Vegan Spiced Pumpkin Cake

Looking for an easy pumpkin cake recipe that’s both delicious and gentle on digestion? This cosy, spiced bake is soft, flavourful and perfect for sharing. Despite its indulgent taste and creamy cinnamon frosting, it’s naturally vegan, gluten-free and low FODMAP — making it a great gut-friendly choice without compromising on flavour.

Enjoy all the warmth of autumn baking in a dessert that feels comforting and nourishing. Low FODMAP tips are included below the recipe to help you adapt it to your needs.

Serves: 12 | Prep time: 40 mins | Baking time: 30–45 mins

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

• 300 g pumpkin purée
• 250 g gluten-free flour (for a low FODMAP version, use rice flour, corn flour, teff flour, or a blend of these)
• 200 g raw cane sugar
• 100 g white sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice – or ½ tsp ground nutmeg + ½ tsp ground ginger + ½ tsp ground cloves
• 80 ml rice milk
• 60 ml rapeseed oil or another neutral plant-based oil
• 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3–4 tbsp hot water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• Optional: 1 tsp grated bourbon vanilla

For the cinnamon buttercream

• 150 g icing sugar
• 100 g vegan butter
• 1 tbsp rice milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon

To decorate

• Cinnamon
• Crushed walnuts
  
  

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 24 cm cake tin with a little oil.
2. Add the gluten-free flour, raw cane sugar, white sugar, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and mixed spice to a mixing bowl. Add the vanilla if using.
3. Prepare the flax egg by mixing the ground flaxseed with hot water in a small bowl. Leave for 1 minute, then stir until it becomes slightly gel-like.
4. Add the pumpkin purée, rice milk, oil and flax egg to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the buttercream.
6. To make the buttercream, add the vegan butter, icing sugar and rice milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Start mixing slowly and gradually increase the speed. If the buttercream is too thick, add a little more rice milk, one drop at a time.
7. Add the cinnamon and mix briefly on a low speed until combined.
8. Once the cake has completely cooled, spread with the cinnamon buttercream and decorate with cinnamon and crushed walnuts.

Low FODMAP tip

Rice flour, corn flour and teff flour are all low FODMAP, so choose a gluten-free flour blend made from these ingredients.

Pumpkin purée is considered low FODMAP in portions of up to 75 g. This means you can enjoy up to ¼ of the cake per meal, as long as you are not combining it with other high-FODMAP foods.