Easy & Moist One-Bowl Vegan Apple Cake: Your Perfect Autumn Baking Recipe
Discover the ultimate vegan apple cake – a truly simple, rustic, and incredibly delicious creation that comes together effortlessly in just one bowl. This cake is wonderfully moist, delicately spiced, and bursting with generous chunks of juicy apples. It’s an ideal treat for an afternoon snack, a delightful coffee cake, or an indulgent dessert. Serve it warm with a dollop of vegan ice cream or a generous pour of creamy plant-based custard for an unforgettable pudding experience!
As soon as the crisp autumn air begins to roll in and the days shorten, my craving for apple cake becomes undeniable. This particular vegan apple cake recipe has been a labor of love, developed to perfection over several weeks. I believe in thoroughly testing every recipe to ensure it meets the highest standards before sharing it with you. This dedication meant trying out no less than ten different variations of vegan apple cake, each iteration bringing me closer to the ideal texture and flavor profile. After much experimentation, I can confidently say that these apple cake cravings have been more than satisfied – this vegan apple cake is truly “The One!”
What makes this cake so special? It’s a remarkably soft, incredibly moist, and gently spiced cake, crowned with a delightful crunchy sugar topping. Every slice is packed with an abundance of sweet and tangy apples, making it an irresistible, rustic bake. It’s the kind of comforting cake that makes it impossible to stop at just one slice, embodying the warmth and coziness of the autumn season.
The secret to its wonderfully soft, tender, and moist texture lies in the ingenious combination of vegan yogurt and finely ground almonds in the batter. These ingredients work harmoniously to create a rich crumb that is both delicate and satisfying. I intentionally went heavy on the apples because, after all, it’s an apple cake! The cake itself is also not overly sweet, striking a perfect balance that allows the natural sweetness and tartness of the apples to shine through. This thoughtful sweetness level even means you could justify enjoying a slice for breakfast, alongside your morning coffee or tea.
Beyond breakfast, this versatile vegan apple cake is also phenomenal for afternoon tea, a delightful snack any time of day, or as an impressive yet simple dessert. Serve it warm from the oven, perhaps with a generous scoop of your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream, or embrace classic comfort by pairing it with a rich, creamy plant-based custard. Its comforting qualities make it a perfect centerpiece for any gathering, big or small.
How To Bake the Perfect Vegan Apple Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this delicious vegan apple cake is a straightforward and enjoyable process. Follow these detailed steps to ensure a perfect bake every time. For precise measurements and a full list of ingredients, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below.
Pro Tip for Best Results: For consistently excellent baking outcomes, I strongly advocate for using metric measurements with a digital kitchen scale rather than imprecise cup conversions. Baking is a science, and accuracy is key to achieving the desired texture and flavor. While cup measurements are provided for convenience, metric grams will always yield the most reliable and delicious results.
Preparation is Key: Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. This ensures your oven is at the optimal temperature before the cake goes in. Next, prepare a deep 20cm/8-inch round cake tin. It’s crucial for the tin to be at least 8cm / 3 inches deep to prevent any overflow during baking. Lightly grease the tin, then line the bottom and sides with baking parchment. This step is vital for easy removal of the delicate cake later.
While your oven preheats, prepare your apples. Peel and core the apples, then chop them into uniform 1-1.5cm dice. Aim for consistent sizing to ensure even cooking and distribution throughout the cake. Set the diced apples aside as you move on to the batter.
Mixing the Dry Ingredients: In a generously sized mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients: plain (all-purpose) flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and a pinch of salt. Using a whisk, thoroughly combine these ingredients until no lumps remain. This ensures that all the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed, leading to a consistent rise and flavor throughout the cake.
Adding the Wet Ingredients: To the bowl of dry ingredients, add the unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy milk is often recommended for its protein content and excellent baking properties), non-dairy yogurt (plain soy yogurt works wonderfully for moisture), sunflower oil (or any other neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil), and fresh lemon juice. Whisk these wet ingredients gently into the dry mixture until just combined and no dry pockets of flour are visible. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake.
Now, gently fold in your prepared diced apples. Ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. The goal is to incorporate them without overworking the mixture.
Baking the Cake: Carefully transfer the apple-infused batter into your prepared cake tin. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly, ensuring a level surface. For that perfect crunchy, golden topping, generously scatter demarera sugar over the entire surface of the batter. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. The baking time can vary slightly depending on your oven, so check for doneness by inserting a skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, with no wet batter attached, your cake is ready.
