Easy & Delicious Vegan Pumpkin Cake With Frosting

This vegan pumpkin cake is sweet, moist, and fluffy. It can be topped with a dusting of cinnamon or powdered sugar, or with a creamy vegan frosting — pick your favorite!

Vegan pumpkin cake is light, moist, and warm, with subtle cinnamon notes and the pleasant sweet flavor of pumpkin. You’ll be surprised at how quick and easy this vegan pumpkin cake is to make.

Flax eggs (flaxseed meal mixed with water) replace regular eggs in this recipe. They can be made by combining one tablespoon of flaxseed meal with three tablespoons of water, which is substituted 1:1 per egg used in the original recipe.

You can choose to top your vegan pumpkin cake with a light dusting of ground cinnamon or powdered sugar or go for the vegan frosting for some creamy indulgence. The vegan frosting is made using soaked macadamia and cashew nuts which are blended with a few other ingredients to get a fluffy vegan buttercream.

Fresh pumpkins are plentiful in the fall season in the US. To reduce your carbon footprint, try to use a locally-sourced pumpkin, and it is even more eco-friendly if it’s organic. Out of season, you can use canned pumpkin puree, which will have a slightly sweeter taste and runnier texture. Learn how to make the perfect vegan pumpkin cake below.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tbsp. flaxseed meal
• 9 tbsp. water
• 2 cups diced pumpkin (or a 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree)
• 1 cup extra light olive oil
• Ground cinnamon or powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. To make the pumpkin puree, peel and dice the pumpkin into one-inch cubes, removing the seeds and pulp. Don’t discard the leftovers: you can eat pumpkin seeds — in fact, you can even eat pumpkin skins.
2. Place the pumpkin on a parchment paper substitute on a baking tray and cook in the oven at 350°F for about twenty minutes, until soft.
3. Use a blender to puree the pumpkin. Add a little water if it is not liquid enough. Scoop into a medium mixing bowl and whisk with oil.
4. In a small bowl mix the flaxseed meal and water together, then add the flaxseed mixture to the pumpkin and mix well.
5. Add the cinnamon, flour, baking powder, sugar, and baking soda to a large mixing bowl and stir together. Pour the puree mixture into the large mixing bowl and beat it together.
6. Line a 9 x 13″ baking tray or glass ovenproof dish with a parchment paper substitute and pour the pumpkin cake mixture into it. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350˚F.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
8. Dust with ground cinnamon or powdered sugar, or top with vegan frosting (see below).
9. Cut into 12 slices.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days.

Vegan Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight and drained
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts, soaked overnight and drained
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup of almond milk
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Rinse the drained macadamia and cashew nuts and blend them together in a food processor or blender with the salt, almond milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, and melted coconut oil until very smooth. Refrigerate for half an hour.
2. Spread evenly on the top of the cooled pumpkin cake using a palette knife.

Read more:

• Can You Eat Pumpkin Raw? Benefits, Drawbacks, and Risks
• DIY Pumpkin Smoothie – An Easy, Healthy Recipe
• Roasting Pumpkin Seeds In The Oven: Quick & Easy

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Tags: Baking Desserts Fall Guide Recipes Vegan