I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Apple cake?! But it’s not fall anymore!” Well, as much as I love to feature seasonal foods, sometimes I’m inexplicably in the mood for something…unseasonal. Does that ever happen to you? Like, it’s the middle of July and you think to yourself, “You know, I could really go for some pumpkin bread right about now!”? Luckily, apples are one of the few fruits that can easily be found in good supply year-round, so you can easily make this apple spice cake whenever you feel like it!
I first baked this apple spice cake over the holidays and was instantly smitten. It’s ridiculously moist, packed full of sweet, fragrant spices, and just so happens to be vegan. That’s right – you don’t need any eggs or butter for it! That is a total plus in my book, since when I most feel like baking a cake is typically when I realize that I’m out of eggs or butter. Or both. Gotta love easy recipes, right?
This cake is perfectly scrumptious on its own without any frosting, but frosting is still a nice finishing touch – and the frosting can easily be made vegan as well! The amounts listed will yield enough for a thin layer or a decorative drizzle.
One of the (many!) things I love about this apple spice cake is how it uses grated apples instead of chunks of apple. I’ve tried a few apple cakes in the past that were somewhat lackluster: on the dry side but studded with chunks of juicy apple. With this cake, I wanted the juiciness of the apple to permeate the whole cake down to the last crumb, and using grated apples does just that! If you prefer to see chunks of apple in the cake, you could try grating one apple and dicing the other.
This cake may not be seasonal, but it’s certainly sensational! I hope you all have a great (and cake-filled) week!
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup grated apple (about 1 1/2 – 2 medium apples)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter or dairy-free margarine (vegan butter is fine), at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon milk or non-dairy milk (soy, almond, etc.)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8×8 pan, or line with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, spices, salt, and sugar). With your hands, gently squeeze out about half of the liquid from the grated apple (you won’t need the juice for the cake, so go ahead and drink it!). Add the grated apple and the remaining cake ingredients and stir until combined. Transfer the batter into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- For the frosting: combine all of the ingredients and stir until smooth. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cake once the cake has cooled.
- I use a mixture of granny smith apple and a sweeter variety, but feel free to use whatever combination you like. You do NOT need to peel the apples before grating them (although you will want to remove the core and seeds).
looks delicious 🙂
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Thank you, and thanks for stopping by!
It’s totally okay to make apple cake in March! (I made pumpkin bread last week haha…) Looks delicious and love that it’s vegan!
Yesss…I’m glad to know I’m not the only one baking [what others consider] fall-time baked goods! And thanks 🙂
I love apples in baking any time of the year! Yours looks very tasty! And Im sure the smell is awesome!😊👍
Me too – you can’t go wrong with apples! And yes, it smells *fantastic* 🙂
This looks so tasty! And I love that adorable frosting squiggle on the top :3
Thanks! I hope you get a chance to try it sometime 🙂
I just made this today. It tasted as good as it smelled! I did squeeze the grated apple into a one cup measure, then added water to make one cup. My thought was that more apple flavor could only be a good thing. Thanks AGAIN for a yummy recipe.
Wow, that was quick – and I’m so glad you liked it! That’s good information to know about the apple juice and water. Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
This was sooooo tasty. I’ll admit…I ate some for breakfast. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and not-too-sweet that you don’t even really need the icing. So yummy!!!!!
I was actually thinking of tagging (and eating) this as a breakfast food! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Love how soft and crumbly this looks, must taste delicious!
Delicious indeed – I hope you get a chance to try it, and thanks for stopping by!
Love this snack cake! It looks like it could be perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or a kid’s lunchbox treat. Versatile and tasty!
It is SO versatile! I even froze a portion of the last one I made, so that I can have some on hand for whenever a cake craving strikes. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Made for 1st time tonight. I chose this recipe because I also prefer grated apples to chunks. I did peel the apples 1st as that’s how I prefer them. I knew I needed a bigger size so I doubled everything, put it in a 9×13 pan, baked it 40 minutes in my convection oven & it came out perfect. Family loved the blend of spices/flavorful taste. Will definitely make again!
I’m so glad that you and your family are enjoying this – thank you for reporting back! And doubling it certainly sounds like a good idea 🙂
I was wondering if this would be able to go as a bread. I have made Apple Bread before. I thought if doubled I may be get 2 loafs. Any suggestions? Your recipe looks delicious I have to say. Going to enjoy looking at your other recipes as well. Thank you for sharing..
That’s an interesting question – I’ve never really thought about what makes, say, banana bread different from banana cake! This is probably a smidge softer than you might want for a bread. I’ve read that adding egg yolks or milk (in place of water) can make a cake denser, although obviously those wouldn’t work if you wanted to keep the recipe vegan. I wish I could be of more help…if you try adapting the recipe, please let me know how it goes!
why the vinger?