This incredible vegan apple cake is stirred in one bowl and uses just a few ingredients. It is soft, moist, sweet, and full of apples.
This vegan apple cake proves that you don't always need butter and eggs to bake something amazing! I came to bake this recipe because I wanted to bake this Healthy Apple Cake, but I only had one egg. Definitely not enough to bake that or any of my usual apple cakes.
So, I thought I'd try something new: an eggless apple cake. And because I wanted to go the whole way and make it vegan, I used some nut milk instead of regular. I didn't have to worry about the butter. I love using oil in baking, and I have many cake recipes using oil instead of butter up my sleeve. See these amazing Apple Muffins with Oil, for instance. They are our favorite fall muffins.
This recipe is so simple that you can stir it in minutes. The “most difficult” part is peeling and chopping the apples. 🙂 It's a super recipe to bake with children as well! It's really good and easy. I've baked it three times during the past three or four weeks.
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Recipe ingredients
Dry ingredients: Flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. For a spicy apple cake, add not only cinnamon but also ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Delicious!
- You could replace the white sugar (all or just half of it) with light brown sugar; this would slightly change the cake's flavor.
Wet ingredients: I choose nut milk, but I usually use almond or oat milk. I also add one teaspoon of cider vinegar and one teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Sunflower or canola oil is a neutral-tasting oil.
Apples: Preferably a firm, sweet-sour sort like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gala, Braeburn, or similar.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make a vegan apple cake?
- Preparations: Preheat the oven and line the baking pan with parchment paper.
- Step #1: Peel the apples and cut them into cubes. Mix well with 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice so that they don't get brown. Set aside.
- Step #2: Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
- Step #3: Mix nut milk, vinegar, vanilla, and oil in a small jug or bowl. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Step #4: Fold in the apples. And anything else that you would like to add (see Tips).
- Step #5: Pour the batter into the prepared springform.
- Step #6: Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let rest in the tin for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Tips
Use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to weigh the dry ingredients, especially the flour. Sugar is rather easy, but measuring flour in a cup is always tricky.
You don't necessarily need an electric mixer to stir the ingredients; a simple whisk will be just fine, and there's not much stirring involved.
You could add about ½ cup chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or even chocolate chips to the vegan apple cake. Fold them in together with the fruit.
How to serve?
I was talking about letting the cake cool on a wire rack before serving, but you can also serve it lukewarm. If serving warm, I like to have some ice cream on top (choose a vegan sort to keep this vegan).
When serving the vegan apple cake at room temperature, sprinkle it with some powdered sugar. For a more decadent version, serve it with the vegan coconut cream from this Vegan Coconut Cream Brownie Recipe.
How to store it?
It keeps well for several days. You can keep it for about 2 days on the counter, in a container, or wrapped well. When stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for about 4-5 days.
You can also freeze the leftovers, wrapped well and in airtight containers, for up to 3 months.
Vegan Apple Cake
Equipment
- springform about 9.5 inches/ 24 cm; a little smaller or larger is fine.
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples a total weight of about 1.7 lbs/ 750 g
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour 300 g
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup sugar 150 g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon Note
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil sunflower, canola, 100 ml
- 1 cup nut milk almond, oats, soy, 240 ml
- 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Line a springform with parchment paper.
- Peel and cube the apples. Mix them with lemon juice to stop them from browning and set aside.4 medium apples / 1.7 lbs/ 750 g + 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Dry ingredients: Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.2½ cups all-purpose flour/ 300 g + 3 teaspoons baking powder + ¾ cup sugar/ 150 g + 1 teaspoon cinnamon + pinch of salt
- Wet ingredients: Mix oil, nut milk, vinegar, and vanilla in a small jug or bowl.⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons neutral-tasting oil/ 100 ml + 1 cup nut milk/ 240 ml + 1 teaspoon cider vinegar + 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Combine: Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. Carefully fold in the apples (and nuts or chocolate chips, if desired).
- Bake cake: Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool: Let rest in the springform for about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
- Serve: Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. The cake can be served lukewarm or at room temperature. See above for serving suggestions.powdered sugar
Notes
- Measurements: Use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to weigh the dry ingredients, especially the flour.
- You could add more spices, such as ½ teaspoon allspice, ¼ ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg.
- You could also add about ½ cup chopped walnuts/hazelnuts/almonds or even some chocolate chips.
Janene says
Wonderful healthy apple cake! Thank you for sharing.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback; I am glad you liked the cake.