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Pumpkin season is here! If you’re looking for the best vegan pumpkin cake recipe, this one is moist, spiced just right, and topped with a rich dairy-free frosting. It’s simple enough for weeknight baking but also festive enough for Thanksgiving, Halloween, or any fall celebration.

This cake like a lot of others on my blog uses the “reverse creaming” method which means the fat is added to the dry ingredients first which coats them and prevents them from absorbing moisture and forming gluten which can make cakes tough. It also takes out the possibility of over-mixing the batter which can happen quickly resulting in a flatter and denser cake.

This is how the dry mixture should look with the fat added.

This cake has no special egg replacers so most of the ingredients will be in your pantry or fridge. It uses a bit of vegan sour cream or yogurt for tenderness and if the sour cream is a bit thick, I thin it out with a bit of vegan milk or cream before measuring. It also uses a full 15 oz can of pumpkin and all the warm autumnal spices. You can use a pumpkin pie spice blend if you don’t want to add the spices separately but I prefer adding them one by one as I think it’s fresher especially if you have an older pumpkin pie spice hanging around.

Why you’ll love this vegan pumpkin cake:

100% dairy-free and egg-free.
Moist and fluffy texture with real pumpkin puree.
Perfect balance of warm spices.
Easy to frost and decorate for any occasion.
A crowd-pleasing vegan dessert that even non-vegans will love.

Tips for success:

Use 100% pumpkin puree for best flavor and texture.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
For extra moistness, wrap cooled cakes in plastic and chill before frosting.
Make it festive: sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, chopped pecans, or toasted pumpkin seeds.

FAQs

Can I make this is another size? Yes! You can make this as a layer cake, cupcakes or even a Bundt cake. Just adjust your baking times as needed.
Can I make this gluten-free? Although I have not tested it, I would think a 1:1 gluten free flour mix swap should work well.
What’s the best vegan butter for the frosting? Stick varieties (like Earth Balance or Country Crock) hold up better than soft spreads. I like the blend of half shortening and half vegan butter but you could use all vegan butter. It might be a little salty so try and find an unsalted stick or block style.

This vegan frosted pumpkin cake is the ultimate fall dessert that’s moist, fluffy, and full of cozy spices. It’s easy enough for beginners but impressive enough for holiday tables. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out in the comments!

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Dairy-Free Frosting

Recipe by Kreg

5.0 from 3 votes

Course: Desserts, Holiday, RecipesCuisine: American

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

The vegan pumpkin cake of your dreams.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup vegan sour cream or yogurt (see notes)
1 1/2 cups vegan cane sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vegan milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted to remove lumps
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1-2 tablespoons vegan milk or cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9×13 oblong baking pan by greasing it with vegan butter, shortening or cooking spray and flouring it completely with 1-2 tablespoons of flour and tapping out the excess.
In a large mixing bowl or using a stand mixer, add all of the dry ingredients (except the sugar) into the bowl and whisk or mix to combine for about 30 seconds. Add the vegetable oil and vegan sour cream or yogurt and mix to coat all of the flour mixture until it resembles large crumbs.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla to the vegan milk then add that along with the sugar and pumpkin to the bowl and mix well for a few minutes until combined making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and rap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the top springs back lightly when pressed gently. All ovens vary so check around the 30 minute mark. I bake using convection so things bake faster. Cool completely.
Vanilla Frosting
Add the vegan shortening and room temperature vegan butter into a mixing bowl and mix with a hand or stand mixer (I used the whisk attachment) until combined (about a minute). Add the sifted confectioners sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add the milk or cream one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is light and fluffy. Sometimes you might need a bit more sugar or milk to get to the right consistency so be patient and add a little of one or the other until it’s how you like it. Adding vegan milk or cream will reduce any graininess in the frosting but you don’t want it looking “split” like the fat has separated from the sugar. Sifting the sugar will also eliminate any lumps in the frosting.
Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake and cut into slices and serve. Cake can be stored in the fridge or leftovers can also be frozen if wrapped well.

Recipe Video

Notes

I’ve used both vegan sour cream and yogurt and both have worked great.
I prefer adding the spices separately as some keep a jar of pumpkin pie spice for years as they don’t use it enough and they may not be as potent and fresh as other spices you use more often.
Some additions could be chopped nuts or chocolate chips if you’d like.
I added a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top but some chopped and toasted nuts would be great too.