Vegan Pumpkin Sheet Cake
This Vegan Pumpkin Cake recipe is the perfect mix of moist, fluffy, and spiced. Top with vegan cream cheese frosting for the ultimate fall dessert.
Incoming BOLD but TRUE statement: This vegan pumpkin cake is one of the BEST cakes I’ve ever made! Oh my gosh. It’s moist, fluffy, the texture is on point and it is filled with a delicious spiced flavour! If you want to make a cake but you’re intimidated by layered cakes or other kinds, THIS is the cake for you.
It’s SO easy to make, comes together beautifully, and is topped with the perfect companion: a vegan cream cheese frosting! The cake is delicious by itself but with the frosting? Some responses I got:
“Can I get two more slices please?” – my husband
“Wow this is FABULOUS! 😍” – my mom
“Is this really vegan???” – one of my girlfriends
Needless to say, this cake and frosting have my loved ones talking, and it’ll have yours too.
Looking for more pumpkin desserts? Don’t miss my pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin cheesecake.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cake Recipe
- Fluffy & moist. One thing I tested for a lot while making this vegan sheet cake was getting a balance between height, fluffiness and moisture. I was able to find a great balance by using half oil half vegan milk for moisture and fluffiness, and baking powder for a nice amount of height that didn’t affect flavour.
- Pairs well with cream cheese frosting. You can enjoy this pumpkin sheet cake unfrosted but it goes SO well with my vegan cream cheese frosting. A thick layer on top makes this cake absolutely irresistible.
- Perfect for Thanksgiving. This pumpkin cake makes an easy Thanksgiving dessert. It’s like a much easier version of a pumpkin roll, with all the flavour and none of the work. Plus you can easily make it a day in advance.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for measurements.
- All purpose flour – You can also use a gluten free flour mix to make this cake gluten free.
- Baking powder & baking soda – Leavening agents to help the cake rise in the oven.
- Fine sea salt – Helps to enhance the other flavours and balance the sweetness.
- Spices – Cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice give this cake the classic warm pumpkin flavour.
- Pumpkin puree – Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sugar – I used cane sugar but brown sugar, coconut sugar, and other granulated sugars will work too.
- Oil – Any neutral oil you prefer will work.
- Milk – Any vegan milk of choice.
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Pumpkin Sheet Cake
This vegan pumpkin cake comes together in a few simple steps. Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Make the batter. Sift the dry ingredients together. Beat the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, vanilla, and milk for at least 3 minutes until fully incorporated. Add half of the dry ingredients, mix for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other half.
- Transfer to the pan. Pour the batter into a sheet pan that’s floured and greased or lined with parchment paper. Smooth out the top with a spatula and tap on the counter to remove air bubbles.
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Frost. Allow the cake to cool then frost with vegan cream cheese frosting as desired. Chill in the fridge to allow the frosting to set then slice and enjoy.
What pan size should I use?
So even though this is a “sheet cake” the pan I used is technically a quarter sheet pan. Why? Because it’s a pan most of us already have (9 x 13), and it has the same ease of making a whole cake in one pan. It’s fluffy, makes a great size, and produces a height that would be much higher than if all of this were spread over an entire sheet cake.
Tips for Success
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you make this pumpkin cake recipe.
- Don’t change the pan size. Sometimes I see readers have difficulties with recipes and find out they’ve changed the pan size. Baking times and quantities are done based on specific pans and changing that will affect how long a recipe will take to cook. This could result in a cake that doesn’t cook through, or that cooks too quickly and dries out. If you don’t have this size pan, you can adjust but at your own risk. If you use a wider pan, use less time; and for a smaller pan, it’ll take a similar or longer time.
- Avoid overmixing. As you add the dry ingredients, mix for no more than 3 minutes total to avoid a dense and potentially dry cake.
- Don’t change the ingredients. More oil might make this marshy and less will definitely negatively affect the texture. I suggest not making substitutions. If you’re looking for a cake that’s maybe smaller or can handle substitutions I would suggest my pumpkin mug cake. You can of course make this gluten-free!
- Let the cake cool fully if you plan to add frosting! It’s so tempting I know, to add it to it warm (which you CAN if you want!) but it’ll melt your frosting, no matter the kind, almost immediately.
Proper Storage
- Fridge. Pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated until serving. Cover the pan tightly with foil. I actually prefer eating it chilled anyway. It will last for 3 to 4 days.
