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Pumpkin Bundt Cake is all about fall! Spicy, sweet, filled with apples, pecans, and dripping with a Medjool date caramel topping. This recipe is plant-based, and dairy and egg-free. Enjoy this pumpkin bundt cake for breakfast or on a lazy afternoon with a cup of coffee. This seasonal cake is perfect to take and share. Trust me, it’s that good!
Raise your hand if you sometimes like a little something sweet for breakfast! (Raising my hand…) Notice, I said a *little* something sweet. Because this pumpkin bundt cake is not overly sweet, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or to enjoy with your afternoon coffee. Bursting with pumpkin, apple, and caramel goodness; it hits the spot.
For some other great seasonal breakfast or brunch ideas, try my Puff Pastry Apple Cranberry Strudel or Pumpkin Spice Cressent Rolls.
And if you are just looking for more pumpkin yummy sweets, try:
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie with Cashew Creme
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake with (Vegan) Cream Cheese Filling
- Pumpkin Muffins with Pecans
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – Just Like Grandma’s
Tips and Tricks for Making the Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce Recipe
Please read through this section for some helpful tips and tricks so that your pumpkin bundt cake will turn out as tasty as mine!
- Have the apples peeled, chopped, and ready to go. This recipe calls for two apples and I always use two different kinds for flavor variety – usually a Granny Smith and then a sweeter red or yellow apple. Peel and chop the apples into small bite-sized pieces.
Use two different variety of apples for depth of flavor. I used a Granny Smith and Golden Delicious in this recipe.
The Medjool Date Caramel Sauce
While the cake is cooking, you will have time to make the Medjool date caramel sauce. Medjool dates make a thick plant-based caramel sauce. Try my Coconut Date Syrup poured on top of a thick stack of Banana Nut Pancakes.
Not familiar with Medjool dates yet? You are in for a yummy surprise! Read 13 Surprising Facts About Medjool Dates )and How to Cook with Them).
- Use 18 pitted Medjool dates. Soak the pitted dates in hot water for about 30 minutes while the cake is cooking. Simply drain and blend in a high-speed blender along with almond milk, vanilla, and a little salt.
- Here is a trick I use to get the caramel sauce to look “drizzled” and not glopped on: I put it in a pastry bag and simply squeeze it out where I want it to go.
Use a pastry bag to drizzle the caramel date sauce on top. - Top with chopped pecans and some golden sugar sprinkles for fun and this cake is ready to go! This pumpkin bundt cake is best warmed up and delicious served with a cup of coffee or hot tea.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE OIL:
Many of my recipes are oil-free, yet this pumpkin bundt cake recipe does contain oil. Honestly, the taste and texture of this cake are better when made with a little oil. When I make this cake to take and share with others, I want it to be the tastiest it can be. Vegan food can already feel like foreign territory to people who don’t eat this way. I want my friends talking about how awesome my plant-based food is and asking for the recipe.
If you want to make it oil-free, then sub in your favorite fruit puree. I suggest unsweetened apple sauce for this cake. It will be moist and delicious!
Some Items I found helpful when making this recipe:
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Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chopped Apples
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can solid pumpkin NOT premixed pumpkin pie filling
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 2/3 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (see recipe note)
Other Cake Ingredients
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped I use 2 different kinds for variety
- 1/2 cup pecans
Date- Caramel Sauce
- 18 Medjool dates pitted and soaked in hot water
- 1 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Bundt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° and grease and flour bundt pan. Set aside.
- Peel and chop apples into small pieces and fold into cake along with pecans.
- Mix all wet and dry ingredients together in separate bowls
- Add dry ingredients at once to wet ingredients and mix together using a mixer for about 4 minutes or until smooth.
- Put in 350° oven for about an hour or until sides are pulling away.
- Take out of oven and allow to cool slightly before turning onto serving plate.
Date-Caramel Sauce
- While the cake is cooking you can prepare the date-caramel sauce. Pit 18 Medjool dates and soak in very hot water for about 30 minutes or until very soft and almost mushy.
- Drain water and put into a high-speed blender along with almond milk, vanilla, and sea salt.
- Blend on high for about 3 minutes until all in smooth and fully incorporated into a "caramel sauce".
- Put caramel sauce in a pastry bag to artfully drizzle on top of cake. Add pecans to garnish and a chunky sugar if desired. I found a pretty gold sugar by Wilton.
- Best served warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Wendy Klik says
I guess I’m really vegan ignorant. Is vegetable oil not plant based. I do use olive oil when cooking for my friends who are vegan. Is that a no no? Oh, and your cake looks luscious, by the way.
Cindy Rainey says
Hi – I’m glad you asked the question! Oil is definitely vegan. I consider myself a whole food plant based vegan and this is where it gets a little tricky. The terms “plant-based” and “vegan” have one very huge thing in common: they both exclude animal products. There are differences though. For example, most vegans will not eat honey whereas plant-based eaters might. Vegan is more of a lifestyle which includes the food choices but also includes not wearing or purchasing or participating in events that use animals; while plant-based eaters might use animal products or participate in animal-use events. Plant-based eaters limit, as much as possible, processed foods that a vegan-eater might find acceptable. A great example of this would be potato chips -vs- a baked potato. A potato chip would be okay with a vegan but not a plant-based eater – they would eat a baked potato instead. So oil, which is considered to be totally processed and stripped of it’s useful plant properties would not be as acceptable to a whole-food plant-based eater. Recipes on this blog are both vegan and plant-based. Any time there are exceptions I point it out and allow the user to decide it if fits within their eating philosophy. Hope this answered the question. Again, thanks for asking and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Sue Lau says
Looks wonderful dripping with caramel. I think October should be called caramel month. Paired with pumpkin, it’s the best!
Cindy Rainey says
Thanks! Caramel is tricky if you are trying to go vegan. You can do a caramel with coconut cream (which I’m working on), but this is a wonderful no fat and natural sweetener (the dates) alternative.
Karen says
Fabulous way to combine two fall favorites. Sounds amazing.
Cindy Rainey says
I hope you enjoy!
Caroline says
This looks like such a delicious mix, especially with that caramel on top! I am a big fan of baking with dates, and apple and pumpkin are always good too.
Cindy Rainey says
Thanks! It seemed like the perfect fall trifecta!
Lynda Hardy says
Oh yum – I am so interested in trying this, especially the date caramel!
Cindy Rainey says
I hope you enjoy it!
Barrie Mooney says
I love the medjool dates sauce- looks so good!
Charlotte long says
It takes longer then 1 hour that’s for sure I have in the oven so far from 140 minutes
Cindy Rainey says
Wow that is really shocking! I’ve never had any baked good cook for over two hours at 350°. I hope it turns out for you and I would definitely get an oven thermometer to check your oven just in case. I’m so sorry it’s failed for you:( This is really a delicious cake.