Cozy Vegan Apple Cake
Packed with tender diced sweet apples and just the right touch of warm spices, this cake has a rustic charm that always feels right for the moment. It’s the kind of dessert you could serve after a holiday meal or an everyday weeknight dinner. In fact, you could just as easily serve it in the morning and call it breakfast! There’s no need to save this one for a special occasion; it’s the cake you bake when you want something that hugs back.
Servings: 8 slices
Calories: 266kcal
Ingredients
Apple Cake
- 1 1/4 cups sweet apples cored and finely diced (about 3 medium apples)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cashew Icing
- 3/4 cup raw cashews soaked for 6 – 8 hours and thoroughly drained
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt optional
- unsweetened non-dairy milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉ degrees.
- In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with lemon juice, making sure they’re thoroughly coated, to prevent browning.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, flaxseeds, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well, then add the apples, stirring tossing to make cover all the pieces with flour. This will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter while baking.
- Add the non-dairy milk, applesauce, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla, stirring gently to combine. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps; it’s more important not to over-mix.
- Transfer the batter to a silicone 9-inch round cake pan with at least 3-inch high sides, or a standard metal pan lined with foil. Spread it out into an even layer and smooth out the top with your spatula.
- Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 60 - 75 minutes, until golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before adding icing.
- To make the icing, combine the cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, and a tiny pinch of salt, if using. Blend on high speed for 8 – 10 minutes, until completely silky smooth. Add non-dairy milk just a few teaspoons at time if needed to thin it out to a more pourable consistency.
- Remove the cooled cake from the pan and place it on a serving plate. Drizzle generously with icing and enjoy right away!
Notes
Serving suggestion: Not that into icing? Top off your slice with a generous scoop of banana “nice” cream instead! Alternatively, it would be dreamy drizzled with date caramel sauce, or even drippy maple syrup-sweetened almond butter.
Notes: Try a combination of red and green apples for a bit of sweet and tart contrast. You could even throw a firm pear or two into the mix!
Feel free to replace the cinnamon and ginger with 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin spice or apple pie spice for more nuance and ease. In fact, you could even double the measure if you really want the warm baking spices to take the lead.
Leftover cake can be stored in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for 4 – 5 days. The icing may sink into the cake as it sits.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 227mg | Potassium: 314mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg