Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel Drizzle
Tangy, dairy-free cream cheese frosting sandwiched between moist pumpkin spice cake layers drizzled in salted caramel sauce. All 100% vegan.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 6 or 8-inch Cake 1x
- Category: Cakes and Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Cake
3 c all purpose flour
1 1/3 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 1/3 c pumpkin puree
1 1/3 c nondairy milk
3/4 c canola oil
1 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the Frosting
4 oz vegan cream cheese
1/2 c non-hydrogenated shortening
3 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
For the Caramel Drizzle (optional)
1/2 c sugar
3 tbsp vegan butter
2 tbsp nondairy milk
1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom of 3 6-inch or 2 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the Batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a smaller, separate bowl vigorously whisk together the pumpkin puree, nondairy milk, canola oil, vinegar and vanilla until completely smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just-combined. Do not over-mix.
- Bake: Divide cake batter evenly between prepared pans. Place pans on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean with only a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow cakes to cool in pans for 20-30 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Prepare the frosting while the cake layers are cooling. Add vegan cream cheese and non-hydrogenated shortening to a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until completely smooth. This can take a minute or two. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to the bowl and continue to beat until frosting is nice and smooth.
- Level Cake Layers: While this step is totally optional, it is recommended. Take a sharp serrated knife and carefully slice the dome top off of each of your cake layers. This will make your cake much sturdier. This video is very informative if you’d like help.
- Assemble: Set one of your cake layers on a serving plate. Spread an even layer of frosting over the top. Carefully stack another cake layer and top with frosting. Repeat this step once more if making a 3-layer cake. Use the remainder of your frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Depending on your style, you can either completely cover the cake so it appears white or you can spread the icing on very thinly so the orange of the cake peaks through. This gives a nice, rustic look. Place the finished cake in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour before serving. This will firm everything up a bit.
- Make Caramel Drizzle (optional): Add sugar to a small saucepan and heat on stove over medium-low until completely melted. Do not stir! Just swirl the pan every 15-30 seconds to prevent burning. Once melted, remove pan from heat. Immediately add vegan butter to the pan and whisk vigorously. Mixture will bubble violently. Once bubbling stops, whisk in nondairy milk and salt. Transfer to a sealable jar and allow caramel to cool slightly before placing in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour.
- Serve: When you are ready to serve, remove the cake and caramel sauce from the fridge. Drizzle the caramel sauce in a circular motion over the top of the cake. This will allow the caramel to drip down the sides. Cut the cake into slices using a very sharp knife, wiping it thoroughly between cuts. Plate and serve.
Notes
*Prepared cake will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 1 month.
*When making layer cakes, I prefer to bake my cake layers a day prior to serving. Once the layers are completely cool, I wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in my refrigerator to chill overnight. I find that this makes the cake layers easier to level and frost as they are more solid and less crumbly.
Find it online: https://censoredbaker.com/vegan-pumpkin-cake/
