With a moist pumpkin cake and buttery streusel topping, this Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake is truly the best Fall dessert! It's the perfect way to use up canned pumpkin puree and is great for Thanksgiving too.
I'll be honest, I will NEVER get tired of pumpkin desserts. Whether it's my pumpkin pie cookies, pumpkin crisp, pumpkin pancakes, or this new pumpkin coffee cake- it's the part of Fall I always look forward to the most!
Ingredients:
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Pumpkin Puree: It is VERY important to use a thick pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) to get the right texture for this cake.
- I strongly advise against using organic pumpkin puree, as it tends to be too watery and light for baking.
- Libby's and Shaw's Signature are my two favorites to bake with.
- Oat milk: Substitute 1:1 with soy milk or almond milk for similar results!
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Substitute 1:1 with lemon juice.
- This is needed to interact with the baking soda!
- Vanilla Bean Paste: I love baking with Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste; however, you can just use vanilla extract as a 1:1 substitution.
- Vegan butter: While I don't make many cake recipes with vegan butter, I chose to use it for this recipe to make the pumpkin cake dense and taste almost like a pound cake.
- You can substitute with any neutral oil or olive oil. It will slightly change the texture of the cake (it will be a bit lighter and less dense), but it's just as delicious!
- Brown Sugar: I used light brown sugar for this recipe, but you can substitute 1:1 with dark brown sugar.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: In case you didn't know, pumpkin pie spice actually has NO pumpkin in it. It is essentially a blend of warming spices that add so much flavor to this cake and is 100% necessary to get the best flavor in this cake.
- I use this store-bought pumpkin pie spice blend, but here is a recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice you can also use.
How to make pumpkin coffee cake
Make the streusel topping:
This streusel topping is really so simple and delicious! Start by mixing flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
After that, cut in the room-temperature butter until you have a crumbly streusel. Set aside.
P.S.: If you'd like to add a layer of streusel in between the cake as I did in my Maple Pecan Coffee Cake, double the streusel and add some in!
Make the pumpkin cake batter:
Start by whisking together the oat milk and apple cier vinegar to form a "vegan buttermilk". Then, whisk in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cane sugar, melted vegan butter, and vanilla until combined.
Next, add the dry ingredients, including the all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Use a spatula and mix until you have a thick orange batter with no dry spots of flour remaining.
Layer & bake:
Line an 8-by-8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray the sides lightly with oil. Then, pour in the pumpkin cake batter. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly in the pan.
After that, sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter in chunks.
Bake the vegan pumpkin cake at 350F for about 40 minutes.
Top with icing, slice, & serve!
Let the pumpkin coffee cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Once cooled, drizzle the pumpkin spice icing over the top. Slice into 9 large squares, serve, and enjoy!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I bake the coffee cake in a different pan?
You can bake this dairy-free pumpkin coffee cake in a circular 9-inch pan for similar results.
You can also double and bake the cake in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Please keep in mind that baking time may vary slightly in a different pan, so I recommend checking on your cake at the 30-minute mark.
How do I store this vegan pumpkin coffee cake?
Once completely cooled, the pumpkin cake can be sliced and stored in a closed container at room temperature for about 48 hours.
It can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but this method of storing will dry the cake out over time.
My preferred method is storing it in the freezer. The cake can be sliced and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just let it defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying!
You are going to love this moist & decadent Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake! With a perfectly sweet cake, buttery streusel topping, and spiced icing- it's truly the best dessert to enjoy this Autumn!
-TSG
More pumpkin desserts you will love:
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Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 5 Tablespoons vegan butter room temperature
Pumpkin Cake:
- ¾ cup oat milk or soy milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup brown sugar
- â…“ cup sugar
- â…“ cup melted vegan butter or olive oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Pumpkin Spice Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 Tablespoon oat milk or soy milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line an 8*8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. You can also lightly grease the sides of the pan with coconut oil or vegan butter.
Make the streusel:
- Add the flour, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice to a small bowl and whisk together. Then, add the room-temperature vegan butter and cut it into the dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture that holds together. You can also pulse everything together in a food processor.
- Set aside the streusel for later.
Make the pumpkin cake:
- Add the oat milk and apple cider vinegar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together and let sit for about 2 minutes until the milk curdles to create a vegan buttermilk.
- Then, mix in the remaining wet ingredients, including the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, melted vegan butter, and vanilla bean paste.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, starting with the all-purpose flour and pouring the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on top.
- Gently whisk into the wet ingredients until you have a thick batter. I recommend using a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed.
Layer & bake:
- Add the pumpkin cake batter to the parchment-lined pan and use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Then, sprinkle the streusel on top.
- Add the pumpkin coffee cake to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until cooked through.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove it and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Add icing & serve!
- Once the cake has cooled, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and oat milk until you have a smooth icing.
- Then, drizzle the icing over the coffee cake.
- Slice the cake into 9 large squares, serve, & enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for recipe tips & substitution ideas.
- Cooled cake can be sliced and stored in a closed container at room temperature for about 48 hours.
- It can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but this method of storing will dry the cake out over time.
- My preferred method is storing it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just defrost at room temperature before enjoying!
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