A plush cinnamon-scented cake studded with apples and dusted with powdered sugar.
Apples (and honey) are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashanah to bring sweetness into the new year. This vegan apple cake deserves a spot at your holiday table - it has a moist, soft crumb, cinnamon-y apple chunks, a hint of citrus, and a sweet powdered sugar topping. Even better, the cake batter comes together in one bowl and the baking time is just over an hour. (Leftovers are a great breakfast treat, too!)
Looking for other holiday recipes? Try my Sweet Apple Knishes, Noodle Kugel, or Vegan Cinnamon Babka.
How to Make the Vegan Apple Cake
Gather your ingredients.
Preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease a tube pan then lightly coat with flour. Tap the pan over the sink to remove the excess flour.
Prepare the apple filling: combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt, and whisk to combine. Add the remaining cake batter ingredients - granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon - to the large bowl. Whisk gently to combine, stopping as soon as the batter is mostly smooth, with few or no lumps.
Reserve about ¼ cup of the apple filling, and pour the rest into the bowl with the batter. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the filling.
Pour the cake batter into the tube pan, then tap it lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup of apple filling over the top of the cake.
Bake for 65-70 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool most of the way in the pan, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Sprinkle the powdered sugar (if using) evenly over the top of the cake.
Substitutions
- I used a combination of Granny Smith and Gala apples. You can use any apple variety here.
- You can use dark brown sugar in place of light brown sugar if that's what you have on hand.
Storage
This cake is best served right away, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Apple Cake
Ingredients
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Cake Batter
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil (such as sunflower or canola)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Topping (optional)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease a tube pan then lightly coat with flour. Tap the pan over the sink to remove the excess flour.
- Prepare the apple filling: combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and all-purpose flour in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt, and whisk to combine.
- Add the remaining cake batter ingredients - granulated sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, non-dairy milk, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon - to the large bowl. Whisk gently to combine, stopping as soon as the batter is mostly smooth, with few or no lumps.
- Reserve about ¼ cup of the apple filling, and pour the rest into the bowl with the batter. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the filling.
- Pour the cake batter into the tube pan, then tap it lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup of apple filling over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 65-70 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool most of the way in the pan, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack. Sprinkle the powdered sugar (if using) evenly over the top of the cake.
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