Home » Vegan Desserts » Vegan pumpkin cake with a cashew frosting | gluten-free recipe
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4.92 from 12 votes
Vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy frosting
Vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy frostingEveryone is going crazy over pumpkins. I see hundreds of pumpkin pics in my Instagram feed and on Pinterest and I couldn’t resist baking something with pumpkin either. Maybe you are still looking for a fall recipe or a recipe for Halloween? Well, this gluten-free vegan pumpkin cake will probably be your new favorite fall recipe.
Pumpkin is just perfect for baking, it’s low in calories, contains lots of beta-carotene which is a powerful antioxidant and so healthy. Furthermore, it makes all baked goods moist and yummy.Definitely try it out as long as the pumpkin season lasts.
Healthy gluten free vegan pumpkin cake recipe
This delicious vegan pumpkin cake contains only whole foods, no gluten, no eggs, no dairy, no butter and no refined sugar. It is super moist but not gummy, the texture actually turned out pretty amazing.
I used fresh pumpkin for this cake but I guess you could also use canned pumpkin puree. You can enjoy the cake without the cashew frosting if you have to avoid nuts, it will still taste amazing.
This vegan pumpkin cake is:
This vegan pumpkin cake is:- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Refined sugar-free
- Plant-based
- Gluten free
- Can be made nut-free
- Healthy
- Moist
- Fluffy
- Delicious
- Easy to make
Top this vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy frosting
Top this vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy frostingWell, this step is optional, but I really like to enjoy this vegan pumpkin cake with a creamy and fluffy cashew frosting. You only need to blend a few ingredients for this frosting and in my opinion, it tastes even better than heavy whipped cream.
If you can’t eat cashews I would recommend to whip up a chilled can of coconut milk (the thick white part) and use it as frosting. Whipped coconut milk is equally delicious and so much healthier than heavy whipped cream.
If you want a low-fat/low-calorie frosting then definitely check out this recipe from me: VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE CARROT CAKE
Easy to make healthy recipe
Easy to make healthy recipeThis gluten-free vegan pumpkin cake is easy to make in 7 simple steps and it took me less than one hour (from start to finish) to make this recipe.Keep the cake covered in the fridge, so that it doesn’t dry out. As always I will also include the nutrition facts in the recipe notes.
Please leave a comment below if you make this vegan pumpkin cake. You can also make a photo of it and post it on Instagram (or send me a DM). If you tag me in the caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan I will gladly check out your post and leave a comment. Happy fall baking!
Vegan Pumpkin Cake
Author: Michaela Vais
Vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy cashew frosting. This vegan cake is gluten-free, oil-free, plant-based (egg-free, dairy-free), easy to make and healthy.
4.92 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 11 slices
Calories 200 kcal
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup (160 g) rice flour white or brown (see notes)
- 1 cup (90 g) oat flour gluten-free if needed
- 1/2 cup (45 g) dried shredded coconut unsweetened or ground almonds
- 1/2 cup (80 g) coconut sugar or granulated sugar of choice
- 2 tbsp flax seeds ground or chia seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Cinnamon, allspice to taste
Wet ingredients
- 240 g fresh pumpkin grated (or 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin puree)
- 1 cup (240 ml) plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup (60 g) nut butter of choice e.g. almond butter (see notes)
- 2 tbsp (40 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cashew cream (optional)
- 2/3 cup (100 g) cashews
- 1/4 cup (60 g) plant-based milk
- 2 tbsp (40 g) maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cover the cashews in a jar or small bowl with hot water and allow them to soak for 30-50 minutes (then discard the water).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius and line an 8x4 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and stir with a whisk or spoon until there are no lumps.
Process all wet ingredients in a blender or food processor until the mixture is smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or whisk.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the loaf, comes out clean. Let it cool.
Blend all ingredients for the cashew cream in your blender until the mixture is creamy and smooth.Spread about half of the cream on the cake (you can save the remaining cream for another dessert). Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the fridge.
Notes
- Rice flour: You can use a gluten-free flour blend (e.g. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 all-purpose flour). Use regular wheat flour or spelt flour if you aren't gluten-free.
- Nut butter: You can use any nut butter of choice or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.
- The recipe makes an 8x4 inch loaf which I cut into 11 slices. The nutrition facts are for one slice (without the frosting).
Nutrition Facts Vegan Pumpkin Cake Amount per Serving Calories 200 % Daily Value* Fat 7 g 11 % Saturated Fat 0.7 g 4 % Carbohydrates 28.4 g Fiber 2.6 g 10 % Sugar 10.6 g 12 % Protein 4.4 g 9 % * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
- Allie
Hi Ela! Looking forward to making this recipe! I will have to make this ahead of time.. how long would you say this cake could last in the fridge with a cover?
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- Ela
I would say up to 2 days, then it will dry out a little. 🙂
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- Jeanie
I don’t see any nutritional information with this recipe.
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- Ela
Thanks for making me aware of this. The nutrition facts were there, but the shortcode was missing, so they were invisible. I fixed it. 🙂
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- Tonya
Any substitutions for baking soda and baking powder. My son is very strick about his diet and only like natural ingredients
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- Ela
You can leave it out, but then it won’t rise. It will still taste delicious though. 🙂
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- Julia
This pumpkin cake is my absolute favourite. I haven’t made the icing yet, but will try it one of these days. The cake is so moist that it really doesn’t need it at all. I will be making this recipe often.
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- Ela
Aww, that’s awesome Julia! I am so glad you like it. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
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[…] to my vegan pumpkin cake, this recipe is a no-bake recipe, which means it goes straight into the freezer and not into the […]
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[…] Should you recreate my recipe, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations. If you are looking for more fall desserts, then definitely also try out my vegan pumpkin cake. […]
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