Vegan Apple Cinnamon Cake
A moist, warmly spiced single-layer cake loaded with fresh apples, sweetened with brown sugar, and finished with a cinnamon streusel topping. Dairy-free and egg-free with no compromise on texture.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for streusel)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (for streusel)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (for streusel)
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance), cold, cubed
Instructions
-
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
-
2
Make the streusel: combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for streusel), 1/4 cup brown sugar (for streusel), and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (for streusel) in a small bowl. Cut in 3 tbsp cold, cubed vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate until needed.
-
3
Whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.
-
4
In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable), 1 cup unsweetened almond or oat milk, 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Let stand for 2 minutes to curdle slightly.
-
5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in 2 peeled, diced apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp). Do not overmix.
-
6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter the streusel topping over the surface.
-
7
Bake for 38-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.