This single-layer cake is a fabulous alternative to your traditional pumpkin pie for the holidays. Topped with a lush, vegan, cream cheese frosting, this pumpkin cake is bound to be a crowd-pleaser!

I’ve been wanting to make this cake for AGES, and I’m so glad that I finally did. If you’ve had the pumpkin cream cheese muffins from Starbucks (it’s been over a decade for me), this is kinda like that but better! I’m an absolute sucker for cream cheese frosting, and the last time I made a dessert with it was my chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, so it’s been entirely too long.

I love the idea of having this cake instead of pumpkin pie because one: it’s just better, two: I feel like it’s also easier to make! The cake itself is a one-bowl recipe, and the frosting doesn’t need to be piped or perfect, so it’s low-pressure. Now, for a little decoration, I air-fried some sugar-coated apple slices to make some very crispy apple chips. But, sugared cranberries or even persimmon slices would also be a great seasonal addition to the top of this cake.

Substitutions + Tips:

• All-purpose flour – If you’d like this cake to have more of a bread texture use 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour.
• Cane sugar – you can use coconut sugar instead for a lower-sugar option, but the flavor will be more subdued.
• Pumpkin pie spice – if you don’t have a premade spice mix, you can make your own pumpkin spice.
• Ground turmeric – this is for a touch of color, and teeny bit of zest, but is totally optional.
• Pumpkin puree – I used plain, canned pumpkin puree for this.
• Olive oil – if you’d like an oil-free cake, substitute this oil with cold water.
• Apple cider vinegar – this is to activate the baking soda as leavening, you can also use white vinegar if you don’t have it on hand.
• Molasses – if this is missing from your pantry, substitute the cane sugar in the recipe with dark brown sugar.
• Vegan cream cheese – I use Tofutti because it has a nice firm texture that holds up for a frosting, even when not totally chilled. Other brands can sometimes be too soft or too savory in flavor.
• Vegan butter – you can also use vegetable shortening for a more solid frosting that stands up to warmer rooms, just taste the frosting and see if you’d like to add more salt to compensate.
• Powdered sugar – make sure to sift this, as the clumps in the frosting will be such a pain in the butt to whip out, if you don’t!
• Cake garnish – as mentioned before, I made apple chips to go on top of this, but sugared cranberries or persimmon slices with pomegranate seeds could be equally as good.

For more pumpkin recipes:

• Pumpkin Pie on the Rocks
• Pecan Pumpkin Pastries with Maple Glaze
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast