Vegan & Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

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Vegan & Gluten Free Pumpkin Cake with Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

NOTE: Chill a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge at least 1 night before you make this cake!

CAKE Ingredients (use organic when possible):

  • 3 TBSP mashed ripe banana (this is about ½ a banana, but it depends on the size of the banana)
  • 1/3 cup aquafaba (This is the liquid that you drain from a can of cooked chickpeas. Simply drain the chickpeas and instead of discarding the liquid down the drain, catch it in a bowl and measure out 1/3 cup. Put the chickpeas in a sealed container and put in the fridge to use for something else in the next 3 – 5 days).
  • 2/3 cup organic brown sugar
  • 3 TBSP 100% pure maple syrup
  • 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree (pure pumpkin in a can)
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 heaping tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 2/3 cup of water
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • ½ cup gluten free rolled oats (not instant)
  • ¾ cup + 2 TBSP gluten free flour blend (store bought or use the recipe below)

FROSTING Ingredients:

  • 1 14-ounce can of full fat coconut milk (Whole Foods 365 full fat brand works well) – put this in the refrigerator the night before (I always just keep a can of this in the fridge so I always have one chilled)
  • ½ cup organic powdered sugar (DIVIDED)
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 8 ounce contain vegan cream cheese (Trader Joe’s brand is great) – drain off excess liquid before using

CAKE Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F and line an 11 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper (allow the parchment paper to go over the sides.)
  2. Put your mixing bowl and the beater that you will use to make the frosting in the refrigerator or freezer (it needs to be cold when you make the frosting!) You want this bowl to be chilled for about 15 minutes before you make the frosting so now is the time to start that chilling process!
  3. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl.
  4. Add the aquafaba and whisk to combine.
  5. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, vanilla and pumpkin puree and whisk to combine.
  6. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice, and mix. Add water and whisk again.
  7. Add almond flour, gluten-free oats, and gluten0free flour blend, and stir until just combined (don’t overmix the flour). The batter will be thick but able to be poured. Taste and add more spices if you wish (try not to eat all of this batter because it is so delicious already!)
  8. Spread the batter into the parchment-lined baking pan and use a spatula to make sure it is even in the pan.
  9. At 25 minutes, check the doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake and seeing if it comes out dry. If it is still wet, put the cake back in the oven and bake and check with a toothpick at 5 minute increments until the cake is golden brown, and the top “springs back” when you touch it lightly. 40 minutes should be the max time for the cake to be baked.
  10. Take out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature before frosting it.

FROSTING Directions:

  1. Carefully remove the can of full fat coconut milk that has been chilling in the fridge and carefully open it. Don’t shake or tilt the can.
  2. Remove the mixing bowl and beater that you’ve been chilling.
  3. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and put in the bowl that you’ve been chilling. Put the liquid that is remaining in a jar and use it for a smoothie or something else that uses coconut milk (you don’t need this liquid for this recipe). NOTE that if your coconut milk didn’t harden, you may have a can that doesn’t have enough fat content. You can try to salvage it by adding 1 – 4 TBSP. of tapioca flour during the whipping process.
  4. Beat the hardened cream in the chilled mixing bowl for 30 seconds with a mixer (I use a Kitchen Aid) until creamy.
  5. Add vanilla and ¼ cup of the powdered sugar and mix until creamy & smooth – about 1 minute.
  6. Add the 8 oz. container of vegan cream cheese and beat to combine.
  7. Add another ¼ cup of powdered sugar (NOTE that you can taste this before adding this remaining ¼ cup of powdered sugar and if it is sweet enough for you, then you don’t need to add this extra sugar!). If you do add this extra powdered sugar, beat to combine.
  8. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator until the pumpkin cake is completely cool (otherwise, the heat will melt your frosting!)
  9. Once the cake is cool, frost it! You can frost it right in the pan, but if you want a nicer looking cake, carefully pull it out of the pan using the parchment paper that went over the sides to lift it out of the pan. Place on a serving platter and frost the top (and sides, if desired) of the cake.

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR Ingredients & Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the following ingredients and whisk until mixed well:

  • 1 ½ cups brown rice flour
  • ½ cup potato starch
  • ¼ cup white rice flour
  • ¼ cup tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp. xanthan gum (this is optional but acts as an extra binder since there is no gluten).

Once all dry ingredients are mixed, take out the amount needed for this cake, and pour the remaining flour into a glass jar (or sealed container) and store in the refrigerator. It should last a couple of months in the fridge.