Make the most of apple season with this delicious vegan apple gingerbread cake! It is a sweet, soft, sticky, spicy and incredibly moreish ginger cake filled with chunks of juicy apples and crunchy pecans. It is so easy to make and is the perfect Autumn snack cake.
This rich ginger, apple and pecan cake is the perfect treat to enjoy with a cuppa on a chilly day. It has all the classic gingerbread flavours of treacle, ginger and cinnamon, paired with tangy, juicy apples and pecans for a bit of crunchy texture.
It is made in one bowl with simple ingredients and is just the kind of hearty, warming cake that you want to snack on when it is cold out. It would also be amazing served warm with custard for pudding!
Ingredient Details:
Apples: I prefer to use an eating variety rather than cooking apples so that they hold their shape. Any tart, crisp apples will work, I used Granny Smith. You could also swap the apples for pears if you like!
Treacle: I use black treacle but molasses will also work.
Golden Syrup: If you weren't already aware then golden syrup is vegan friendly! Lyle's is the most well known brand, but supermarket own is absolutely fine and is what I use. See below for details.
Spices: A mixture of ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg creates that classic gingerbread flavour. Feel free to add in ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves as well, and if you like a strong ginger flavour then you can add an extra teaspoon of ground ginger.
Vegan butter: You ideally need to use a block butter/margarine to make this cake, not the spreadable kind in a tub.
Milk: You can use any kind you like but it should ideally be unsweetened and soy milk is best as it has the highest protein content.
Sugar: I prefer to use light brown soft but dark brown is fine too.
Self-raising flour: Self raising (self-rising) flour is best here but if you can't get hold of it you could try adding 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder to plain flour instead (note I haven't tested this).
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): This reacts with the acidity of the treacle to make the cake rise.
Pecans: These are optional but add great flavour and texture. Walnuts work really well instead.
How To Make Apple Gingerbread Cake:
(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
- Step 1: Whisk together the melted butter, treacle and golden syrup then whisk in the sugar and milk.
- Step 2: Whisk in the spices and bicarbonate of soda, followed by the flour.
- Step 3: Fold in about ¾ of the chopped apples and pecans.
- Step 4: Scrape the batter into a lined 20cm square cake tin.
- Step 5: Scatter over the rest of the apples and press them into the batter, scatter over the rest of the pecans.
- Step 6: Bake for 40-45 minutes.
Top Tips:
USE SCALES. As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scales rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
For the teaspoon and Tablespoon measurements, please use proper measuring spoons, not just regular spoons. A teaspoon is 5ml and a Tablespoon is 15ml.
For the best results, please weigh out the golden syrup and treacle (and everything else for that matter!). I really can't stress enough how much better baking by weight rather than volume is!
Make sure that you don't over-beat the batter as that can make the cake tough. Just mix it until no dry lumps remain. I recommend stirring it by hand with a balloon whisk.
If you want a smaller cake then a half batch of the recipe works well in a 2lb loaf tin.
FAQ's:
The apple gingerbread cake will keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature for around 2-3 days or in the fridge for 4.
Yes, any leftover cake can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Allow to defrost at room temperature. The texture may become slightly more damp due to moisture releasing from the apples.
Golden syrup is a very common baking ingredient in the UK; it has a buttery caramel flavour and the texture of honey, but is vegan friendly. It can be tricky to get hold of elsewhere, though apparently lots of stores in the US have it in the foreign foods section or you can get in online. You can also try making your own!
There isn't really a good substitute for it as it is very unique, but if you aren't able to get hold of any and don't want to make your own then you can try swapping it for light molasses, agave or maple syrup instead.
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Apple Gingerbread Cake (vegan)
Equipment
- 20 cm/8 in square cake tin
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large apples (I use Granny Smith)
- 100 g (1 cup) pecans or walnuts
- 85 g (6 Tablespoons) vegan block butter melted
- 85 g (¼ cup) black treacle (or molasses)
- 85 g (¼ cup) golden syrup
- 85 g (6 ½ Tablespoons) light brown soft sugar
- 160 g (⅔ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 230 g (2 cups minus 1 ½ Tablespoons) self-raising flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160℃ fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a deep 20 cm (8 in) square cake tin with baking paper, making sure that you leave some overhanging on either side so that you can easily lift the cake out later.
- Peel, core and dice the apples. Roughly chop the pecans. Set aside.2 medium-large apples (I use Granny Smith), 100 g (1 cup) pecans or walnuts
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, treacle and golden syrup then whisk in the brown sugar and milk.85 g (6 Tablespoons) vegan block butter, 85 g (¼ cup) black treacle (or molasses), 85 g (¼ cup) golden syrup, 85 g (6 ½ Tablespoons) light brown soft sugar, 160 g (⅔ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- Whisk in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and bicarbonate of soda then add the self-raising flour and gently stir with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain.2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 230 g (2 cups minus 1 ½ Tablespoons) self-raising flour
- Gently fold in about ¾ of the chopped apples and pecans.
- Scrape the batter into the lined tin and spread it level. Dot over the remaining apples and press the pieces into the batter. Scatter over the rest of the pecans.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then use the overhanging baking paper to carefully lift it out of the tin onto a wire cooling rack. Leave to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details, storage instructions and step-by-step photos.
- All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- Tablespoon and teaspoon measurements are for proper measuring spoons, NOT regular kitchen spoons. A Tablespoon is 15ml and a teaspoon is 5ml and they should be level, not heaped.
If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess
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