A moist Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake with a thick pumpkin spice and sugar layer, and a spiced crumble topping. You’ll fall in love with this fall treat with every bite.
We’re not big cake people, but a coffee cake is a whole other discussion. Coffee cakes are perfectly dense and moist with just the right level of sweetness from the gooey sugar layer. Named because it’s perfect alongside a cup of coffee, this Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake is also great with some tea or on its own!
Despite it’s name, coffee cake doesn’t actually include coffee. At least not the coffee cake popular in North America. What we know as coffee cake today most likely has German roots. The introduction of coffee in Europe inspired a cake that was a great compliment while drinking a cup of hot coffee. These recipes were then brought to America where they eventually evolved to the coffee cake we know today.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Just as the name suggests, it’s perfect alongside with warm beverage.
- Moist and dense with a spiced sugar filling.
- Super simple to make with a handful of ingredients.
Top tips for making Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake:
- Use a scale. When baking we always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out the ingredients where you can. Weight is the best way to ensure you bake a successful cake. If you don’t have a scale, we recommend using a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup for the most accurate measurement. DO NOT press the flour into the measuring cup.
- Use your favourite pumpkin puree. This cake is only as good as your ingredients. Be sure you’re using a super flavourful pumpkin puree or make your own!
- Season to taste. We have measurements for all the spices based on the flavour amount we like best. You can stick with our recommendations, in fact we promise you it’s delicious. But if you know you like more nutmeg than cinnamon, feel free to adjust accordingly.
- Don’t overmix. Like most baked goods, overmixing the batter can result in a tough cake that doesn’t have a very nice texture.
- Allow the cake to cool before slicing. Like most cakes it’s best to let the cake cool completely before slicing so you get a nice clean cut.
Ingredient Notes:
- Vegan Butter – We like to use the Becel Plant Based Sticks for baking where we can. Keep in mind that if you use another brand you may have different results.
- Pumpkin Puree – We use the ED Smith brand of pumpkin puree. Keep in mind that every brand is different with different moisture levels so your coffee cake results may vary depending on the brand of pumpkin puree you use.
- Vegan Yogurt – We love using the Maison Riviera Vegan Yogurt as it’s fairly neutral in flavour and the texture is most like dairy yogurt.
- Seasonings – We use our own blend of seasonings, but you ca replace them all with a pumpkin spice blend if you prefer.
Recipe FAQ:
How do you store a coffee cake?
If you have leftovers or made this a day before you’re serving it, we recommend storing in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store in the fridge for up to five days, but we prefer room temperature.
Can you freeze vegan coffee cake?
Yes coffee cake freezes well! Just be sure to wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then store in an air tight container.
How to make Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake:
Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Pumpkin Cake
- 113 g (½ cup) vegan butter
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 116 g (½ cup) vegan plain yogurt
- 120 g (½ cup) pumpkin puree
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) sparkling water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 180 g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
Crumble Topping
- 56 g (¼ cup) vegan butter
- 60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 100 g (½ cup) brown sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves
Sugar Layer
- (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a square baking pan with non-stick spray and a strip of parchment paper to make removing the cake after baking easier.
- Cream together vegan butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer for 5-6 minutes.
- Add vegan yogurt, pumpkin puree, and carbonated water – mix until combined. The mixture will look broken and not emulsified, that's okay! Add vanilla extract and fold in.
- Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl make the crumble topping by combining vegan butter, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and spices with a fork. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly and looks like wet sand. Set aside.
- In another small bowl make the brown sugar layer by combining granulated sugar and spices. Set aside.
- Spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan, making sure its evenly spread from edge to edge.
- Sprinkle over the sugar-spice layer mixture from edge to edge.
- Top with remaining batter and carefully spread in an even layer.
- Top with crumble mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top.
- Let the cake cool about 15 minutes before attempting to remove from the pan. Use the parchment paper to help lift it out of the pan and onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.
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