Chai-Spiced Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Jenn of Veggie Inspired
Serves: One 9-inch, 2-layer cake
Ingredients
Chai Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- 2¼ cups spelt flour
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pure pumpkin purée
- ¾ cup full-fat or lite coconut milk
- ½ cup aquafaba (liquid from 1 can of chickpeas)
- ¼ cup coconut butter*, melted or softened (not coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Cashew Filling
- ⅓ cup creamy cashew butter
- ¼ cup pure pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dairy-free milk beverage, as needed
Dairy-Free Cinnamon Buttercream
- 1 cup dairy-free buttery spread
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- Equal parts ground cinnamon and organic cane sugar (just enough for sprinkling)
- Chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
Chai Vegan Pumpkin Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Cut two 9-inch circles of parchment paper and place them in the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut milk, aquafaba, softened coconut butter*, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined; do not over-mix.
- Pour half of the batter into one of the prepared cake pans and half into the other.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the wire rack, and let cool completely.
Pumpkin Cashew Filling
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, pumpkin purée, coconut sugar, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Cashew butter can vary in thickness, so whisk in a tablespoon or two of dairy-free milk beverage, if needed, to make the filling spreadable, but not runny.
Dairy-Free Cinnamon Buttercream
- Add the buttery spread and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until creamy and smooth.
- Add the vanilla, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt.
- Taste and add up to ½ teaspoon of additional cinnamon if you want a more pronounced spice flavor.
Assembly
- Once the cakes are completely cool, spread the Pumpkin Cashew Filling over the top of one of the cakes (bottom side up).
- Place the other cake on top of the filling, again bottom side up.
- Spread the Dairy-Free Cinnamon Buttercream all over the top and sides of the cake.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and/or chopped pecans, if desired.
Notes
It helps to start with room temperature ingredients, so the coconut butter doesn't seize up.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/chai-vegan-pumpkin-cake