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This moist and delicious Vegan Apple Cake is the best way to enjoy those sweet and juicy fall produce! A delightfully spiced cake crammed with crisp apple chunks that you can make using one bowl in just 45 minutes. Enjoy it as a sweet afternoon snack with your favorite hot drink or as a dessert with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top.

finished Vegan Apple Cake with a slice placed on a plate with apples in the background

We simply can’t get enough of anything with apples and cinnamon! How can someone resist the call of these two amazing fall ingredients combined in one amazing dish or dessert? We have shared some amazing ways to enjoy this fall favorite so far. Like the Crispy Apple Chips, Apple Cinnamon Bread, and Vegan Apple Cinnamon Waffles. This vegan Apple Cake is actually one of my old recipes that has been here for ages. We felt that this classic recipe deserves an upgrade with more information and new pictures added to it.

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Homemade Vegan Apple Cake

This from-scratch recipe for a dairy-free and eggless Apple Cake is super easy and simple to make! It just requires adding and mixing the ingredients in a bowl then baking it until it turns golden and crisp on top. With its rustic charm and warm fall flavors, everyone will want to have a slice of this heavenly cake. Once you’ve had a taste, you will never want to go back to those ready-mixes in a box.

Apple Cake Vegan

What You’ll Need

Wet Ingredients:

  • Canola oil – Use any neutral oil that you have. It will give the cake a better texture and will keep it moist for days!
  • Applesauce – replaces butter to make this cake dairy-free.
  • Plant-based milk – If you are buying one, choose soy, oat, and almond because they are the best dairy-free milk for baking. However, you can use whatever milk you have on hand.
  • Vanilla – will give the cake a lovely floral tone and aroma.
  • Flax meal – mix it in 3 tablespoons of warm water to make a thick and gelatinous mixture that will help bind all the ingredients together.

Dry Ingredients:

  • Sugar – You can use white granulated sugar or brown sugar for this recipe. Aside from its sweetness, sugar also helps in making the cake moist and soft.
  • All-purpose flour – great for making tender yet sturdy cakes. You can use a gluten-free flour brand 1:1.
  • Cinnamon and nutmeg – these warm and earthy spices will give the batter that unmistakable autumn pizzazz!
  • Baking powder
  • Salt – Enhances the sweetness of the apples and the flavors of the spices without leaving a salty trace.
  • Apples – though you can use any type of apple for this recipe, some types bake better than others. Honey Crisp, Cortland, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin are some of the best apples to consider if you plan to buy them for this recipe.
  • Powdered sugar – this is optional. Dust on top of the cake before serving.
Vegan Apple Cake Ingredients measured out against a white marble surface

How to Make Vegan Apple Cake

Preparations:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Lightly grease an 8-inch pan with oil.
  • Peel and dice the apples.
  • Make the flax egg by mixing the flax meal in 3 tablespoons of water until thick.
  • Make sure that the plant milk and applesauce are at room temperature.

Steps:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients plus sugar briskly until the mixture is consistent.
  • Add the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix until there are no dry lumps visible before folding the apples in.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!

Tips when making Vegan Apple Cake

  1. The key to a perfectly baked cake is to measure your ingredients correctly. When measuring in cups, do not use them to scoop the dry ingredients directly. Instead, use a spoon to transfer the dry goods into the measuring cups. Then run the spoon’s handle on top to level it out.
  2. Do not overmix your batter, or you will end up with a tough and dense cake. Don’t worry if you see a few lumps.
  3. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer at the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is done. Take note that your baking time depends on the size of the pan and the type of oven used.
  4. You can also make this using a loaf, square, or Bundt pan. You can also make individual-sized muffins with this recipe by using a muffin pan. Make sure to grease them properly before pouring the batter.
  5. Always let the cake rest on the pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. If you try to remove the cake early, it might fall apart.

Add-on ideas!

Aside from dusting with powdered sugar, you can add more goodies and garnishes to keep your vegan apple cake fun and festive!

  • Add some nuts and dried berries to give the cake more texture and flavor! Pecans, almonds, walnuts, raisins, or dried cranberries are great options.
  • Serve with whipped cream, vegan yogurt or vegan ice cream on top!
  • Drizzle it with vanilla sugar glaze and top with some Peanut Butter Spiders to make a great Halloween special cake!
finished apple cake with two apples and measuring tools against a white background

Can I freeze Apple Cake?

This cake is freezer-friendly so you can make a batch and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and serve cold the day after. Or reheat in the oven if prefer them warm.

How to store leftovers?

