This vegan apple cake is light and fluffy yet super moist with warm spices and heaps of fresh apple flavor – a crowd-pleasing, simple, one-bowl cake with gluten-free and sugar-free options!
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
- Flour: I used buckwheat flour for a gluten-free apple cake recipe, but all-purpose flour (or a 50/50 combination of AP and whole wheat flour) works too.
- Ground almonds: Grind your own or use almond flour for a moister, richer cake. For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds.
- Flax seeds: (or chia seeds) These ground seeds will combine with the liquids to become a great ‘binding’ ingredient instead of chicken eggs.
- Sugar: Brown sugar or coconut sugar complements apples with caramel-like flavor. Like me, you could also use a sugar alternative like Erythritol, but the cake will be slightly drier.
- Baking powder: To provide lift and a fluffier texture to the eggless apple cake.
- Spices: Unsurprisingly, for an apple-based treat, cinnamon is involved. However, you can increase the ‘warmth’ even more with optional gingerbread spice (recipe in FAQs of the gingerbread post) or apple pie spice.
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.
FAQs
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.
Vegan Apple Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 240 g (1 ⅔ cups) buckwheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 75 g (¾ cup) almond flour (finely ground almonds)
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds or chia seeds
- 130 g (⅔ cup) Erythritol or sugar of choice
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1.5 tsp gingerbread spice (optional)
- 240 ml (1 cup) dairy-free milk of your choice
- 50 g (4 ½-5 Tbsp) oil of your choice
- 240 g (1 cup) applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 5-6 drops of rum flavoring (optional)
- 400 g (4 small) peeled apples chopped/ sliced
Instructions
- I recommend using my metric measurements in grams for exact results. Also, watch the video for easy visual instructions.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 small 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!
Notes
- Adjust the sweetness: Slightly increase/decrease the amount of sugar based on the type used, the type of apples, and your flavor/dietary preferences.
- 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.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
„Simple and Delicious Vegan“ Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!
This is such a great recipe!
I’ve made it several times now: Both the original and several variants without apples and cinnamon. One with cocoa powder, chocolate and orange peel (combined with a mousse made with white chocolate and orange flower water), and a second variant with a lot of vanilla, finely chopped hazelnuts and the oil substituted with almond butter for a more nutty taste (with thick cinnamon-apple sauce and vanilla-lemon cake cream in between the layers). My next plan is to make a third one with fresh rosemary, lemon juice and lemon peel (combined with vanilla butter cream and a jam made from dark berries).
It’s literally my favourite cake recipe now and *so* easy to vary for great, different results 😊
I do consistently add more sugar as you note but that’s it. If you need layers, you can also make the entire cake in one and then cut it horizontally in three if you don’t have three cake pans.
Oh and thank you so, so much for including all the measures in grams and for your detailed descriptions! They make your recipes so much easier to follow for people from other countries like me ❤️
Thank you so much, this honestly made my day ❤️
I love how creative you got with it. Those flavor combos sound incredible, especially the cocoa orange version and the rosemary lemon one. Now I want to try them myself.
I’m really happy to hear how well the recipe works as a base and that it’s easy to adapt. That was exactly the idea behind it. And yes, adding a bit more sugar is totally fine if that’s your taste.
Appreciate you so much for taking the time to share this 😊
could I swap the buckwheat with sorghum or an equal blend of sorghum and cassava flour?
Hi Natalia, you can replace the buckwheat 1:1 with sorghum flour. Sorghum is lighter and less earthy than buckwheat, so the cake will taste a bit milder and slightly softer.
A blend works great too: Use 120 g sorghum flour and 120 g cassava flour. If you include cassava, the batter may be slightly thicker, so you might need 1–2 tbsp extra milk.
LOVE! This turned out amazing. thank you for making a grain free & vegan cake that’s perfect for fall! a huge hit with the kids. we’ll be keeping this one for our fall favorites list.
So happy to hear that, Tara! I love that it was a hit with the kids too — definitely the best compliment. Thanks for trying the recipe and adding it to your fall favorites! 🙂
Yum I made this and didn’t use any sugar and was still good !
Delicious light but firm cake. Usually make apple and almond cake with butter and eggs, but needed a vegan recipe. So easy! Thanku. 😀 I used a mix of buckwheat and plain flour and increased proportion of ground almonds too. Added some spices from the optional gingerbread spice mix and rind from 1 lemon…It took longer to cook as I think erroneously reduced 180c temp to 160c for my fan oven.. Finished (covered) on 180c.!
That sounds absolutely wonderful! 😍 So glad the vegan version worked out for you — even with the oven hiccup!
Cannot have refined sugar.
Would small amount of coconut sugar work?
Of course, I also never use refined sugar.
Could I use honey instead and would it still be 130g?
That should be fine, if it doesn’t need to be vegan.
Is there a good substitute for almond flour? I can’t do anything nut-related. Thanks!
You can use finely ground sunflower seeds.
this looks yummy. However, i don’t have buckwheat flour so i’m wondering if i could swap rye. Would that work?
thanks.
Hey, I think that should work! 🙂
Oat flour is also a wonderful swap for buckwheat 🙂
Yes, but it make baked goods denser. 🙂