This moist and fluffy Vegan Apple Cake tastes just like fall, with diced apples, crunchy walnuts, and warm cinnamon in every slice! It’s easy to make in one bowl and served with an optional caramel drizzle on top.
Left with tons of apples after a trip to the orchard? Use them up in this Perfect Vegan Apple Pie, this Apple Baked Oatmeal, and this Apple Upside Down Cake!
This Vegan Apple Cake is almost more apples than cake! Rich, fluffy, and comforting, it only takes one small piece to satisfy your sweet tooth. If your family is anything like mine, they’ll be asking you to make this as soon as the crisp fall weather arrives.
“My family said this is the BEST CAKE they have ever eaten. Whoa! It’s that amazing!” – Meg
From the comforting cinnamon to the tart-sweet apples in every slice, this apple cake is a real winner. Just don’t forget to serve it with the caramel drizzle on top when you want to take the cozy fall flavors up a notch. It seeps into the cake, making it extra moist and scrumptious. Yum!
Why you’ll love this easy vegan apple cake recipe
- Tastes like an apple fritter – If you love soft, fluffy, apple-filled vegan apple fritters, then you’re going to love this apple cake!
- The best vegan apple dessert – This is the dessert to turn to when you need a break from pumpkin recipes. It’s loaded with tart-sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, and cinnamon to make every slice feel like a warm hug.
- An easy one-bowl recipe – Just mix the simple ingredients in one bowl, bake the cake, and enjoy!
How to make a vegan apple cake
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir to combine. Fold in the diced apples and nuts (using your hands to incorporate everything if needed).
Press the batter into an even layer in the cake pan and bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the cake cools, prepare the caramel drizzle. Heat the vegan butter, brown sugar, and non-dairy milk together in a small pot until the butter melts. Bring to a boil and stir constantly. After 2 minutes, remove the pot from the heat.
Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cooled cake. Let it cool for 10 more minutes, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
I recommend using firm apples with a mix of sweet and tart flavors. There are plenty of apples that are ideal for baking, but my favorites are Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, and Braeburn (I’ll usually use 2 to 3 varieties). Just avoid soft apples, like McIntosh apples, since they tend to turn to mush.
The cake batter in this recipe is much stiffer and heavier than other cake batters, so it may not work as a layer cake. If you’d still like to try it, split the batter into two round 8-inch cake pans and decorate the cooled cake layers with vegan buttercream frosting and the caramel drizzle.
Sure! A few readers have tested this and had good results. Divide the batter into a muffin tin and bake at 350ºF for 28 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top before serving or decorate them with vegan maple buttercream frosting.
Sure! For a less-sweet cake, cut the sugar back to 1 1/2 cups or 1 cup.
A quality gluten-free flour mix will work pretty well as a substitute for the all-purpose flour.
The leftover cooled cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
1 Bowl Vegan Apple Cake
Ingredients
Apple Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canola oil or melted coconut oil*
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups peeled and diced apples
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Optional Caramel Drizzle
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Now pour in the oil, applesauce and vanilla and stir until combined. The dough will be very stiff, not like most cake batters. This is because the fresh apples will provide a lot of moisture as the cake bakes.
- Fold in the diced apples and nuts. Use your hands if needed to get them incorporated.
- Press the cake batter into the pan, evenly. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool while you prepare the caramel drizzle.
- Make the caramel drizzle: In a small pot on the stove, add the vegan butter, brown sugar and non-dairy milk. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts. Bring to a boil and stir constantly, being careful not to let the mixture overflow. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring, then remove from heat.
- After the cake has cooled for about 20 minutes, drizzle the caramel sauce over it. Let cool for 10 more minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You may use canola oil or melted coconut oil. Or use any neutral flavored oil you like, such as avocado oil.
- Substitute a gluten-free flour mix to make the cake gluten free.
- You can use walnuts or pecans, or leave the nuts out entirely.
- Serve with a dollop of vegan whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
LOVE this recipe! Have been making it weekly for the past month as my family can’t get enough.
Curious if you think I could sub ALMOND flour 1:1 since it’s now Passover and I don’t use APF.
I’d love to be able to continue enjoying it this week. Thanks for all your great recipes. BIG fan!
Unfortunately, almond flour will not work as well because it does not absorb liquid the same way and your cake will end up soggy.
