visit my blog 🙂
Unfortunately, it is in German, but the pictures should speak for themselves! The Halloween-Pumpkin-Brownies with Pumpkin-Buttercream-Icing were so yummy!
You are a great inspiration for vegan cooking and baking - thank you so much!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Do you think it would still turn out if I subbed lemon juice for the apple cider vinegar in the frosting? I want to make this for my mom-in-law's birthday, but ACV is just so....barfy.... >.<
Haha, it will, but of course the frosting will taste lemony instead of cream cheesey. Up to you! 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing it! In my icing instead of regular plant-based milk, I subbed Caligula Farms Pecan Carmel Almondmilk creamer... and it seriously was like caramel pecan/pumpkin pie icing!!! Thank you!
Wow that sounds amazing!! Thrilled you love the cake so much 🙂
Can you use sweat potato instead of pumpkin puree?
I'm sure that would work just fine! Enjoy 🙂
Just made this; delicious! The Apple cider vinegar gave the frosting the real cream cheese taste. Thank for sharing your amazing recipes!
Woohoo! So happy you enjoyed it, Amanda! You're most welcome 🙂
I made this to celebrate my dad's birthday last night, Sam, and it was delicious! Bonus that it was easy to make with readily available ingredients. It's the Pumpkin Spice Cakes of everyone's dreams. Thanks for the recipe!
Wow! Thanks so much for the lovely review, thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Erin! 🙂
Saaaaaam! What Vegetable Shortening do you use? I found out Earth Balance has been discontinued! 🙁 I work in a Health Food Store and we haven't been able to get it in! I contacted Earth Balance and they said it has been discontinued in Canada and the US! I don't like the ones in the grocery store, they all use hydrogenated oils. Have you ever tried the Spectrum or Nutiva brand of shortening?
I need to make this cake 🙂
Oh no, I didn't know that the Earth Balance one had been discontinued. That was normally my go-to, but when I'm lazy and don't want to go to a health food store I use regular Crisco. I haven't tried Spectrum or Nutiva but I am sure both would work great!
Thanks! I'm going to search our catalogues and see if we can find a suitable replacement! We have had customers asking, especially now that baking season is full on!
This looks amazing!
My dad's birthday is right on Halloween and normally we would have massive amount of pumpkin from people... I could use those for this recipe!
Thanks!
Yes, you could!!! I hope you and your dad love the cake, Jen. 🙂
Oh boy. I think this is going to go over very well this weekend when I have my non-vegan parents over. Thanks for making yummy SO easy.
My absolute pleasure! Enjoy 🙂
Just to let you know, my dad, who is as traditional as they come, liked this cake so much that he suggested that we replace pumpkin pie with it. So, I may be making this cake again next weekend for our Thanksgiving meal.
You were right. You could eat this cake without the frosting and still get that pumpkin satisfaction. But, the frosting with the apple cider vinegar is awesome.
We don't have vegetable shortening in Denmark, so I was wondering if you think I can leave it out, and maybe use double the butter? 🙂
Also, I just wanna say thank you for this amazing blog! All recipes I've tried were amazing. I lived in Canada for a while and coming back to Denmark and discovering vegan recipes for nanaimo bars and poutine has been perfect for when I'm feeling Canada homesick!
Hi Freja, yes you can use all vegan butter. The frosting will be a little softer, so might want to reduce or omit the non-dairy milk, and keep the cake in a cool place so it doesn't melt. Enjoy!
All I can say is Wow! This is one great cake-I wouldn't change a thing. Thank you for the wonderful recipe '-)
Yay! You're most welcome, Janet! So very happy you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Made this and your chocolate cake recipe for a party I had last night and both were devoured and loved by everyone! I got so many compliments and I will definitely be making this repeatedly in the future!
Woohoo!! Thrilled to hear that Darcee! 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe!! I was wondering if you know how this batter would work if I wanted to make a loaf instead of 2 cake rounds?
Thanks again!
Hi Jamie, it should work ok, but use this helpful chart to help you. Make sure the measurements match up. It looks like you will be able to half the recipe for a medium loaf pan. Also, the cooking time will likely be a little longer, so make sure it is done by inserting a toothpick in the middle. Enjoy!
Oh.My.Gosh. Amazing! So I saw this on facebook this morning, and I'm like nah, I can wait on it...I'll make it for Thanksgiving or something....Well, couldn't wait, went to the store, grabbed me some pumpkin, and just made this cake exactly as written. It's SO unbelievably delicious, and made my kids very happy! 🙂 I love how simple your recipes are and easy to make. I wasn't sure about the apple cider vinegar in the frosting, but yeah, it works! It gives it a little "tang" like cream cheese frosting. Thanks Sam!
Haha! That was super fast. Yaaaaayyy!!! So happy you and your kids loved it so much, Nora! Thank you for your comment and stars 😀
I cannot even express my excitement at seeing this recipe this morning. A million thanks! I wanted to make something pumpkin today but couldn't decide what to make. Decision made!!!
Wow! Maybe I'm a mind reader? Haha. How's that for timing! I hope you love the cake, Kristi 🙂
So I finally got around to making this last night. It’s amazing! Perfectly pumpkin spice! You’ve done it again, Sam! I sent the recipe to my friend, but she can’t have apple cider vinegar. She can’t have lemon juice either, so can’t sub that out. Is it possible to omit it? Would she want to increase the baking powder or baking soda?
Yay!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so very much 🙂 You need an acid to activate the baking soda which helps it rise. Without an acid, it will be too dense. Can she use another type of vinegar?