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Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

Vegan Apple Cake

Published: Sep 16, 2021 by Lexi

176 shares
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This warming, delicious vegan apple cake with walnuts and a cinnamon glaze is an old family recipe from great grandma. We made it vegan (and gluten free) so everyone can enjoy, but it's just as delicious as the original! Perfect for a fall dessert, snack or even breakfast.

Overhead view of finished apple walnut cake with glaze in a baking dish.

🍎 Why We Love This Recipe

  • Fall flavors: This vegan apple cake is packed with fall favorites like apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg to jumpstart that fall feeling. Bonus: it makes your kitchen smell AMAZING!
  • Gluten free and vegan: We modified my great grandmother's recipe to make this apple walnut cake totally gluten free and vegan, without sacrificing taste or texture. It took quite a few tests to get it right, but we didn't mind all of the taste testing. 😉
  • Quick and easy: you don't need any special equipment to make this vegan apple cake – just two mixing bowls and a baking pan! It's perfect for any skill level and can be ready in under an hour.
  • Perfect for any time of day: this is (obviously) a fantastic fall dessert, but since it's not crazy sweet, it's also suitable as breakfast or a snack. Pro tip: enjoy with coffee or hot cider!

🥮 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan apple cake:

Overhead view of ingredients used in the apple walnut cake.

📋 Ingredient Notes

  • Gluten free flour: We used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour for this recipe. It's our go-to blend for gluten free – it mirrors the texture and consistency of regular baked goods. If you're using a different product, just be aware that your results may vary from the end result shown here.
  • Applesauce: We used unsweetened applesauce in this recipe in place of eggs. They act as a binding ingredient and also add extra apple flavor!
  • Flax egg: you'll need to use ground flax meal here, not whole flax seeds. Be sure to let this thicken up for 10-15 minutes before incorporating into the wet ingredients to make sure that it reaches the right consistency. You can read more about flax eggs and why we use them here.
  • Choice of nuts: You can opt for chopped walnuts or pecans. Both will work and taste great in this recipe.
  • Apples: our favorite apples for baking include Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Pink Lady. We'd avoid Red Delicious or McIntosh, both of which tend to get super mushy and mealy in baked goods.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): it may seem like an odd or unnecessary ingredient, but the vinegar reacts with baking soda to help create lift in vegan baked goods. It's essential, so don't skip it!

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Make flax eggs by stirring together flax meal and water. Let sit to thicken for 10-15 minutes. Grease a 9"x9" pan with vegetable oil spray or butter.

(1) In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.

before and after mixing dry ingredients in mixing bowl for vegan apple cake.

(2) In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, apple sauce, milk, flax eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.

before and after mixing wet ingredients in mixing bowl for vegan apple cake.

(3) Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until batter is completely mixed together. (Note – the batter will be thicker than what you might expect.) Stir in chopped nuts and apples.

On the left: dry and wet ingredients mixed together. On the right: walnuts and apples being incorporated into the batter.

(4) Pour into your baking pan, and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry. Rotate the pan once during baking. Once the cake is done cooking, remove from oven and let cool completely.

(5) While the cake is baking, whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth. Pour over cooled cake and enjoy.

on the left: vegan apple cake before baking. on the right: cinnamon glaze in bowl.

Slice and enjoy warm!

overhead view of vegan apple cake sliced in baking pan with cinnamon glaze.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Be sure to let the flax egg thicken up for 10-15 minutes before incorporating into the wet ingredients to make sure that it reaches the right consistency.
  • Using a 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour will improve the end result of your vegan apple cake. It contains special ingredients like xanthan gum to help bind the cake together, resulting in a better, not-gluten-free-at-all texture. Of course, if you aren't gluten free, feel free to sub in regular all purpose flour.
  • Rotating the pan during cooking will help to create a much more evenly baked cake.
  • Apple topping: we add a few sliced apples to the top of the cake before baking, but this is completely optional (and really just for looks!). When making it at home, we typically just leave them off and bake as usual.
  • Glaze is optional: we love the extra sweetness/cinnamon flavor that the glaze adds, but this cake is still delicious without it.
  • Holiday dessert: you don't need a special occasion to make this vegan apple cake, but it is fantastic for Thanksgiving or any other fall dinner parties!
  • Make into muffins: you can use this vegan apple cake batter for muffins, too! Bake for about 30 minutes, then test for doneness with a toothpick.
  • Storage: cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We don't suggest storing at room temperature as it tends to spoil much faster.
Can you freeze vegan apple cake?

Yes, you can freeze for up to 6 months. For best results, we recommend wrapping the cake tightly in plastic or reusable wrap, then storing in an airtight container or bag. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat before serving.

Front view of a slice of apple walnut cake on a plate with a fork.

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Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Overhead view of apple walnut cake in a baking dish.

Vegan Apple Cake


★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8-12 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This warming, delicious vegan apple cake with walnuts and a cinnamon glaze is an old family recipe from great grandma. We made it vegan (and gluten free) so everyone can enjoy, but it's just as delicious as the original! Perfect for a fall dessert, snack or even breakfast. 


Ingredients

Units Scale

Cake:

  • 2 flax eggs (2 flax eggs = 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 5 tablespoons water)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup nondairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups gluten free all purpose flour (or regular AP flour)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of allspice
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 2 cups diced, peeled apples

Cinnamon Sugar Glaze:

  • ⅔ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 teaspoons nondairy milk
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Make flax eggs by stirring together flax meal and water. Let sit to thicken for 10-15 minutes. Grease a 9"x9" pan with vegetable oil spray or butter.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, apple sauce, milk, flax eggs, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar.
  4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until batter is completely mixed together. Stir in chopped nuts and apples. (Note: the batter may be thicker than you expect.)
  5. Pour into your baking pan, and spread evenly. Bake for 45-50 min, or until a toothpick comes out dry. Rotate pan once during baking. Once the cake is done cooking, remove from oven and let cool completely.
  6. While the cake is baking, whisk glaze ingredients together until smooth. Pour over cooled cake and enjoy.

Notes

Apples: our favorite apples for baking include Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Pink Lady. We'd avoid Red Delicious or McIntosh, both of which tend to get super mushy and mealy in baked goods. 

Storage: cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. We don't suggest storing at room temperature as it tends to spoil much faster. 

Give the flax egg 10-15 minutes to thicken to make sure that it reaches the right consistency.

Using a 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour will improve the end result of your cake. It contains special ingredients like xanthan gum to help bind the cake together, resulting in a better, not-gluten-free-at-all texture. Of course, if you aren't gluten free, feel free to sub in regular all purpose flour.

Rotating the pan during cooking will help to create a much more evenly baked cake.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 335
  • Sugar: 26.8 g
  • Sodium: 160.8 mg
  • Fat: 14 g
  • Carbohydrates: 50.2 g
  • Fiber: 2.5 g
  • Protein: 2.9 g

Keywords: vegan apple cake

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. That Linda

    November 03, 2022 at 9:55 pm

    Moist and delicious! Easy to make, as well. The icing takes this apple cake to another level. It’s quite gift worthy!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Sibel

    October 14, 2022 at 7:13 am

    This turned out lovely!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Nicole

    October 16, 2021 at 11:07 pm

    This was the perfect use for all the fall apples we picked! We baked it up in a skillet and it was perfectly moist and so yummy still warm, or cold later. And made the house smell SO good!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      October 17, 2021 at 10:55 am

      So glad you enjoyed, Nicole! Such a great way to use up apples that you picked!

      Reply
  4. Celeste

    October 03, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    This is delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lexi

      October 04, 2020 at 11:07 am

      Thanks, Celeste! So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply

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