Cooling and Storage: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven. Resist the urge to turn it out immediately! Allow the cake to cool in its tin for at least 20 minutes. This crucial cooling period allows the cake to set and firm up, as it can be quite delicate and fragile when warm due to the high apple content. After 20 minutes, carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Handling it gently is key. Once fully cooled, store your delicious vegan apple cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, ensuring its moisture and freshness are preserved.
Choosing the Right Apples for Your Vegan Apple Cake
The beauty of apple cake lies in its adaptability to various apple types. In short, feel free to use your favorite! However, if you’re looking to elevate the flavor, I recommend choosing apples that offer a slightly sharper or more complex taste. A tart apple will provide a wonderful counterpoint to the sweetness of the cake, allowing a richer apple flavor to truly shine through. For this recipe, I found a perfect balance using a mix of half Granny Smith apples (known for their crisp tartness) and half Braeburn apples (which offer a delightful sweet-tart flavor and firm texture). Other excellent choices include Honeycrisp for a sweet crunch, Fuji for balanced sweetness, or even Pink Lady for a vibrant tang. Experiment with different combinations to discover your personal favorite!
Expert Baking Tips for Your Best Vegan Apple Cake
Achieving baking perfection often comes down to a few key techniques. Here are my top tips to ensure your vegan apple cake turns out beautifully every single time:
- Precision in Measurement: As highlighted earlier, for all my baking recipes, I cannot stress enough the importance of using metric measurements with a digital kitchen scale over volumetric cup conversions. Cups are notoriously inconsistent and can lead to vastly different results depending on how ingredients are packed. A scale provides far superior accuracy and consistency, making your baking experience easier, less messy, and ultimately more successful.
- Choosing the Correct Tin: To prevent any unfortunate spills and ensure your cake bakes evenly, always use a cake tin that is at least 8 cm / 3 inches deep. This cake rises beautifully and is packed with apples, so adequate depth is essential.
- Nut-Free Option: The ground almonds in this recipe contribute significantly to the cake’s lovely moist and tender texture. However, if you need to make this cake nut-free, you can easily substitute the ground almonds with an equal weight of plain (all-purpose) flour. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.
- Avoid Overmixing: This is a golden rule in baking, especially for cakes. Overmixing the batter can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to a tough, dense cake rather than a tender, moist one. Mix only until the dry ingredients are just incorporated and no lumps remain. I highly recommend mixing by hand with a balloon whisk to minimize the risk of overworking the batter.
- Handle with Care (Especially When Warm): This apple cake is wonderfully delicate, particularly when warm. The abundant juicy apple chunks contribute to its deliciousness but also make it quite fragile. To ensure a smooth transfer from tin to cooling rack, I strongly recommend using a springform or loose-bottomed cake tin. This allows you to remove the sides or bottom without having to flip the entire cake, which could risk it breaking apart.
- Patient Cooling for Stability: It’s crucial not to rush the cooling process. Turning the cake out of the tin too early can indeed cause it to break. Allow it to cool in the tin for a full 20 minutes after baking. This resting period allows the structure of the cake to stabilize, making it much more robust and easier to handle when you eventually turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- The Trusty Toothpick Test: To verify if your cake is perfectly baked, perform the toothpick test. Insert a clean toothpick or skewer into the very center of the cake. If it comes out clean, without any wet batter clinging to it, the cake is done. If you hit an apple chunk, simply try inserting the toothpick in another spot or two to get an accurate reading.
- Optimal Storage: Once completely cooled, store your vegan apple cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It will remain fresh and delicious for up to five days. You can also freeze individual slices for longer storage; just wrap them tightly and thaw at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
Creative Ways to Customize Your Vegan Apple Cake
While this vegan apple cake is magnificent on its own, it’s also incredibly adaptable. Feel free to experiment with these delicious variations to make it your own:
- Fruity Additions: For an extra burst of sweetness and chewiness, try folding in a couple of handfuls of raisins, sultanas, or chopped dried cranberries along with the diced apples.
- Nutty Crunch: Enhance the texture and flavor by adding a couple of handfuls of roughly chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds to the batter. These add a delightful crunch and nutty aroma.