Family said this was best vegan apple cake yet!
Thank you for posting.
You are welcome, Amanda! How awesome the cake was a hit with the family! Thanks for your fantastic feedback!
An excellent recipe! The flavors are perfectly balanced (I used 1/4 cup less sugar).
Thanks for sharing your great feedback! Glad you loved the cake and found your right sugar balance!
Easy to make and delicious!
Glad you love the cake! Thank you for great feedback and review!
This cake is delicious! It’s been 24 hours since I made it and there’s none left. I made no changes but didn’t have quite enough coconut oil so I supplemented with vegetable oil.
I didn’t make or add caramel drizzle. It really doesn’t need it. It’s so incredible as is.
I’m guessing it would be unreal with plums. I may try that one day.
Thanks so much, this recipe’s a keeper!
How fabulous you loved the cake! I’ve never considered plums, let me know how it turns out if you try it! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
I did make some minor changes with this one. I used one cup whole wheat flour and two cups of all purpose. I used a tad less sugar and 1/2 was brown half white. The end result was incredible! Better than my old non vegan German apple cake recipe which I’ve been missing soooooo much!
Thank you for sharing such a fantastic recipe! I will be making this often, and will probably try to reduce the oil, but flavor wise this recipe is perfection as is!
I’m so glad it worked out for you, Sammy! Thank you for your wonderful review 🙂
I just made this cake and oh my goodness it’s delicious! My family won’t even know it’s vegan. Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome, Robin! Thank you for your terrific feedback!
Hi Nora, can you make this cake into cupcakes? How long should I bake it?
I have never made cupcakes with this recipe, however, other have commented they did and they turned out well. I would recommend baking around 30 minutes, or even less for cupcakes. Enjoy!
I only bake cupcakes from this recipe and they are amazing. Huge hit with friends and family. Baking time is between 25-35 minutes depending on how large the muffins are. Best and easiest recipe.
One of my go to sweet recipes when having guests at home. An all time favorite! Thank you Nora 🙂
You are welcome Rosina! Thank you for sharing your terrific feedback and enjoy the cake!
Nora, what type of apples do you prefer for this recipe? My mom used to use Granny Smith for baking pies but I don’t know if that applies to cake. Definitely making this for Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Emily. I prefer pink lady, honey crisp or Granny Smith. Enjoy!
Really nice cake – great fall dessert, and not super sweet (I used the full 2 cups of sugar, too). I loved how moist all the apple made the cake. I think I let my caramel get thicker than shown in the photos. It didn’t really soak into the cake, but I kind of wanted it to stay on top so it worked out. Even after refrigerating, the caramel wasn’t hard, just like a thick glaze. Highly recommend.
Hi Kelly. Your caramel covered cake sounds sooooo delicious! This cake is one of my mother-in-law’s favorites! I appreciate your wonderful feedback, it makes my day! I can just see your cake in my mind! Thank you!
Hi Nora, thank you for sharing this recipe!! This recipe is SOOO delicious, I made this for my mother, cause my mother has diabetes, so I made this recipe without any sugar, but still delicious!! My mother loved it so much!!! Next time I will make caramel drizzle for my father to add it, I was wondering can coconut oil be used instead of vegan butter? Cuz It is difficult to buy vegan butter in my country…
Thank you!!!
Coconut oil should work well. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, yay!
Absolutely lovely and delicious Fall treat! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! Definitely a keeper.
You are welcome, Kim. I’m so glad you loved the cake! I love this for a fall treat as well! Thanks for you great feedback!
Amazing! Best morsel of food I’ve ever tasted. Good shit.
So good and even better the next day!
I’m so happy you loved the cake! I agree that it is so delicious the next day! Thank you for your positive feedback!
Hi Nora! I love your recipes, this one included! Delicious! I had one suggestion – adding what size dice the apple pieces should be to the recipe (or did I miss it?). Mine were medium and I think I’d make them smaller next time.
Like others I put my own spin on the recipe – I used melted vegan butter for the oil and bloomed the cinnamon plus a half teaspoon of ground cloves in the melted fat. Milk Street Kitchen has a French apple cake recipe that uses solely cloves to season and it’s delicious – and it was here too. Thank you again for your innovative recipe!
