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Vegan Apple Cake

Golden Vegan Apple Cake

This vegan apple cake is tender, golden, and easy to make.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 medium tart-crisp apples (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith, peeled and cored: divided as 1 cup finely grated and 1 cup small diced)
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (almond, oat, or soy at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil (canola, sunflower, or light olive)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Method
 

  1. Prep pan and oven: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line and lightly grease a 9‑inch round cake pan.
  2. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  3. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk non‑dairy milk, oil, applesauce, vinegar, and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Combine batter: Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until no dry flour remains; batter should be thick and scoopable. Fold in grated and diced apples and any optional nuts.
  5. Pan and top: Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle raw sugar on top, if using.
  6. Bake: Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the top is golden, edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Cool and serve: Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool 20–45 minutes more before slicing and serving.

Notes

Refer to complete step by step instructions below.