- Counter. Unfrosted pumpkin sheet cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, covered tightly.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this Vegan Pumpkin Sheet Cake, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Pumpkin Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, (240g) or gluten free flour mix
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 can of pumpkin puree, 15 oz. (425g)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar, (300g) I use cane sugar, you can use brown sugar or coconut sugar or other kind of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup oil, (100g) any neutral oil
- 1/2 cup milk, (120mL) any vegan milk works
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Prepare a 9×13 sheet pan (with sides) by greasing & flouring or lining with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer in a larger bowl, add the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil vanilla extract and milk. Mix together for at least 3 minutes on medium speed until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and mixed together.
- Add half the dry ingredients in, mixed for about 30 seconds on medium, then add the other half, mixing for another 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix for about no more than 2 more minutes on medium speed until everything is fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into your sheet pan. Using your spatula, smooth out the top, and tap the tap twice on a counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the centre is fully cooked through.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool fully in the pan on a wire rack before adding the frosting.
- Spread as much or as little vegan cream cheese frosting as you'd like on the full sheet cake. Place in your fridge for the frosting to fully thicken up. Slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips & FAQ for the best Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Don’t change the pan size. Sometimes I see readers have difficulties with recipes and find out they’ve changed the pan size. Baking times and quantities are done based on specific pans and changing that will affect how long a recipe will take to cook. This could result in a cake that doesn’t cook through, or that cooks too quickly and dries out. If you don’t have this size pan, you can adjust but at your own risk. If you use a wider pan, use less time; and for a smaller pan, it’ll take a similar or longer time.
- Don’t change the ingredients. More oil might make this marshy and less will definitely negatively affect the texture. I suggest not making substitutions. If you’re looking for a cake that’s maybe smaller or can handle substitutions I would suggest my pumpkin mug cake. You can of course make this gluten-free!
- Let the cake cool fully if you plan to add frosting! It’s so tempting I know, to add it to it warm (which you CAN if you want!) but it’ll melt your frosting, no matter the kind, almost immediately. This tastes INCREDIBLE with my vegan cream cheese frosting!
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This was sooo good and easy to make. It was moist and every one in my family tore it up! Cannot wait to make it again!
Hi Mercedes,
Aww yay thank you so much for letting me know!!
This cake was so easy to make and it made my kitchen smell like pumpkin spice. So yummy and fluffy! I made the cream cheese frosting the night before, but unfortunately I only had 2 cups of powdered sugar, so my frosting was not as fluffy and thick. The frosting stayed firm for a bit, but then got soft and runny, but it still tasted good! Now I know for the future to get an extra bag of powdered sugar lol! Will definitely be making this again!
My family made this last weekend and it is absolutely delicious! We added chocolate chips (yum) and you MUST pair it with Jessica’s Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting – the flavor combination is heaven! Make this now, you won’t regret it! A great way to welcome the fall season ❤️
Awesome Jessica and William we’re so happy that you and your family were able to enjoy it.
Easy to make and the results tasted fancy! It was decadent but not too filling, sweet but not overpowering, fluffy like a pillow of pumpkin love! Will definitely make again, probably for family or friends to show off.
Thanks so much Andrea. It means so much that you like it!
This recipe made me post my first recipe review ever! Amazingly fluffy and delicious cake. I made a vegan vanilla icing and it was perfect! Next time, I’ll add some crushed walnuts/pecans I think. Thanks a lot!
I’m SO happy to hear that Alex!! Thank you so so much!!
Can I use regular table salt instead of fine sea salt? How much table salt should I use?
Hi Erica,
You can! Since it’s such a small quantity you should be able to do equal amounts. I hope this helps!
This is hands down the best pumpkin cake I’ve ever made. My friends & family won’t stop asking me to make it (and they can’t even tell it’s vegan!) Such a good fall bake!
So happy to read this Zoe! Thanks so much for leaving this nice comment.
Um… YUM! I’m so happy to have come across this DEE-LICIOUS recipe! SUPER MOIST & FLUFFY… wow… melt in your mouth. The spice is oh so very nice. Thank you for such a simple, but SO FLAVORFUL cake. Chefs Kiss!
This was a hit with the grown-ups at my daughter’s birthday party. It turned out great. The only variation from the recipe was using homemade pumpkin pie spice following Sally’s Baking Addiction’s recipe.
Thanks so much Jessica! We’re happy that it was a hit. I love that modification.
I am so making this for my Halloween party this weekend! Thanks!
Awesome! We hope you enjoy.