One of the loveliest things about this time of year is scrumping for apples and picking blackberries by the bucket load. You can then turn the efforts of your foraging into delicious food to warm the soul, such as this Vegan Apple & Blackberry Cake.
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If you are one of our regular readers, you might notice the similarity between this cake and my popular Rhubarb Cake. That's because, well, it's the same recipe, but with the addition of some cinnamon & a more autumnal topping. Because if the formula works, why would you mess with it?
🍎Ingredients
The main ingredients for this scrumptious apple and blackberry cake are:
Apple - well, you may have guessed this. Only one is required! Any type will do - it's always best to use what's available, and it's a great way to reduce waste.
Blackberries - a single apple & a handful of berries is all that's needed, which if you have small children helping you pick the berries, might be very welcome! We all know how easy it is to accidentally eat the blackberries before they get back home!
*slightly bossy side note about foraging:
Only take what you need! Be sure to forage well away from the road or farmland that might have had pesticides sprayed on it. And go for berries above knee height, especially in places where there are lots of dogs being walked!!!
Aquafaba - This apple and blackberry cake is made with Aquafaba. Which is the juice from a tin of chickpeas! WHAOA! I hear you say. Don't worry, all you need to do is drain a tin of chickpeas, save the liquid and use that! It makes a brilliant egg-white alternative in cake recipes, making a soft, fluffy sponge (it also whips up to form peaks and you can make meringue from it too!! Wow!) Even better, if you eat some chickpeas, but aren't yet ready to make cake, it freezes well. One standard ice cube of aquafaba is about one tablespoon (which handily equals roughly one egg white!).
Cinnamon - the essential spice to go with apples. This gives a lovely fragrant taste to your batter and gives more contrast to the flavours. Go for Ceylon Cinnamon if you can.
👩🏽🍳How-To
The best thing about this apple and blackberry cake, is that it doesn't require much effort. The basis for this simple vegan cake couldn't be easier.
Here's a step by step process of how to make the cake:
1.Whisk together sugar, vegan milk, aquafaba, oil, vanilla and cinnamon.
2. Add in the flour and baking powder.
3. Spread the cake mixture out into an oiled baking tin. Chop the apple and sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent the apple from browning.
4. Lay the apple slices and blackberries over the cake and put into a 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 5 oven for around 30mins.
🔪Equipment
This easy apple and blackberry cake recipe comes together in one bowl and just requires a baking tin. This is the cake tin (affiliate link) we use for all our single layer cakes.
🍰Serving
This lovely apple and blackberry cake, with its cinnamon-scented batter and Autumnal fruit topping is perfect to serve for afternoon tea, or splodge some vegan ice cream or custard on it. We have the perfect easy vegan ice cream you can make from frozen bananas. It's best eaten fresh from the oven, or on the same day, but as it's so easy to make, it's perfect to whip up for guests or simply because you feel like cake.
🍥Topping ideas
This cake is super versatile, so here are some ideas of other Autumn or Winter toppings you could add instead of blackberry & apple.
- pears with cinnamon & cloves (affiliate link) in the batter
- tinned peaches (affiliate link) or apricots
- plums with vanilla in the batter
- any kind of berry - autumn raspberries are very nice!
❓FAQs
If you haven't gobbled this delicious cake up, then yes, it freezes well.
You can use any fruit you like, such as raspberries. See our section above on toppings!
We have loads of great chickpea recipes you can try out. You can also buy aquafaba (affiliate link) on its own in packs.
🍽️Similar Recipes
If you like the sound of this apple and blackberry cake, you might like to try some of our other cake recipes too!
- Super Delicious Vegan Carrot Cake using Aquafaba
- Vegan Cardamom & Spinach Celebration Cake
- Vegan Spiced Apple and Sultana Cake with Caramelised Top
- Easy Vegan Rhubarb Cake
- Apple Cake Tray Bake
📖 Recipe
Vegan Apple and Blackberry Cake
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 85 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 55 ml (3 tablespoon) sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
- 55 ml (3 tablespoon) aquafaba (aquafaba is the juice from a tin of chickpeas. See note in main blog post. )
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 35 ml (2 tablespoon) oat milk (or other non dairy milk)
- 10 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 150 g (1 cup +2 tbsp) plain flour
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 50 g (½ cup) blackberries
- 1 apple (cored and finely sliced)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 5
- Grease & line a 20cm / 8" cake tin.
- In a bowl, whisk together the aquafaba, sugar, oil, oat milk, cinnamon and vanilla until frothy and the sugar is dissolved.85 g granulated sugar, 55 ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil) , 55 ml aquafaba, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 35 ml oat milk , 10 ml vanilla extract
- Sift in the flour & baking powder and gently fold until fully combined.150 g plain flour, 4 g baking powder
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Core and slice the apple, and toss it in the lemon juice to prevent it going brown.50 g blackberries, 1 apple, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Arrange the apple and the berries on top of the cake in a pretty pattern.
- Put the cake the oven & bake for around 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when you poke it.
- Serve warm or cold.
Pam says
What a perfect combination of flavors and it's beautiful too!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Thank you! It's lovely and easy to make as well.
Jess says
Oh my goodness I love fresh blackberries. Perfect way to use them!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
Picking and baking with them is just perfect at this time of year.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
I love apple cakes and this one is so light yet full of flavour. Perfect for autumn!
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
We love apple cake too! So perfect with berries for Autumn!
Claudia Lamascolo says
That looks so delicious and absolutely stunning!
Tavo says
Such a delicious treat! I loved all the flavors here. Very well picked!