Vegan Pumpkin Snack Cake

A piece of pumpkin cake on a small plate with a bite resting on a fork.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 42

Total Time 57

Servings:9 servings

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This easy vegan pumpkin snack cake is the perfect fall treat! It's tender, sweet, and loaded with pumpkin and spices. The streusel topping and drizzle of creamy icing take it over the top, or pair it with your favorite frosting! Gluten-free and oil-free options.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

For the cake:

1¾ cups all purpose flour - regular or gluten-free
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons pumpkin spice blend - see Note 1 for alternative
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup canned pumpkin puree - for homemade see Note 2
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup neutral oil - or applesauce for oil-free
¼ cup non-dairy milk - I used plain unsweetened soy milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

For the vegan gluten-free streusel:

⅓ cup almond flour
⅓ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon water

For the icing:

½ cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C) and line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry cake ingredients (flour, spices, baking powder and soda, salt). In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, oil, milk, vanilla, and vinegar). Don't combine dry and wet just yet.
To make the streusel topping, in a small bowl stir together the almond flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the tablespoon of water and stir with a fork until the mixture looks clumpy and is uniformly moist.
To make the batter, pour wet ingredients into dry, and stir just until there's no visible dry flour. The batter will be thick and fluffy. Transfer to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the streusel mixture on top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or when the center lightly bounces back when pressed.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and place on a metal rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, stir the ingredients together in a bowl, adding another teaspoon of milk if needed. Drizzle over individual slices of pumpkin cake just before serving.

Notes

Serving a crowd? Double the ingredients and bake it in a 13 x 9 metal baking pan or two 9-inch round pans. Bake time is the same for both.

Instead of streusel, it's also great with frosting, like:

healthy vegan frosting without butter
the spiced buttercream in my vegan apple cake recipe
or the dairy-free vanilla frosting in this vegan birthday cake

Note 1: If you don't have pumpkin spice blend, make your own with: 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon each ground ginger and nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves.

Note 2: If you prefer to use home-cooked pumpkin, you may need to strain it (canned pumpkin is usually thicker and contains less moisture). To do it, line a mesh strainer with a double layer of cheese cloth and let the excess liquid drain away, then measure out 1 cup pumpkin puree.

Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap well to protect from air and freeze for up to 2 months.

Pumpkin cake is best served at room temperature.

Nutrition