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Vegan Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
5 from 69 votes

Vegan Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The Vegan Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting combines warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg with whole wheat and all-purpose flour to create a moist, dense cake. Applesauce and grated apple, zucchini, and carrot add moisture and texture, while flax seed meal and water serve as egg replacers. A vegan cream cheese frosting complements the cake with a creamy finish.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 9 pieces
Calories: 194 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1.5 - 1.75 cups flour I use 3/4 cup spelt/whole wheat and 3/4 cup or more all purpose), see Notes for glutenfree
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar , or coconut sugar. (2 tbsp more for sweeter)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp cloves ground
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup dates or other dried fruit or cranberries, chopped
  • 3/4 cup applesauce I use lightly sweetened, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla , optional
  • 1/3 cup apple optional - Grate, lightly squeeze in a paper towel to remove exess moisture before using, grated
  • 1/3 cup carrot
  • 1/3 cup zucchini

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grease or line a cake pan or brownie pan(8 by 8 inch). Preheat the oven to 360 F (185 C)
  2. Mix the flax seed meal with water and set aside. In a large bowl combine 1.5 cups of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk well. Fold in the dates.
  3. Add the applesauce, flax seed mix, oil and vanilla if using. Mix to just about combine into a slightly stiff mixture. (Mix in grated apple if using). If batter is not stiff add flour 1 to 2 tbsp at a time and mix it. Transfer the batter in a prepared cake pan and spread it using a spatula.
  4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick from the enter comes out clean.( 20-22 mins for muffins, 45 to 50 mins for a loaf). 
  5. Cool the cake for 5 mins and then remove from the pan. Mix a tablespoon of maple syrup with 1 tsp of water and brush it all over the cake. Frost with frosting of choice once the cake is cooled.
  6. Optional Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting: Mix 6 oz vegan cream cheese(store bought or homemade, see homemade option in notes), a good pinch of salt and 1/4 cup maple syrup until smooth. Taste and adjust flavor, sweet with a tbsp of sugar if needed.
  7. To Store: Just the cake can be stored in a covered container on the counter for upto 2 days. With the frosting, it needs to be refrigerated if not getting consumed in a couple of hours. Refrigerate them separately for upto 4 days.

Notes

  • For a gluten-free version, blend rice flour, oat flour, almond flour, and potato starch; adjust flour amount as needed for batter consistency.
  • To make oil-free, replace oil with a combination of non-dairy milk and applesauce.
  • If substituting sugar with maple or date syrup, reduce applesauce quantity accordingly.
  • Homemade vegan cream cheese frosting can be made by blending soaked cashews with lemon juice, salt, and water until creamy.
  • Nutritional values correspond to one piece of cake.

Nutrition Information

Calories 194kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 6g (9%) Sodium 169mg (7%) Potassium 174mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 5IU (0%) Vitamin C 0.2mg (0%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 1.3mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9 pieces

Amount Per Serving

Calories 194

% Daily Value*

Calories 194kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 6g 9%
Sodium 169mg 7%
Potassium 174mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 5IU 0%
Vitamin C 0.2mg 0%
Calcium 53mg 5%
Iron 1.3mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.