Description
This ridiculously easy pumpkin spice latte cake is the most soft and MOIST pumpkin cake soaked in an irresistibly sweet espresso pumpkin spice syrup- it literally tastes like a pumpkin spice latte in cake form! Topped with the silkiest espresso ‘cream cheese’ frosting, you don’t even need any eggs nor dairy to make this cake- yep, it’s all vegan, and you’d never know!
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin cake:
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour*
- 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 can (425 g) pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (57 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Espresso soak:
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan heavy cream or cashew cream
- 1/4 cup (60 g) vegan sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Espresso cream cheese frosting:
- 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- any remaining espresso soak
Instructions
- Please read through all instructions before beginning.
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper, and grease the edges. Measure out all ingredients for the pumpkin cake. For the buttermilk, follow the instructions to mix together the dairy free milk and apple cider vinegar, then set aside to curdle for 5-10 minutes.
- Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, brown sugar, melted vegan butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Add in the pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Then add in flour, along with the vegan buttermilk, and gently whisk the flour into the wet until there are just no more dry clumps (be careful not to over-mix the batter).
- Bake the pumpkin cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place the pumpkin cake pan into the oven to bake for 27-32 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow the bars to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before making the cream cheese frosting.
- While the cake is cooling: Whisk together the espresso soak ingredients until combined. Set aside.
- Soak the cake: Once the cake has been transferred to a cooling rack, poke many holes in the top of the cake with a fork or skewer. Pour the vegan espresso soak on top and brush to fill any crevices of the cake. Let the cake continue cooling and the espresso soak will soak into the cake. You don’t have to pour all of it in, as you can save 2-3 tbsp for the frosting.
- Make the vegan cream cheese frosting: Once the pumpkin cake is completely cool, you can begin to make the vegan cream cheese frosting. Start by creaming together the vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in a large bowl, using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Add in the powdered sugar in 1 cup increments, mixing as you go. Once the powdered sugar is fully incorporated, mix until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Then add in the instant espresso powder and any remaining espresso soak to the frosting. Mix until incorporated.
- Frost the pumpkin bars: Spoon the frosting onto the tops of the pumpkin cake. Spread it evenly until it reaches the edges of the cake. Slice and serve.
- Storage: Store any leftover slices in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 2 months in the freezer.
Notes
See blog post for all tips & tricks!