Nora your recipes never disappoint and this one is delicious! I love everything you make. Thank you for always sharing!
Hi Bethe! You are welcome! I am so glad that you are loving my recipes! Thank you for your fantastic feedback!
This recipe is so delicious. I’m wondering if I can swap out half or 3/4 of the oil for applesauce? I tend to get acid reflux from the oil.
Hi Kari. I have not tried it, however, I think that should work! Enjoy!
This is a yummy recipe. I use whole wheat flour, cut the sugar to 1 1/4 cups and use apple sauce instead of the oil. It is delicious!! My family loves this recipe! Thanks Nora!
Hi Laura. You are welcome! I’m happy your family loves the cake! Thank you for taking time to to share your great ideas and feedback!
Delicious cake! Thank you for the recipe.
Should extra cake be stored on the counter or in the refrigerator?
Thanks for sharing, Laura! I’m glad you love the cake! It will be fine at room temperature for about 2 days. If it will be around more than 2 days, store it in the refrigerator. Hope this helps!
Okay…as a seasoned vegan who is a good baker, I just had this cake and Wow!!! My boyfriend is obsessed with apple pie and anything sweet with apples. He absolutely loved it as well. It’s so fluffy and delicious. The only thing is that it was a little bit too sweet for me. Also I replaced regular sugar with brown sugar for the caramel and it was sooo caramely! Highly recommend to make it to impress any non-vegan believers!
Does this cake need to be served warm?
Hi Julie. The cake does not need to be served warm. Happy baking!
I kept the peels on to save time and it worked out fine! Also halved the sugar like other people said, and that worked too! Otherwise followed exactly. The lesser amount of sugar makes it more of a breakfast cake than a dessert cake I think, which is what I was going for. Kudos, delicious recipe! I love the caramel sauce too.
Hi Kristen. Thank you for sharing you wonderful feedback and ideas! This is one of my favorite cakes! It is so good for breakfast! Wishing you happy cooking!
Hi Nora, just made this and it was fabulously delicious. I made it in a bundt pan. I put whole pecans and a bit of brown sugar. I replaced 2 cups reg sugar with 1 cuo dark brown sugar. Added a mix of chopped walnuts and pecans. I didn’t have apple sauce so I replaced with almond yogurt. I used whole wheat APF and left skin on the apples (red delicious). Lastly, I added extra cinnamon, a few sprinkles of nutmeg, and pumpkin pie seasoning. I also made just half quantity of caramel drizzle. It was just enough. Anyhow this was perfect and I can’t wait to make it again and I know this cake is going get eaten really fast!! Thank you!!
Hi Therese. I’m so glad the cake turned out great for you! Thank you for taking time to share you great feedback, ideas, and review!
So I randomly bought apples today. I googled “vegan apple…” and I came across this Nora Cooks recipe for Apple Cake. Everything I’ve ever made from Nora has been nothing short of amazing. And this apple cake did not ruin the streak! This cake made my heart smile. Something so beautiful and good, made from scratch. Simply wonderful!
I’m so glad you tried the apple cake! I absolutely LOVE this cake! I appreciate you taking your time to share your fantastic review and feedback! Thank you for using my recipes!
This is my favorite fall recipe! Have you tested making this in a Bundt pan?
I haven’t used a bundt pan, but it should work! The cake will just need to be baked for a few minutes longer.
Hi Nora, can I turn this cake into a loaf cake? If not how can I adapt the recipe? Thank you so much, Christine
Hi Christine. Yes, it can be made into 1 or 2 loaf cakes! They should only need 40-55 minutes in the oven but check them after 40 just to be safe.
Yum!!!! Super good apple cake! You’ll want to make it again and again!!
I am not vegan but my daughter is. I made this using only 1 cup of sugar and using melted vegan butter instead of coconut oil. I also made the glaze using dark brown sugar. I was surprised by how good it was. A lot of times I am unhappy with vegan baking but this tasted great. I will definitely make it again.
I’m so glad you loved the cake! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review!
Diane I just want to say that Nora is my favorite vegan baker. She has the best recipes. My daughter is vegan for 20 + years. Whenever I bake now that I live close to her it’s always vegan & I’ve never been disappointed. Nora is awesome!
Your kind words made my day! Thank you! I appreciate your wonderful feedback and review!