Vegan pumpkin cake with a cashew frosting | gluten-free recipe

Vegan pumpkin cake with a fluffy frosting

Everyone 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:

• 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

Well, 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

This 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

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

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

 

1x2x3x

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

9

%

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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