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.
Omg AMAZING this was epic!I ran out of sugar so used maple syrup and it was so good. The topping I also did the same and it was great! Thank you so much x
You are very welcome! I’m so glad that you loved the apple cake, and that it turned out fantastic using maple syrup! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Does this cake hold together well when cut into squares or will it be crumbly? I’m considering making it to bring to my choir this week, but need to serve it without plates and forks. I’ll probably skip the caramel drizzle since that seems messy!
It holds up pretty well without the caramel on top. I think you could serve it just in a napkin without plates or forks. Hope the choir enjoys it!
Made this recipe for St. Pat’s Day and man was it AMAZING!!! The instructions were easy to follow, the caramel sauce came out perfect. The cake even tasted great strait from the fridge the next day. Another wonderful recipe Nora, you make it easy to be a Vegan 🙂
Very good recipe used up some excess apples, baked in a Bundt pan. Subbed some oil for apple butter for extra flavor. Lowered sugar to 1.5 cups could go a bit lower. I think it’s missing something I think maybe some acid. I would consider maybe some zest rubbed in the sugar and lemon juice.
Excellent cake I can’t stop eating it.i followed your instructions word for word and I must say it is delicious!
Hi Dale. I relate! This is one of my favorite cakes! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for sharing your stellar review and feedback!
This cake is divine. I made it with spelt flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup oil. I omitted the nuts. I learned three cups diced apple is 2.5 apples.
My only trouble was the caramel glaze, which hardened over the cake and sort of peeled off like a hard fruit roll up. The kids didn’t mind. They said the cake was perfect without it.
Oh my goodness! I made this for Thanksgiving dinner as I’m the only one in the family who is vegan so if I want dessert I need to make it myself. I didn’t tell anyone it was vegan and it was the favorite dessert beating out pumpkin pie and pecan cheesecake! I cut out 1/2 cup of sugar and could have probably gone with even less.
I was very happy that there was enough left to have with my coffee the next morning. It is delicious and so easy to make!
Hi Christine. I know what you mean about this cake! It is one of my favorites! I’m so thrilled that you love the cake, and I appreciate your stellar review and feedback! Happy cooking!
Delicious! I made this after seeing it in your new cookbook and it was a huge hit. I accidentally used 3 *apples* instead of 3 *cups* of apple so there was a ton of extra apple inside so that made the final texture a little closer to bread pudding but it was still amazing that way. I can’t wait to try it again in the future with the right amount 😁
Hey Nora, I’ve made this cake before and it was wonderful. This year, I’m wondering if I can make the sauce ahead of time and NOT pour it on the cake until it’s served? Will the sauce keep? Do I nuke it to get it melty before drizzling? Was thinking it might be nice alongside my (vegan) vanilla ice cream, drizzled with a bit of the sauce.
Thanks Emily! You could make the sauce ahead of time and keep it off the cake until ready to serve. If you want, warm it up before serving. Enjoy!
This year, I made the cake with pecans and in a bundt pan, like someone mentioned in the comments, and it was a huge hit. However, the caramel drizzle was an unmitigated disaster because I am incapable of making caramel. It was grainy and hardened up really fast. There’s something wrong with me.
Nothing wrong with you at all! Caramel is notoriously difficult, even seasoned chefs often have a tough time getting it silky and not grainy so don’t be so hard on yourself 🙂
How can I adjust for high altitude?
I made the recipe just exactly as written. It was a hit with everyone! Definitely a winner!
Hi Gail. I’m so glad the cake was a winner! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and feedback!
Of course it’s a 5 out of 5! My subs for the cake: I used 1/2 all-purpose flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour, 1.5 C of sugar instead of 2 C, and evoo for the oil. I used Granny Smith apples. I used oat milk for the caramel drizzle. I made this cake to share with friends. It’s a perfect make-ahead, easy-clean up, and delicious cake, especially for Autumn! Everyone enjoyed it and some people went back for seconds! I think that the caramel drizzle made it extra-special, but you could easily enjoy it w/o the drizzle.
Hi Lisa. I loved reading about your baking experience of the apple cake! One of my favorite cakes ever! Thank you for sharing your terrific review and feedback! I’m thrilled the cake was a hit! Happy cooking!
Yum! Yum!Yum!!
Here are my revisions because it’s what i had on hand:
1C unsweetened almond yogurt for applesauce
Reduced the sugar amount by one whole cup… 1C coconut sugar (don’t like super sweet sweets😉)
Used coconut oil and just a Little olive oil since i didn’t quite have a cup of coconut oil
Everything else the same. I did NOT use caramel sauce and the cake was moist, fluffy and delicious and perfectly sweet without it!
I use many of your recipes as well so keep em coming and thank you for providing them!
Hi Cindy. I am thrilled the cake worked out wonderful for you with the items you had on hand! This is one of my favorite cakes! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience as well as your glowing review! I appreciate you loving my recipes! Happy cooking!
Assembled the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients. Made the caramel sauce and toasted the walnuts. Put everything in separate containers and set off in our camper and made it at the campsite in our camper’s tiny convention microwave and it turned out amazing. No one else in our group is vegan and we had a potluck thanksgiving meal. They all tried it and loved it! Definitely a huge hit and will make again, thank you. I did halve the recipe to fit in our oven.
Hi Sandy. That sounds like so much fun to take and make on a camping trip! Great ideas for transport! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback! I’m thrilled the cake was a hit! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Could you use more apple sauce and less oil?
Thanks
Sure, that should work pretty well.
This cake is phenomenal, and I didn’t even add the icing. Definitely a recipe worth trying and keeping.
Hi Laurie. I’m so glad that you loved the cake! I often make this without the frosting, it is so delicious and moist all on its own! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and feedback!
This apple cake is incredibly delicious! I’ve made a lot of recipes from your site and this is the best one I’ve ever tried! It was very easy to make, and tasted so much like an apple fritter, especially with the caramel drizzle/glaze on top. I cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups and I think next time I’ll use even less. It was still plenty sweet and yummy. Can’t wait to make it again!
Hi Julie. This is one of my favorite cakes as well! I’m so glad that you tried it and that you loved it! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and recipe baking experience! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Any type of apples you would recommend?
I really like honeycrisp apples, but I’ve used many different kinds over the years. Something crisp, tart and sweet is my favorite, but you really can use any kind you like.
Love this recipe so much! Curious though, what’s the recommended why to store leftovers? Thank you!
You can store it covered at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can also be frozen. I’m glad you loved the cake!
Great cake! I used grated apples instead of chopped & reduced sugar to 1 1/2 cups. i did not use drizzle. I cut into squares and froze for lunches. Still great out of freezer. thanks for another excellent recipe.
Made it as cupcakes and had liquid pooling at the bottom of the cupcake tray. Any thoughts on why?
I’m not quite sure, but it’s a very. moist cake recipe. I’ve never made this cake as cupcakes but perhaps that doesn’t work so well.
about how many apples do you need?
About 3 medium apples, or 1-2 large apples. Enjoy!