Fluffy, Moist, and Tender French Vegan Apple Cake
I’ve yet to come across a meal that can’t be made better with tender cinnamon apples like apple baked oats at breakfast, apple cinnamon rolls at brunch, caramel apple cheesecake for dessert, or this simple, super moist and tender, French-style vegan apple cake any time. It’s warmly spiced, lightly infused with rum flavor, and loaded with tender apple in every bite. Along with being vegan, in this recipe, you have the choice of using buckwheat (for a gluten-free apple cake) or regular all-purpose flour, making it nut-free, and using regular, unrefined, or sugar-free sweetener. You can also choose from several delicious mix-ins and toppings, like nuts/dried fruit, and topping it with a cinnamon streusel top or glaze. The sky is the limit. No matter what, this recipe is made almost entirely of simple pantry staples in one bowl with just minutes of prep – peel and chop the apples, mix the ingredients, bake, and Voila! It’s as delicious on your family table as it is at potlucks and dinner parties. You can even freeze any leftovers. You might enjoy other vegan apple desserts like simple apple crisp, almond flour apple pie cookies, puff pastry apple rings, and apple muffins (and even more on my blog!).
The Ingredients
The Dry Ingredients
The Wet Ingredients
Non-dairy milk: Use unsweetened dairy-free milk. E.g., almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, etc. Oil: Use any neutral oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, etc., for a moist, tender crumb. Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce. This will add moisture and subtle flavor while allowing you to use less oil in the recipe. Vanilla extract: Use natural vanilla for the best flavor. Rum flavoring: To add subtle yet delicious flavor depth to make a French apple cake recipe. Omit it if preferred, though. Apples: Use any small, firm, crisp apples (sweet or tart, or a combination) – like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn, Gala, Jonathan Gold, Granny Smith, etc.
Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
Optional Add-ins and Recipe Variations
Salt: Just a pinch can balance and enhance the flavors in the apple cake. Nuts: Add a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc. Dried fruits: Add a handful. E.g., raisins, cranberries, blueberries, chopped dates, etc. Ginger: Finely chopped candied ginger, stem ginger, or minced ginger/ground ginger adds heat and zing. Citrus zest: Add 1 tbsp of lemon or orange zest for subtle citrus flavor and brightness.
Topping Options
Crunchy sugar top: Sprinkle coarse turbinado sugar (or brown sugar) and some cinnamon over the cake before baking. Caramel sauce: To drizzle over when serving. Cinnamon streusel topping: Add a buttery crumble top like the gluten-free one I use for vegan coffee cake or my apple blueberry crumble. Vanilla glaze: (optionally with cinnamon) Combine powdered sugar + vanilla milk to drizzle. Vegan cream cheese frosting: The tanginess complements the apple well.
How to Make Vegan Apple Cake
First, preheat the oven to 356 °F/180 °C (top/bottom heat), and line an 8-inch (20 cm) round spring-form cake tin with parchment paper or grease it well. Meanwhile, weigh/ measure all the ingredients and wash, peel, and chop three of the apples, and slice the remaining apple. Then, add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix with a spoon. Add the wet ingredients and mix with a spatula until combined. Fold in the apple chunks, then transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing over the top with a spatula. Then top it with the apple slices.
You can spread them in a fan pattern, other pattern, or randomly place them – it’s up to you.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top has browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are fine). Finally, leave the cake to cool on a wire rack, then remove it from the cake pan. Optionally, sprinkle it with powdered sugar (or powdered Erythritol), slice, and enjoy!
Enjoy a slice of this French apple cake warm or chilled with whipped cream, vegan custard, vegan caramel sauce, and/or a scoop of ice cream.
Storage Instructions
Store: Once cooled, store the vegan apple cake loosely covered at room temperature for a few days or in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the refrigerator for 6-7 days. Freeze: You can freeze this vegan French apple cake whole or sliced and wrapped in plastic wrap in a Ziplock for up to 3 months. Then, leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours.
Can I use this batter to make a layer cake?
Yes, this should work well to make a two-layered 7 or 8-inch cake. Reduce the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Can I make this recipe oil-free?
The oil helps to make for a more tender crumb. However, you may be able to replace it with vegan Greek yogurt or possibly nut butter, so it doesn’t lack richness and moisture.
Do I have to peel the apples?
Technically, no, but you might not like the texture. I sometimes leave the sliced apple unpeeled (especially when using red apples) for aesthetic purposes.
Recipe Notes
Measure the flour properly: Using scales is preferable, but if you’re using cup measurements, fluff it up in its bag first, spoon it into the cup, then level the top with the back of a knife. This ensures you don’t add too much and have a dense cake. Don’t over-mix the batter: Otherwise, you can end up with a dense, unrisen vegan apple cake. Only mix until everything is combined – a few tiny lumps are fine. For different textures: Use a combination of shredded and cubed apples. Adjust the sweetness: Slightly increase/decrease the amount of sugar based on the type used, the type of apples, and your flavor/dietary preferences. Using other cake pans: This should work with an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pan, too, but will be thinner and not take as long to bake.
Other Vegan Cake Recipes
Upside-down plum cake Vegan strawberry custard sheet cake Pineapple upside-down cake Creamy vegan coconut cake Lemon sheet cake Sugar-free carrot cake
If you try this vegan apple cake recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.
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