Homemade mini pumpkin truffles make the cutest topping (as seen in this vegan pumpkin cheesecake) which are surprisingly easy to make.
And the vegan cream cheese frosting is flavored with homemade pumpkin butter which can be made a few days ahead, saving time on baking day!
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this easy vegan pumpkin cake recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Canned Pumpkin Purée: Please don't accidentally use pumpkin pie filling as this has added sweeteners that will throw off the recipe.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Soy milk works best here. It's mixed with apple cider vinegar to make a vegan buttermilk substitute for fluffy cake layers. You can swap in almond milk or oat milk and lemon juice if needed.
- Olive Oil: I love EVOO for vegan cake recipes, but if you prefer a more subtle flavor use a vegetable oil such as canola oil or sunflower oil.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: A combination of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground nutmeg and/or allspice.
- Biscoff Spread: This pairs so beautifully with pumpkin desserts (it's also featured in my vegan pumpkin bread). The cookie butter is piped into the center of the cake which adds a lovely caramelized biscuity flavor.
- Lotus Cookies: These are blended with pumpkin butter to make the mini pumpkins.
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this vegan pumpkin spice cake. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Before making the cake batter and other elements of this recipe, get prepared with the following:
- Make the pumpkin butter and let it cool to room temperature. You can do this up to 3 days ahead, just store it in the fridge until the day.
- Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F.
- Line the base and sides of two 8-inch or three 6" cake tins with parchment paper.
- Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug, stir, and set aside for 5 minutes.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 1: To a separate bowl, add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Add the vegan buttermilk (soy milk + vinegar) and whisk again.
Step 2: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Fold the ingredients into the batter between each increment. Do not overmix!
Step 3: Transfer the cake batter to the lined cake pans and bake in the preheated oven (8-inch pans for 35-40 mins, 6-inch pans for 25-30 mins).
Step 4: Meanwhile, make the frosting. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whisk the butter and cream cheese until fluffy, then add in the pumpkin butter followed by powdered sugar.
Step 5: Sit the first cake layer on a turntable. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge to create a dam for the filling.
Step 6: Pipe the biscoff filling inside the dam and carefully smooth it using the spatula.
Step 7: Add the next layer of cake. Use the remaining frosting to coat around the top and down the sides of the cake. Carefully smooth everything out with a cake scraper.
Step 8: Garnish the top of the cake with pumpkin biscoff truffles.
💭 Best Vegan Pumpkin Cake Tips
To check the cakes are done, insert a skewer or toothpick into the center, it should come out almost clean with a few crumbs. If there is still wet batter on the skewer, continue to bake for another 5 minutes if and as needed.
Wait until the cakes have cooled before peeling away the parchment paper to prevent them from cracking.
Use room temperature ingredients for both the cake batter and the dairy free cream cheese frosting. Room temp ingredients will emulsify more easily.
If your pumpkin frosting appears split, separate two tablespoons and microwave for 15 seconds, then incorporate it back into the frosting while whipping and it will come back together.
If you prefer a plain buttercream, try my vegan cream cheese frosting instead.
💬 FAQs
This eggless pumpkin cake is best served at room temperature to ensure it keeps its fluffy consistency. If you don't plan on eating it all within a day, seal it in an airtight container or cake box and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Then remove the cake from the fridge about 1-2 hours before serving to bring it back to room temperature.
Yes, you can freeze any leftover cake slices in an airtight container for a month. Alternatively, you could freeze the whole cake layers (without frosting). Individually wrap them in plastic wrap, then defrost them in the fridge overnight and assemble the cake before serving.
I strongly recommend canned pumpkin puree if possible. It's specifically designed for baking and has a lower water content than fresh pumpkin puree. If you can't get your hands on it, you can make your own puree using butternut squash, as it has a very similar flavor but is much sweeter and not as much water.
🎃 More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
📖 Recipe
Description
Ingredients
Cake
- 360 g (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice mix, *see note 1
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) soy milk, *see note 2
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 300 g (1 ⅕ cups) canned pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 150 g (⅔ cup) light brown sugar
- 120 ml (½ cup) olive oil, *see note 3
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 100 g (⅓ cup) homemade pumpkin butter, *see note 4
- 200 g (7 oz) vegan butter, room temp *see note 5
- 200 g (7 oz) vegan cream cheese, room temp *see note 6
- 60 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
Topping & Filling
- 200 g (155 g) biscoff cookies
- 120 g (⅓ cup + 2 tbsp) homemade pumpkin butter, *see note 4
- 200 g (7 oz) biscoff spread
Instructions
Pumpkin Cake
- Please read through the ingredients and instructions thoroughly before getting started. The frosting and pumpkin truffles use homemade pumpkin butter which can be made a few days in advance.
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lighty grease the base and sides of two 8-inch or three 6" cake tins with oil. Line each base with a circle of parchment and the sides with a strip of parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice mix, and sea salt into a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make buttermilk: Mix the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a jug and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients: To a large bowl, add the pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, and vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Add the vegan buttermilk (soy milk + vinegar) and whisk again.
- Make the batter: Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 parts. Fold the ingredients into the batter between each increment. Do not be tempted to overmix!
- Bake: Transfer the cake batter to the lined cake pans and bake in the preheated oven (8-inch pans for 35-40 mins, 6-inch pans for 25-30 mins). To check they are done, insert a skewer or toothpick into the center, it should come out almost clean with a few crumbs. If there is still wet batter on the skewer, continue to bake for another 5 minutes if and as needed.
- Cool the cakes: Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 15 minutes and then carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool further. When completely cool, carefully peel away the parchment that will stick to the base of the cakes.
Frosting
- Whisk the ingredients: Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand-held whisk beat the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Slowly start adding the pumpkin butter to the bowl and whisk until incorporated. Lastly, slowly add the powdered sugar and whisk until combined.
Pumpkin truffles
- Add the biscoff cookies to a food processor and blitz for a couple of minutes until finely ground. Add the pumpkin butter and blitz until it forms a dough consistency. Divide the dough into 15 portions and roll into balls. Use a toothpick to press lines on the sides to resemble pumpkins and top with a "havled pecan half".
Assembly
- Once the cakes are cooled, sit the first layer on a turntable. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge to create a dam for the biscoff filling.
- Whisk the biscoff spread with an electric mixer until fluffy. Transfer it into a piping bag, and pipe the filling inside the dam. Carefully smooth it using the spatula.
- Add the next layer of cake. Use the remaining frosting to coat around the top and down the sides of the cake. Carefully smooth everything out with a cake scraper. Garnish with pumpkin truffles.
Notes
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice: Combine 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground cloves.
- Soy milk: Sub with oat milk or almond milk if needed.
- Olive Oil: Replace with a neutral oil such as sunflower or rapeseed if preferred.
- Pumpkin Butter: This can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Vegan Butter: Take it out of the fridge around an hour before use and let it sit on your kitchen counter.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: Take it out of the fridge around an hour before use and let it sit on your kitchen counter.
Nutrition
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