This vegan pumpkin spice latte cake is an incredibly soft and moist pumpkin spice cake, soaked with coffee and frosted with a creamy coffee cream cheese frosting with pumpkin spice dusted on top. It’s super soft and packed with cosy autumnal spices and flavours, paired with an indulgent frosting. Vegan, no-egg, no-dairy and you’d never know!
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
I’ve been craving all things cosy recently, and i’ve wanted to make this cake for months, and the time has finally arrived! Pumpkin spice is everywhere at the moment, in supermarkets, coffee shops and i wanted to make a pumpkin spice recipe which is not only delicious but easy to make, perfect for those cosy bake days! It starts with a simple, one bowl pumpkin spice cake, which contains real pumpkin puree for the most amazing flavour and moist texture. The cake is then prepped with a milky coffee soak, which gets poured over the cake so it soaks in creating a delicious ‘tres leches’ inspired texture, less wet! The cake has an incredible coffee cream cheese frosting on top which melts in your mouth and perfectly compliments the warm spices of the cake. The flavour combined make this cake truly a centrepiece of autumn / fall! You’ll love it!
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Check out my: Vegan Pumpkin Spice Tiramisu, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake, Mini Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecakes and Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- All the cosy autumn flavours in every bite – pumpkin, warming spices and coffee come together perfectly.
- Vegan – this recipe doesn’t contain any animal derived ingredients!
- Incredibly moist thanks to a delicious coffee condensed milk soak.
- Topped with a super smooth, rich and creamy coffee cream cheese frosting for the perfect finish.
- The ultimate upgrade to a pumpkin spice latte – but in sheet cake form.
- Packed with warming pumpkin spice and deep coffee flavour without being overly sweet.
- Three delicious elements in every bite: spiced pumpkin cake, coffee soak and coffee cream cheese frosting.
- Perfect for autumn baking, cosy afternoons and sharing with friends and family.
Pumpkin spice latte cake FAQ
- How is this pumpkin spice latte cake vegan? We use alternatives like dairy-free butter, dairy-free condensed milk and dairy-free cream cheese. The cake is egg-free, using soya milk and apple cider vinegar is the egg replacer.
- Can I use homemade pumpkin purée? Absolutely. Homemade pumpkin purée works amazingly. You just want to make sure it isn’t too watery, as any excess moisture can heavily affect the texture of the cake.
- What coffee should I use? A ground instant espresso or strong instant coffee works really well. You want a strong coffee flavour that can stand up to the pumpkin and spices. I use Kenco Americano.
- Can I make this cake without the coffee? Yes, you can, but you’ll lose the signature “latte” flavour. If you don’t want the caffeine, you can simply use decaffeinate coffee instead. Alternatively, you can leave the coffee out of the cake and frosting for a classic vegan pumpkin spice cake instead.
- Can I make the cake ahead of time? Yes! The cake can be baked the day before, cooled fully then wrapped in clingfilm / plastic wrap and stored in an air-tight / sealed container. This keeps the cake super moist, ready for decorating the next day.
- How long will it keep? Stored covered in the fridge, the finished cake should keep well for around 3–4 days. The flavours can actually become even more delicious as the cake sits.
- Can I make this gluten-free? You can try swapping the plain flour for a good-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Choose one that is designed for baking and contains a binder such as xanthan gum.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
Print
Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Indulge in a Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake that is soft, moist, and topped with creamy coffee frosting and spices.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the cake
- 250ml of dairy-free milk (soya milk works best)
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree
- 100g of caster sugar
- 250g of self raising flour
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of all spice
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 70ml of sunflower oil
Ingredients for the cake soak
- 2 teaspoons of instant ground coffee / espresso
- 60g of vegan condensed milk
- 40ml of dairy-free milk
- 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice
Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting
- 220g of vegan butter – softened
- 220g of dairy-free cream cheese – cold
- 260g of icing / powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
- 2 teaspoons of instant ground coffee
+
- Smooth Biscoff spread (filling)
- Pumpkin pie spice (for dusting)
Instructions
Method (Cake)
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC fan and line an 8 x 8 inch square cake tin with greaseproof paper. Allow the paper to hang over the tin slightly, this makes it easier to remove the cake when baked.
- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’. Add in the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the sugar, flour, ground spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tin. Level it out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula.
- Place the cake into the middle of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know it is done when you put a knife or skewer down the middle of the cake and it comes out clean and it’s springy to the touch. If batter comes off on the skewer, it needs more time to bake. To prevent burning, top the cake with some greaseproof paper then return back into the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool fully before filling and frosting. You can even place the cake in a sealed container once cool then frost the day after. It’s a very light sponge so be careful with it when removing from the tin.
Method (cake soak)
- While the cake cools, make the cake soak by mixing together the instant coffee, condensed milk, milk and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl until combined, then pour into something which you can easily pour it over the cake.
- When the cake has completely cooled, poke holes in the top of the cake using a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon (the size of the holes and how much filling depends on how large the holes are.
- Slowly pour the cake soak mixture on top of the cake, so that it runs into the poke holes and soaks into the cake.
- Transfer smooth Biscoff spread into a piping bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the Biscoff spread into the poke holes, be as generous as you like.
Method (cream cheese frosting)
- In a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment or in a bowl with an electric hand whisk, add in the soft butter and cold cream cheese, whisk on high speed for around 5 minutes – 8 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Gradually add in the icing / powdered sugar along with the vanilla and ground coffee. Whip until it’s thick and fluffy. If its too thick, add in some more chunks of cream cheese, too soft, add in more icing sugar to get it to the perfect creamy consistency.
- Spoon the frosting on top of the cold cake (make sure its fully cold as any heat from the cake will instantly melt the frosting). Spread out using an off set spatula or the back of a spoon. Make swirls in the frosting for decoration.
- Melt some Biscoff spread so it’s runnier in consistency, spoon the melted Biscoff spread to the top of the cake (refer to video for example), and swirl around.
- Lastly, finish with a dusting of pumpkin spice.
- Slice the cake into squares using a sharp knife.
Notes
To store: Store the cake in an air tight / sealed container in the fridge. Leave the cake at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for a moist cake. Best eaten within 2-3 days of making.
What vegan butter do you use? My go-tos are Flora Unsalted Plant Butter and Naturli Vegan Block.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
