Vegan apple cake - this simple, rustic cake is easy to make in just one bowl and is utterly delicious. Moist, lightly spiced and packed full of juicy apples it is the perfect cake for snacking; or try it warm with custard for pudding!
I had been craving apple cake since as soon as the weather started to turn colder, and this vegan apple cake recipe has been a little while in the making.
I always thoroughly test my recipes before I am happy to post them and I must have tried about ten different variations of apple cake before I was finally happy this time!
The good news is that my apple cake cravings have been fully satisfied after all that testing and this vegan apple cake is The One!
It is a soft, moist, lightly spiced cake with a crunchy sugar topping and plenty of juicy apples. It is the kind of simple, rustic cake that it is impossible to just have one slice of!
Some vegan yogurt and ground almonds in the batter keep the texture of the cake wonderfully soft, moist and tender. I went pretty heavy on the apples, this is an apple cake after all, and the cake itself is not overly sweet; meaning that you could even eat it for breakfast...
In addition to breakfast, afternoon tea or snacking on, this vegan apple cake is also amazing served warm for pudding, with a scoopful of ice cream or plenty of custard.
How To Make Vegan Apple Cake:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
Start by greasing a deep 20cm/8 inch round cake tin and line it with baking parchment. It needs to be at least 8cm / 3 inches deep to avoid overflow.
Peel and core your apples and chop them into 1-1.5cm dice. Set aside while you make the batter.
In a large bowl whisk together plain flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt until no lumps remain.
Add unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy is best for baking), non-dairy yogurt (I used plain soy), sunflower oil (another neutral oil is fine) and lemon juice and whisk gently until no dry lumps remain.
Add the diced apples and fold them through.
Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and spread it level. Scatter some demarera sugar over the top to create a nice crunchy topping and bake the cake for about 1 hour 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then very carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. It is very delicate when it is warm so be careful with it. Once the cake is cool store it in an airtight container for up to five days.
What Kind Of Apples Should I Use?:
In short, use whatever kind you like! I prefer a sharper tasting apple so that more flavour comes through but it doesn't really matter too much. I used half Granny Smith and half Braeburn apples for this cake.
Top Tips:
As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale 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!
The tin you use should be at least 8 cm / 3 inches deep to avoid the cake overflowing.
Some ground almonds in the batter give this cake a lovely texture, but if you want to make it nut free then you can swap them for an equal weight of plain flour instead.
Don't overmix the batter as that can activate the gluten in the flour and make the cake tough. Only mix until no dry lumps remain. I recommend mixing by hand with a balloon whisk rather than using an electric mixer.
This is a delicate cake, especially when it is warm. All those juicy chunks of apple make it quite fragile so I really recommend using a springform or loose bottomed cake tin so that you can remove the cake from the tin without having to flip it out and risk it breaking.
Don't turn the cake out of the tin too early or you risk it breaking. Let it cool in the tin for 20 minutes before you turn it out to give it a chance to settle.
Use the toothpick test to check when the cake is ready - if a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean then the cake is done. You may need to try it in a few spots to avoid apple chunks.
Ways To Adapt This Vegan Apple Cake:
Try adding a couple of handfuls of raisins along with the apple.
Chuck in a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped nuts.
Add a streusel topping instead of the demarera sugar.
Add some chopped crystallised or stem ginger and up the ground ginger to 1 ½ tsp.
More Autumnal Vegan Cakes:
Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars
Vegan beetroot chocolate cake with chocolate avocado frosting
Vegan pumpkin cake with cinnamon buttercream and maple pecans
Sweet potato bread with pecan streusel
Orange and almond cake with chocolate buttercream
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Vegan Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 4 medium eating apples (about 450g unprepared weight) (I used a mix of braeburn and granny smith)
- 250 g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 100 g (½ cup + 1 Tbsp) light brown soft sugar
- 80 g (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp) caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 60 g (½ cup) ground almonds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 80 g (⅓ cup) non-dairy yogurt (I use soy)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) sunflower oil (or another neutral oil)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 heaped Tbsp demarera sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a deep 20cm/8 inch round cake tin and line it with baking parchment.
- Peel and core the apples and chop into 1-1.5cm dice. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt until no lumps remain.
- Add the milk, yogurt, oil and lemon juice and whisk gently until no dry lumps remain. Add the apples and fold through.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and spread it level. Scatter the demarera sugar over the top and bake for about 1 hour 20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then very carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. It is very delicate when it is warm so be careful with it. Once the cake is cool store in an airtight container.
Notes
- As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale 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!
- The tin you use should be at least 8 cm / 3 inches deep to avoid the cake overflowing.
- The yogurt can be swapped for unsweetened applesauce.
- The ground almonds in the batter give this cake a lovely texture, but if you want to make it nut free then you can swap them for an equal weight of plain flour instead.
- Don’t overmix the batter as that can activate the gluten in the flour and make the cake tough. Only mix until no dry lumps remain. I recommend mixing by hand with a balloon whisk rather than using an electric mixer.
- This is a delicate cake, especially when it is warm. All those juicy chunks of apple make it quite fragile so I really recommend using a springform or loose bottomed cake tin so that you can remove the cake from the tin without having to flip it out and risk it breaking.
- Don’t turn the cake out of the tin too early or you risk it breaking. Let it cool in the tin for 20 minutes before you turn it out to give it a chance to settle.
- Use the toothpick test to check when the cake is ready – if a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean then the cake is done. You may need to try it in a few spots to avoid apple chunks.
Sherry
Can I use applesauce in place if the oil?? Can’t wait to make this cake it has great reviews!!
Hannah
Hi Sherry, I personally wouldn't, I think that it may make the texture gummy. I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure though.
Denise Kurtz
Can you use a 9” round cake pan instead of the 8” (so it doesn’t overflow)?
Hannah
Hi Denise, you can but the cake will be quite thin and will probably bake a bit quicker.