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Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 119 reviews

This Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake is a moist, flavorful treat perfect for the fall season or anytime you want a cozy dessert. Made with dairy-free ingredients and infused with classic pumpkin spice flavors, this three-layer cake is topped with a creamy dairy-free buttercream frosting decorated with festive piped pumpkins. It’s an inviting and delicious plant-based dessert that’s both visually stunning and utterly comforting.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Batter

  • 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
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 120ml sunflower oil
  • 100g pumpkin puree

Frosting

  • 400g dairy-free block butter
  • 80g dairy-free cream cheese
  • 360g icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Decoration

  • Orange food gel
  • Cocoa powder
  • Vegan caramel sauce – optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare Vegan Buttermilk: Combine dairy-free milk with apple cider vinegar in a bowl and whisk until fully mixed. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle, creating a vegan buttermilk substitute.
  2. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line three 8-inch loose base or push-up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you have fewer tins, bake in batches and cover unused batter to keep fresh.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together self-raising flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. Mix well to combine evenly.
  4. Combine Wet Ingredients: Add sunflower oil and pumpkin puree to the curdled dairy-free buttermilk and whisk until smooth.
  5. Make Batter: Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients and mix until fully combined without overworking.
  6. Fill Cake Tins: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared tins, tapping each on the counter to release air bubbles for even baking.
  7. Bake the Cakes: Place tins in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean and cakes spring back when touched.
  8. Cool Cakes: Allow cakes to cool slightly in tins before transferring to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before frosting, then store in a sealed container if not frosting immediately.
  9. Make Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, whip dairy-free butter and cream cheese together using a stand mixer or hand mixer until creamy.
  10. Add Icing Sugar and Cinnamon: Sift in the icing sugar and cinnamon, then whip on high speed for about 5 minutes to achieve light, fluffy buttercream.
  11. Assemble Layers: Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or stand. Spread or pipe a layer of buttercream evenly. Optionally, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegan caramel sauce in a well in the middle of the buttercream.
  12. Add Remaining Layers: Place the second cake layer on top, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with third layer, then cover the entire cake with a thin crumb coat of buttercream.
  13. Chill Crumb Coat: Refrigerate the cake for 10-15 minutes to set the crumb coat for easier final frosting application.
  14. Final Frosting Coat: Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second, thicker coat of buttercream. Use a cake scraper to smooth the edges and surface evenly.
  15. Pipe White Frosting: Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with some white buttercream and pipe swirls around the cake’s top edge.
  16. Prepare Colored Frosting: Divide the remaining frosting into two bowls. Color one with orange food gel and a dash of cocoa powder for a deep orange hue, and add cocoa powder to the other for a chocolate color.
  17. Pipe Pumpkin Decorations: Transfer the orange frosting into a piping bag with a small round tip and pipe little pumpkins around the cake in a scattered pattern. Use the brown frosting in another piping bag with snipped tip to create stalks on top of each pumpkin. Optionally, pipe mini pumpkins on the top edge of the cake.
  18. Serve: Slice and enjoy your beautifully decorated vegan pumpkin spice cake.

Notes

  • If you don’t have three cake tins, bake the layers one at a time, covering unused batter to keep fresh.
  • You can substitute different dairy-free milk alternatives as preferred, such as almond or oat milk.
  • The vegan caramel sauce is optional but adds a delicious caramel flavor to the cake layers.
  • Ensure cakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
  • Use an offset spatula for smooth frosting application and neat layering.
  • Store the finished cake in an airtight container and refrigerate if not serving immediately, bringing it to room temperature before serving for best flavor.

Keywords: vegan pumpkin spice cake, dairy-free cake, pumpkin cake, vegan dessert, fall cake, plant-based cake, dairy-free frosting, pumpkin spice dessert

Find it online: https://kitchenbyrita.com/vegan-pumpkin-spice-cake-recipe/