You can keep the cake at room temperature for a day. There are still slices remaining after, you can refrigerate them and keep them fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More Apple treats to make here!

  • Stuffed Baked Apples– These are an amazing option for a festive and warm treat! Full of diverse toppings, spices, and flavors, you can easily have a tasty treat that everyone can enjoy!
  • Apple Granola Topped Goodness– is so easy to put together and you can mix and match toppings easily to your liking! It’s a classic, simple, and incredibly tasty snack!
  • Breakfast Quinoa Apple Bowl– This filling and fruit-packed bowl is full of yummy flavors like cinnamon and apples! The raisins add a bit of natural sweetener, while the brown sugar takes it up a notch.

If you want to check out even more apple recipes, here’s a round up of 26 Amazing Apple Recipes that you need to try!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Vegan Apple Cake

4.86 from 62 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 wedges
This moist and delicious Vegan Apple Cake is the best way to enjoy those sweet and juicy fall produce! A delightfully spiced cake crammed with crisp apple chunks that you can make using one bowl in just 45 minutes. Enjoy is as a sweet afternoon snack with your favorite hot drink or as a dessert with a scoop of vegan ice cream on top.   

Ingredients 

  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • â…“ cup of canola oil
  • ¼ cup of applesauce
  • 3 tablespoons of plant-based milk
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon flax meal, plus 3 tablespoons of warm water
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon of cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 apples peeled and diced
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch pan with oil.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, oil, applesauce, plant-based milk, vanilla, flax meal, and water. Whisk briskly until all ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is consistent.
  • Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Stir until just combined. Fold in chopped apples.
  • Spread mixture into baking pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cake is pulling away from sides and a fork comes out clean.
  • Serve with powdered sugar, warm or cool.

Video

Notes

  • The key to a perfectly baked cake is to measure your ingredients correctly. When measuring in cups, do not use them to scoop the dry ingredients directly. Instead, use a spoon to transfer the dry goods into the measuring cups. Then run the spoon’s handle on top to level it out.
  • Do not overmix your batter, or you will end up with a tough and dense cake. Don’t worry if you see a few lumps.
  • Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer at the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is done. Take note that your baking time depends on the size of the pan and the type of oven used.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 2gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 207mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 2gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Honor
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Method: Oven
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Honor

Loves baking, gardening and preparing delicious, compassionate meals for her vegan family of four.

More about Honor

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Comments

  1. So delicious! I used what I had on hand: one apple and one pear. Then 1/2 cup all purpose wheat and 1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour. Refined coconut oil for the fat, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, added 1/2 cup pecans. It’s so moist from the fruit it almost tastes like a pudding. I had to bake it 50 min before a bamboo skewer came out clean.

  2. 5 stars
    So good!! I try to not eat a lot of oil so I changed recipe to use 1/4 cup canola and 1/3 cup applesauce. Also I had some Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1to 1 baking flour and used that instead of reg flour. The replacements worked great. Such good flavor and consistency. Next time I’ll even replace more of the oil with applesauce and I’ll report back.

    1. We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried out almond flour yet so can’t guarantee the results. Let us know how it turns out if you do!

  3. Questions: Could I make this cake oil free by substituting more applesauce? And can this be make gluten free by using 1:1 gluten free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill?

    Thanks in advance!

    1. You can sub in gluten free flour if you’d like. We haven’t tried out subbing in more apple sauce to make the cake oil free though. Please let us know how it turns out if you give it a go!

  4. I have never seen Flax meal in my country. What could I use instead. And we have smooth and chunky apple sauce in the supermarkets … what would be best?

    1. If you are able to access chia seeds, they work similarly as flaxseeds as an egg substitute. You could also use unsweetened applesauce. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

    1. We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried that out yet but I don’t see why not 🙂 Let us know how it turns out!

    1. Hi Tina! Hi! We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried out that sub yet so can’t guarantee the results but if you try it out, please let us know how it comes out! 🙂

    1. Hi! We at Plant-Based on a Budget haven’t tried out that sub yet so can’t guarantee the results but if you try it out, please let us know how it comes out! 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    Thank you, I made this cake yesterday and it was absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it. I used spelt flour and coconut sugar and it turned out perfectly.

  6. 5 stars
    Hello! I was craving a juicy vegan apple cake and this one really delivers! I followed the recipe exactly (using coconut sugar and spelt flour). Very easy! I added a handful of raisins to the batter, and sprinkled chopped walnuts on top. It turned out great! Firm yet tender crumb, just sweet enough, with lovely warm spices and yummy pops of Fuji apple. I will definitely make this again. Thank you, Honor and Toni! 💖 Franny