Easy Vegan Apple Cake

vegan apple cake on a plate with vegan ice cream on top and bits of crumble around it

This easy vegan apple cake recipe is filled with hints of cinnamon, bits of fresh apples, and a delicious cinnamon streusel topping! Made in one bowl and no mixer required!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Bake Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 276

Author Gabby Kislanko

Equipment

8" or 9" round cake pan
Mixing Bowl
Whisk

Ingredients

Vegan Apple Cake

1⅓ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
½ cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp white vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 cup vegan milk of choice
⅓ cup oil
1 ½ cup chopped apples (you can leave the peel on) (roughly 1 ½ apples)

Cinnamon Streusel

2½ tbsp granulated sugar
2½ tbsp light brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 tbsp vegan butter, softened
1 tsp ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pan, or an 8x8 square baking pan. (8 inch pan will make a thicker cake!) Spray the inside with cooking spray, then cut a round (or square if using a square pan) piece of parchment paper so that it fits in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Add the white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Pour milk into the cup until it reaches 1 cup (you’ll have one cup of liquid, total, so you'll need just under 1 cup of vegan milk). Let it sit until it looks curdled (this is your vegan buttermilk!).
Chop apple into small cubes, roughly 0.5”, then measure out 1 ½ cups, and set it aside. Prepare cinnamon streusel by combining butter, sugars, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mash with a fork/crumble with your hands. Set it aside.
In a large bowl, add flour, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
Pour the oil, vegan buttermilk, and vanilla extract into the bowl of the dry ingredients and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Fold the apples into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, then crumble the cinnamon streusel on top of the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If using an 8 inch cake pan, the cake will take 5-15 minutes longer to bake.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing it. Because it has a light crumb, you have to be careful that it doesn't break! Once cooled, run a butter knife around the outside of the cake a few times. Gently turn the cake upside down onto a plate, then repeat onto another plate so that the streusel is on top. Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream, vegan whipped cream, or enjoy as it!

Video

Notes

PLEASE NOTE: I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh your dry ingredients. Metric measurements are found above under the "Metric" tab.

APPLES: You can use any kind of apples! The best are Gala, Honey Crisp, Granny Smith. You can also use Fuji or Pink Lady. You can leave the peel on, as the pieces are small enough that you don’t notice it.

MEASURING FLOUR: Properly measure your flour using the scoop and level method or a kitchen scale. This is crucial as too much flour will lead to a dry loaf.

OIL: Any neutral oil will work here, like sunflower, canola, or vegetable oil. Oil helps with the fluffy texture of the cake. You can also use melted butter or unsweetened apple sauce, though the texture may be affected slightly.

It is important to note that any substitutions to the original recipe will slightly change the texture of the cake. This includes different sweeteners and flours.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

The apple cake can be stored covered for around 2-3 days at room temperature. If it’s very hot where you live, it should be stored in the fridge after 1 day because the apples will start to go bad (although note that putting the cake in the fridge will dry it out much faster!).

To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then repeat with aluminium foil. The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed at room temperature.

Nutrition