Vegan apple bundt cake – easy to make, moist and lightly spiced, this vegan apple cake is sure to be a hit. Made with both fresh apples and applesauce for the best apple flavour.
As soon as we got to September I started craving apple cake something fierce. It didn’t take long for me to give in to my cravings and bake this delicious spiced vegan apple bundt cake.
It is a very simple cake, but no the less satisfying for it. I used part wholemeal flour to give it a more wholesome texture, and unsweetened applesauce replaces the eggs; giving the cake a lovely soft, moist texture.
You can either use shop bought applesauce or follow my instructions below to make your own – it’s really easy!
This vegan apple bundt cake is lightly spiced, but not so much that it overpowers the flavour of the apples. I used bramley cooking apples to make the applesauce, and folded chopped braeburn apples through the cake; you can use whatever kind of eating apple you prefer however.
I topped the cake with a drizzle of coconut caramel sauce; mostly for the photos if I’m honest. In reality I don’t think that it needs anything more than a sprinkle of icing sugar to finish it off. I have provided the caramel recipe below however if you decide that you want to make it.
If you do make the caramel, don’t pour it over the cake until just before serving as after a while the cake will soak it up and become soft.
How To Make Unsweetened Applesauce:
If you aren’t in the United States then shop bought applesauce can be hard to find. You can sometimes find it in health shops and it is available on Amazon; but it is also really easy to make your own.
To make it, peel, core and dice three large bramley apples and place in a pan with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 80ml water. Bring up to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the apples are soft and have broken down. If it is too dry you can add a splash more water but be careful not to add too much, the applesauce should be very thick.
Once soft, use a potato masher or stick blender to process the apples to a puree. Allow to cool before using and store any leftovers in the fridge.
You will probably have a bit more applesauce than you need for the vegan apple bundt cake. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge and can be added to cakes, pancakes, porridge or yogurt. (And loads more things too!).
How To Make Vegan Apple Bundt Cake:
Start by whisking together applesauce, sunflower oil, sugar and vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whick together plain and wholemeal flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Toss diced apples with a tablespoon of flour and set aside.
Sift the dry ingredients into the wet and fold in until well combined. The batter should be quite thick. Fold in the diced apples.
Scrape the batter into a well greased 10 cup bundt tin and bake for around 45-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
It is important that you leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least an hour as it is delicate when warm and could split if it is turned out too early.
More Autumnal Vegan Cake Recipes:
Vegan sweet potato bread with pecan streusel
Vegan orange and almond cake with chocolate buttercream
Vegan Apple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Apple Bundt Cake:
- 540 g (2 1/4 cups) unsweetened applesauce (see recipe above)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) sunflower oil
- 150 g (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) wholemeal flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 3 medium eating apples (I used braeburn) peeled, cored and diced
- 1 Tbsp plain flour
Coconut Caramel:
- 150 g (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp) full fat coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp vegan spread
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Vegan Apple Bundt Cake:
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Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Thoroughly grease a 10 cup bundt tin with melted margarine; making sure to get in all of the details.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the applesauce, sunflower oil, light brown sugar, caster sugar and vanilla extract.
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In a separate bowl whisk together the plain flour, wholemeal flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
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Toss the diced apples with the Tbsp of flour and set aside.
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Tip the dry ingredients into the wet and fold together gently until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the apples.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt tin and spread level. Bake for 45-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
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Place the tin on a wire rack and leave the cake to cool in the tin for about an hour and a half. the cake is delicate when warm so if you turn it out too early it may split.
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Carefully flip the cooled cake out onto a wire rack.
Coconut Caramel:
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Place the sugar and coconut milk in a saucepan over a medium heat; bring up to a simmer and allow to bubble away for about 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until reduced and thickened.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the vegan spread, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. The caramel will continue to thicken as it cools. Store the caramel in the fridge and re-heat as needed.
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When you are ready to serve the cake, gently re-heat the caramel and pour it over the cake, or serve on the side. Don't add the caramel until just before serving as after a while the cake will soak it up and become soft.
Recipe Notes
If you don't have a bundt tin, the cake can also be baked in a 23cm square tin.
You can use shop-bought unsweetened applesauce or make your own using the recipe above.
Can I use organic brown sugar instead?
Hi Meryl, yes that would be fine.