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    Recipes » Recipes » Baking & Desserts

    Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Loaf Cake

    Last updated - July 11, 2021; Published - November 7, 2020 By Rhian Williams 6 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    A collage of two gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake photos

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Loaf Cake is moist, fluffy and covered in a rich "cream cheese" frosting. It comes together in one bowl and is refined sugar free too. Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

    A sliced gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds

    How to make this recipe

    Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

    • Mix together all the ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

    Tip: Make sure to use a measuring jug to measure out the exact amount of plant-based milk!

    Raw gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake batter in a bowl
    • Transfer the batter to a one-pound loaf tin.

    Tip: Make sure to line the loaf tin with greased baking paper - this will make removing the bread from the tin so much easier!

    Raw gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake batter in a loaf tin lined with baking paper
    • Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
    A gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake in a loaf tin lined with baking paper
    • Remove from the loaf tin and leave to cool on a cooling rack before frosting.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake on a wire rack
    • Use a knife (or palette knife for frosting) to spread the frosting over the top of the loaf.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting on a wire rack
    • Decorate with chopped dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, if desired.
    A loaf of gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds on a wire rack

    Substitutions you can make

    • You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
    • You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
    • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup, date syrup etc.
    • You can replace the ground almonds with ground walnuts.
    • For a nut-free version: replace the ground almonds with ground sunflower seeds, use a nut-free plant-based milk and use a coconut cream-based cream cheese frosting instead.
    • You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.
    • You can use either shop-bought pumpkin purée or make our own.
    • The pumpkin purée can be replaced with sweet potato or butternut squash purée.
    • The mixed spice (pumpkin pie spice) and ginger can be omitted.

    Ingredients you can add to the cake batter

    • Chocolate chips. 
    • Dried cranberries.
    • Chopped pecan nuts.

    How long does this Pumpkin Loaf Cake keep for?

    This Pumpkin Loaf Cake tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

    A loaf of gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting with two slices next to it

    More gluten-free vegan loaf cakes

    • Carrot Bread
    • Orange Drizzle Cake
    • Fruit Cake
    • Orange Pound Cake
    • Lemon Bread
    • Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Watch how to make this recipe

    A sliced gluten-free vegan pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese frosting, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds

    Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Loaf Cake

    This Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Loaf Cake is moist, fluffy and covered in a rich "cream cheese" frosting. It comes together in one bowl and is refined sugar free too.
    4.56 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten-free pumpkin cake, vegan pumpkin cake, vegan pumpkin dessert
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 10 slices
    Calories: 327kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    For the cake:

    • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
    • 150 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 225 g (1 cup) pumpkin purée
    • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar * (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch salt
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
    • 4 teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
    • 2 teaspoons mixed spice to taste (pumpkin pie spice, or a mixture of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon)
    • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

    For the frosting***:

    • 100 g (⅔ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
    • 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 3 tablespoons lemon juice

    To decorate (optional):

    • Dried cranberries , roughly chopped
    • Pumpkin seeds

    Instructions

    For the cake:

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if not using any other oil).
    • Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the pumpkin purée, vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
.
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice and ground ginger.
    • Mix well, adding a splash more milk if looking too dry.
    • Transfer the mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
    • Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    • Once out the oven, leave to cool on a wire rack before applying the frosting.

    For the frosting:

    • Drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and lemon juice.
    • Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.

    To frost and decorate the cake:

    • Use a knife (or palette knife) to spread frosting over the top of the loaf.
    • Decorate with chopped dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, if desired.
    • Tastes best when fresh, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

    Video

    Notes

    *The acidity of the vinegar reacts with the alkali bicarbonate of soda to make the bread fluffy. If you can’t get hold of vinegar, substitute it with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
    **You can alternatively use almond flour.
    ***You can alternatively use this coconut cream-based cream cheese frosting.
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan Pumpkin Loaf Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 327 Calories from Fat 171
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 19g29%
    Saturated Fat 7g35%
    Sodium 53mg2%
    Potassium 342mg10%
    Carbohydrates 38g13%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 19g21%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 3502IU70%
    Vitamin C 3mg4%
    Calcium 170mg17%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

    More Baking & Dessert Recipes

    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-Free)
    • Gluten-Free Vegan Churros (Baked!)
    • 35 Vegan Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes (Gluten-Free)
    • Vegan Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)
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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Joanne

      November 12, 2020 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        November 12, 2020 at 11:07 pm

        Thank you so much!

    2. Teena Hagan

      November 30, 2020 at 2:52 am

      5 stars
      Made these with the kids. They turned out so good. Kids loved them. We made muffins out of them.

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        November 30, 2020 at 9:05 pm

        Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!

    3. Kim

      October 21, 2022 at 2:22 pm

      What can I replace the almond flour with?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        October 22, 2022 at 1:25 am

        Ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds!

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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