Apple season means vegan apple cake! This cozy Vegan Spiced Caramel Apple cake is super easy to make, and makes the best of any kind of apples that you want to use up. Perfect for windfall apples
My Mum originally had an old version of this apple cake recipe which wasn't vegan. Mum is also now a vegan so she had a play around with the recipe and it came out completely delicious! What I love about this cake is that it’s so moist from the apples and full of rich spices, with a yummy caramelized top. It is just perfect for serving up for afternoon tea!
🍎Key Ingredients
- Apples of course! Choose a cooking apple or an apple with a bit of tartness or tang for the best flavour. Louise used some apples from her little apple tree that had a few nibbles from bugs on them, just cut off any bruises or nibbles and you're good to go!
- Spices I decided to put in quite a bit of mixed spice and cinnamon, but that’s because I love them. Of course you can choose which spices you use; maybe you’d just like to use ginger and nutmeg, or cinnamon and cloves? They are all great, however mixed spice gives the best variety of flavours in this vegan apple cake.
- Flour This cake is full and dense, which makes it great for using wholemeal or spelt flour if you prefer. Or you could just use regular all-purpose flour, or even your favourite gluten-free flour.
- Linseed/Flax Seed. Ground flax or linseed combined with a little water creates a gel that is perfect for replacing eggs in cakes with! If you want more information the best egg replacements, check out our amazing Guide.
- Olive Oil. Adds gorgeous richness to this cake. You could also substitute regular sunflower or rapeseed oil if you prefer.
- Optional Sultanas! The very first version of this vegan apple cake (take a look at the photo underneath the recipe) had sultanas in it. It works just as well without sultanas, so it is up to you if you keep them in or leave them out.
- Brown Sugar for the Caramel The topping is a big part of what makes this vegan apple cake so special. The brown sugar sprinkled on top caramelises in the heat, giving a sweet sticky top, which also looks very beautiful. No need for fancy icing with this easy to make vegan apple cake!
👩🍳How to
For the full recipe and instructions, head to the recipe card below! These step-by-step instructions are to help you visualise how the vegan apple cake looks to make! I recommend a good quality 20cm cake tin.
- Cut up your apples. You can use windfall apples, just cut out any nibbled bits!
2. Sprinkle them with flour so they don't sink to the bottom of the cake.
3. Now make up your flaxseed/linseed gel by measuring out the flaxseed and water and allow it to sit while you measure out everything else. Add the spices here too.
4. Now make the batter by mixing together flour, sugar.
5. Add your oil to the flaxseed mix and stir. Then combine it with the flour and stir. Add the water now and mix until you have a smooth batter.
6. Put a little batter in the bottom of your cake tin. This prevents the apples all pooling on the bottom of the tin.
7. Now combine the apples with the rest of the batter and add to the tin.
8. Top the cake with brown sugar and bake. The vegan apple cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean.
❓FAQ
Use cooking apples or a tangy eating apple. You can use windfall or slightly damaged apples, just cut off any marks!
Mixed spice is a little like pumpkin spice mix. Substitute cinnamon, a little nutmeg, cloves and ginger if you want to make up your own. Total of 4 teaspoon of spices is needed all together.
We have tested this vegan apple cake with plain/all purpose flour, wholemeal and spelt flour. All work really well. You could also use your favourite gluten-free flour- but you might need to add a little extra water.
This cake keeps in a cool dry place for 2-3 days and in the fridge for up to a week. You can also cut it into slices and freeze.
This recipe was developed by Vanessa, one of the original co-founders of this site. Vanessa is now working on her plant based health coaching business, Energise and Thrive Plant Based. She helps people get high energy, great health, and balanced eating with delicious plant-based food.
She’s also brought out her FREE Guide - 5 Steps to Balanced Plant Based Eating which you’re welcome to download. Of course, all the recipes she has created for The Vegan Larder (like this one!) will remain here for you to access.
🍰Similar Recipes
This Vegan Spiced Caramel Apple Cake has been a real hit with friends and family, so we'll be making it again and again. If you enjoyed it, you might like some of these other cakes we've made!
- Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Vegan Apple & Blackberry Cake
- Best Vegan Chocolate Cake! (Gluten Free Option!)
Enjoy this vegan apple cake on its own or with a some vegan ice-cream, yoghurt or cream. It also keeps pretty well for a few days in a container and isn't too sweet, so it's perfect to snack on for an indulgent coffee break.
If you loved this recipe, make sure to share with your friends and comment below!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Spiced Caramel Apple Cake
Equipment
- Mixing spoon / wooden spoon
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
- 3 tablespoon ground linseed ( mixed with 6 tablespoon water- also known as flaxseed)
- 175 ml (¾ cups) olive oil (can also use vegetable oil)
- 3 teaspoon mixed spice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 120 g (½ cup) raw brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) raw brown sugar (for the caramelised top)
- 300 g (2½ cups) wholemeal flour (plus a little extra for coating apples * Can also use spelt or ordinary plain flour)
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 200 ml (⅘ cups) water
- 350 g (3½ cups) apples (chopped and cored)
- 80 g (⅓) sultanas (optional)
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease a round cake tin of your choice.
- Mix the flaxseed egg and oil together in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the mixed spice, cinnamon, sugar and salt to the bowl. Mix well.
- Sift in flour and baking powder. Not all the flour will go through the sieve if using wholemeal. Just pour the bits in to the bowl that don’t go through. Mix well.
- Add the water to make a batter. If it is too dry, add more water.
- Now the batter is made, spread around a ¼ of it into the tin. (this prevents the apples sticking to the bottom of the tin)
- Put the chopped apples and sultanas (if using) in a separate bowl. Sprinkle some of the flour over them and mix in. This will help to stop them sinking in the cake.
- Mix the apples and sultanas in with the rest of the batter.
- Pour the batter with the apples into the tin.
- Sprinkle the 2 tablespoon brown sugar over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until you get a clean skewer when you pierce the cake all the way through.
Video
Nutrition
Emma says
What kind of apples would you recommend ?
Vanessa says
Hi Emma, pretty much any apples will work for this. I think I originally used Braeburn, but it doesn't really matter. It's a great recipe when you have a ton of apples lying around! SO just go for it.
Kirsten says
Amazing cake - I think the best vegan cake I’ve made!!! Definitely will make again. Thank you ?
Vanessa says
Hi Kirsten. Well thank you so much ? I am thrilled to hear that. Sending love. Vanessa x