- Streusel Topping: Instead of the simple demarera sugar, create a delectable streusel topping for an extra layer of texture and sweetness. Combine flour, sugar, a pinch of cinnamon, and cold vegan butter, then crumble over the batter before baking.
- Ginger Twist: For lovers of ginger, incorporate some chopped crystallized ginger or stem ginger into the batter. You can also increase the amount of ground ginger in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoons for a more pronounced spicy kick.
- Citrus Zest: Add the finely grated zest of one orange or lemon to the batter for a brighter, more aromatic flavor profile that beautifully complements the apples and spices.
- Vanilla Bean: For a touch of gourmet elegance, scrape the seeds from half a vanilla bean and add them to the wet ingredients, or use a high-quality vanilla extract.
More Delicious Autumnal Vegan Cakes to Explore
If you’ve enjoyed this delightful apple cake, you’ll love these other comforting vegan baking recipes perfect for the autumn season:
- Vegan pumpkin bread
- Pumpkin chocolate chip cake bars
- Easy vegan ginger cake
- Vegan beetroot chocolate cake with chocolate avocado frosting
- Vegan pumpkin cake with cinnamon buttercream and maple pecans
- Vegan apple bundt cake
- Sweet potato bread with pecan streusel
- Vegan ginger bundt cake
- Orange and almond cake with chocolate buttercream
If you bake this delightful vegan apple cake, we would absolutely love to see your creations! Share your photos on Instagram and tag @domestic_gothess, making sure to use the hashtag #domesticgothess. Your delicious bakes inspire us!
*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you wish to share this recipe, please do so by utilizing the provided share buttons. Please do not screenshot, repost the full recipe, or reproduce the content in its entirety.*
Print Recipe
Vegan Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 4 medium eating apples (about 450g unprepared weight), such as a mix of Braeburn and Granny Smith for best flavor
- 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 (soy milk is highly recommended for baking)
- 80 g (⅓ cup) plain non-dairy yogurt (soy yogurt works beautifully)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) sunflower oil (or another neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable oil)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 heaped Tbsp demerara sugar, for topping
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a deep 20cm/8-inch round cake tin and line the bottom and sides with baking parchment. Ensure the tin is at least 8cm / 3 inches deep.
-
Peel and core your chosen apples, then chop them into even 1-1.5cm dice. Set these aside for later.
-
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, light brown soft sugar, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until the mixture is uniform and completely lump-free.
-
Now, add the unsweetened non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, sunflower oil, and lemon juice to the dry ingredients. Whisk gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix, and ensuring no dry pockets of flour remain. Next, add the diced apples and gently fold them through the batter until evenly distributed.
-
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and spread it level using a spatula. Liberally scatter the demerara sugar over the top surface. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
-
Allow the cake to cool in its tin for 20 minutes before very carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This cake is quite delicate when warm, so handle with utmost care. Once entirely cool, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for maximum freshness.
Notes
- For consistently excellent baking outcomes, I truly recommend using metric measurements with a digital kitchen scale rather than imprecise cup conversions. Cups are notoriously inaccurate, and using a scale will yield far better, more consistent results, not to mention being easier and less messy!
- The cake tin you use must be at least 8 cm / 3 inches deep to comfortably accommodate the batter and prevent any overflow during baking.
- The non-dairy yogurt can be successfully swapped for an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce if preferred, offering a slightly different moisture profile.
- The ground almonds contribute significantly to the cake’s lovely texture. If you need to make this recipe nut-free, you can substitute them with an equal weight of plain (all-purpose) flour.
- Avoid overmixing the batter at all costs, as this can activate the gluten in the flour and result in a tough, chewy cake. Mix only until no dry lumps of flour are visible. Mixing by hand with a balloon whisk is ideal to prevent overworking.
- This is a delicate cake, especially when warm, largely due to the generous amount of juicy apple chunks. To facilitate easy removal and prevent breakage, I highly recommend using a springform or loose-bottomed cake tin.
- Patience is key during cooling. Do not attempt to turn the cake out of the tin too early, as it risks breaking apart. Allow it to cool in the tin for a good 20 minutes before carefully transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows the cake’s structure to set.
- Use the classic toothpick test to check for doneness: if a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean (without wet batter), it’s ready. Remember to try a few spots to ensure you’re not just hitting an apple chunk.
