VEGAN Apple Crumb Cake
on Oct 15, 2023
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There’s nothing like baking on a chilly day, and this delicious Vegan Apple Crumb Cake is the perfect treat for Fall. Tender apples, fluffy spice cake, and crispy crumb topping makes for the ultimate Autumn dessert!
I love baking desserts in the Autumn months. Recipes like my Vegan Pumpkin Bread and these Fluffy Apple Muffins, are tried and true favorites that I make again and again. But my boyfriend and I recently spent the day apple picking at Demarest Farms in New Jersey, and I thought it would be fun to create a recipe that celebrated how delicious apples truly are this time of year.
Hence, this vegan-friendly apple crumb cake recipe was born. It’s easy to make and delicious served warm with ice cream on top. Pair this dessert with a warm cup of a coffee, and enjoy the delicious taste of Fall!
Apple Crumb Cake Recipe
The full recipe card can be found below, but here’s an overview to give you an idea:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then grate the apples, dice the remaining apples, and finely chop the walnuts. Set aside.
Step 2: Next, make the flax “egg” by combing ground flax seeds and water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken.
Step 3: Make the crumb topping by combining oats, flour, maple syrup, vanilla, walnuts, sugar, and oil in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Step 4: Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and then set aside.
Step 5: Next combine the vegetable oil and sugar in another mixing bowl and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Then add the applesauce, vinegar, and the thickened flax “egg” and whisk for one more minute until light and fluffy. Then add the grated apples and diced apples to the bowl, and switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon. Mix well.
Step 6: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the remaining half and mix again. Then transfer the batter to a lightly-greased 8 in round cake pan and smooth out the top.
Step 7: Sprinkle the oat crumble on top in an even layer and then bake for 50 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Serve with a warm cup of coffee or tea and enjoy!
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VEGAN Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 3/4 cup flour, all purpose
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt, I used Mortons
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 dash allspice
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil, refined coconut oil, not virgin
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp white rice vinegar
- 1 cup grated apples, Fuji or Honeycrisp work well for this cake
- 1 cup finely diced apples , Fuji or Honeycrisp work well for this cake
Crumb Topping
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then lightly spray an 8in round cake pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Next, chop the walnuts and set aside.
- Now time for the apples. You'll need 3-4 medium sized apples to get 1 cup grated and 1 cup diced. Start by grating an apple over the large holes of a box grater. Measure 1 cup of the grated apples and then set it aside. Then finely dice another apple and measure 1 cup. Set aside that aside too.
- Finish prepping by mixing the ground flax meal and water in a small bowl. Stir and set aside to thicken.
Make the Crumb Topping
- Mix the oats, flour, salt, maple syrup, vanilla, sugar, walnuts, and coconut oil in a bowl. It should be thick and stick together easily when you're done. Set aside.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well and set aside.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In another large bowl, combine the sugar and the coconut oil. Whisk for 1 full minute. Then add the applesauce, vinegar, and thickened flax egg and whisk for 1 minute.
- Then add the grated apples and diced apples to the bowl and mix well. Tip: I switch from using a whisk to a wooden spoon at this stage to make it easier.
Combine
- Then add 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir. When combined, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the flour is no longer visible, but be careful not to over mix.
Bake
- Transfer to the prepared cake pan. Smooth out the top lightly, and pour the crumb topping on top. Press it down lightly and bake for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean you can remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.
Serve
- Cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing for best results. Then serve with a warm cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!
This cake is absolutely delicious! I made it for my family as a fall treat and brought it along on our camping trip this weekend. The sweetness of the cake is balanced by the spices and fresh apples. I used a mix of Granny Smith and honey crisp since that’s what I had on hand. So tasty. I would definitely make this again. Such a cozy fall recipe!
This comment put a HUGE smile on my face! I am absolutely floating after reading it 🥰 Thanks for the feedback, I’m so happy you enjoyed my recipe!
This was really great! I used 2/3 granny smith apples and 1/3 whatever is on my apple trees which is a red, sweet variety and that combo worked out really well! I think next time (because I will absolutely will make this again) I may use all granny smith.
The crumble topping was delicious but didn’t get very brown. But I did use virgin coconut oil so next time, I’ll try what the recipe actually calls for (refined coconut oil) and/or add a few pats of butter over the top before baking and/or use butter instead of coconut oil in the crumble itself.
I made this yesterday. Used a granny smith and honey crisp apple. It was so good, really enjoyed the pieces of apple throughout the cake. Walnuts in the crumble added great flavor and texture. And the directions were written so well. At first, all the ingredients and steps were a little intimidating but following the directions step by step calmed all that down. Great recipe overall!