Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

Indulge in this fluffy and moist vegan Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake infused with warm fall spices and the right amount of sweetness for the ultimate autumn treat.

This fall-inspired olive oil cake is incredible and one of my favorite desserts to make. It’s easy to put together and hits all the delicious flavors that can be enjoyed during the holiday season. So, if you’re craving something sweet and comforting, then this recipe was made with you in mind!

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake

• The right amount of sweet without overdoing it. Standard pumpkin cakes tend to be ultra sweet for me, however, this recipe has the perfect amount of sweetness that helps to enhance the flavor of the pumpkin.
• This cake is fluffy. The challenge with pumpkin is that it has a lot of moisture, and in traditional pumpkin cake recipes you will see more eggs being used to help support the cake better as a result. To keep this vegan, we are substituting the eggs for a combination of aquafaba, and dairy-free yogurt. The yogurt adds a hint of flavor while the starches in the aquafaba provide structure similar to eggs to help keep the cake light and fluffy.
• Moist and decadent, but with the whole grain advantage. The combination of pumpkin, and olive oil helps keep the cake moist. Even though we are using a whole grain flour in our batter, the techniques we use help to keep this cake light, and fluffy in texture while also lending more of its nutty flavor to the final cake.

Why Use Spelt Flour?

Spelt is a type of wheat and can be ground into spelt flour. Of the types of whole wheat flour available, this type of whole grain flour behaves the most like all-purpose flour, and adds a beautiful layer of flavor, and nutrition in comparison.

In general, we should always be aiming to consume more whole grains as they are a valuable source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. You can choose sprouted grains like One Degree Organics Sprouted Spelt Flour for even more nutritional benefits.

Sprouting whole grains like spelt helps to reduce the natural inhibitors within the grain that reduce our ability to absorb certain nutrients.

Ingredients

2 cups (260 g) One Degree Organics Sprouted Spelt Flour
1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup aquafaba
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (70 g) unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 g) cane sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz (227g) plant-based cream cheese, room temperature
3 tbsp (45g) plant-based butter, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a small bowl whisk together the soy milking apple cider vinegar to make a buttermilk mixture, and set aside.

To a large mixing bowl add the aquafaba. Using a handheld electric mixer, whip and aerate the aquafaba for about a minute until the mixture is uniformly foamy.

To the foamy mix add the olive oil, yogurt, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, and the buttermilk mixture and whip again with the mixer until completely smooth.

In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, pumpkin spice, clove, baking powder, baking soda and salt then whisk together to combine.

Pour the flour mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients and with a rubber spatula, fold the flour together to make a batter, making sure not to overmix. To do this, sweep the outside of the bowl, fold it over the flour then repeat on the opposite side of the bowl until no streaks of flour remain. It is okay if the batter isn’t perfectly smooth.

Pour the batter into a parchment lined 8-in x 8-in baking pan. Use the spatula to spread it evenly in the pan then tap the pan on the counter to level the batter. Place in the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling completely (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours).

While the cake cools, add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and use the hand mixer to whip together until very smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the maple syrup, pumpkin spice, salt and vanilla then whip again at medium high speed until smooth. Store in the fridge until you are ready to frost the cake.

When ready to serve, spoon the frosting on top of the cake then with an offset spatula spread the frosting evenly overtop. Cut into equal pieces and enjoy.

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