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A slice of easy vegan apple cake sits on a plate.
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Vegan Apple Cake

This easy apple cake recipe is made with minimal, easy-to-find ingredients, and delivers a cake that's beautiful, easy, and delicious! Serve it with chocolate frosting or any of your favorite frosting recipes.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12 slices
Calories 330kcal
Author Marly McMillen

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups peeled chopped apples (about 2 large apples, cut into 1/2-inch chunks, or smaller)
  • Topping Ideas: Powdered sugar, Vegan Butterscotch, or Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (see notes)
Cups - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray a 9x13 cake pan with vegetable spray.
  • Combine in a large mixing bowl the flour, sugar, salt, spices, and baking soda. Stir to combine.
    A hand pours a bowl of spices into a mixing bowl with four, sugar, and other ingredients.
  • In a smaller bowl, combine the vegetable oil, water, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
    A hand holds a spatula, stirring a mixture of water, applesauce, and other ingredients.
  • Pour the water mixture into the flour mixture.
    Wet ingredients are being poured into a bowl with dry ingredients to make cake batter.
  • First, stir with a spatula.
    A hand holds a spatula, stirring cake batter in a bowl.
  • Then stir with a whisk to remove large clumps of flour.
    A hand holds a whisk stirring cake batter in a bowl.
  • Fold in the chopped apples. Learn more about preparing apples for apple cake (and pies).
    Chopped apples are being stirred into a cake batter.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
    Cake batter with apple bits is being poured into a 9x13 cake pan.
  • Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Right before serving, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar or top with brown sugar frosting (see recipe below).
  • Topping Ideas: Powdered sugar, Vegan Butterscotch, Vegan Caramel, or Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Notes

Top with powdered sugar or any of these frostings:

Brown Sugar Frosting

  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup plant-based milk or creamer
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cook the vegan butter, brown sugar and plant-based milk (or creamer) in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the butter melts. Then stop stirring and let it come to a boil. Once boiling, let it continue boiling for 1 minute. Then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for another minute. Whisk in the powdered sugar and then remove from heat. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle it over the warm cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 382mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg