This vegan applesauce cake is a delicious dessert (or snack) that's perfect for a special occasion or just an ordinary day. This cake is light and fluffy, full of spices and apple flavor, and not too sweet. It is easy to make and requires only simple ingredients.
While I don't usually serve cake for a snack, this homestyle vegan applesauce cake is the exception. It's flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg which makes it perfect for fall. It's also super easy to make so I can whip up this cake any time.
It's so delicious, you don't need any frosting! Just add a dusting of powdered sugar and you're done. And since it's made with applesauce and not fresh apples, you probably have all the ingredients in you pantry.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's not too sweet. Some applesauce cakes are slathered with frosting. This recipe has just a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
- It's light and fluffy. No dense cake here!
- It's full of warm spices. This recipe has a good amount of cinnamon and nutmeg.
If you are looking for more recipes with cinnamon, try out my vegan rice pudding, vegan chai cupcakes and vegan zucchini bread.
Ingredient Notes
This vegan cake is make with simple and wholesome ingredients.
- All purpose flour - If you want to add some whole grain flour, you can substitute up to ½ the total amount of flour with whole wheat flour.
- Brown sugar - You can use either light or dark brown sugar.
- Applesauce - Store bought unsweetened applesauce is perfect but you can also use homemade applesauce if you have any around.
- Vegan butter - My favorite vegan butter to bake with is Country Crock Plant Butter. It comes in both tub and stick form which makes measuring easier.
- Non-dairy milk - I prefer baking and cooking with unsweetened soy milk. Almond milk and oat milk would work well too. I wouldn't use coconut milk as it gives too much coconut flavor.
- Powdered sugar - If you want to make 100% sure your sugar is vegan, buy organic.
Please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and amounts needed.
If you love baking with apple flavor, try my vegan apple galette and oil-free apple crisp,
How To Make Vegan Applesauce Cake
Step 1: First, preheat oven to 350°. Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by lightly coating with non-stick oil spray.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, ½ cup of white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make sure there are no clumps.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, vanilla, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and apple cider vinegar until combined. Whisk until nice and smooth.
Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Step 5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 6: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes into the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 7: Put the powdered sugar in a small wire mesh sieve and sprinkle on top of the cake.
Step 8: Serve as is or with one of the suggestions below.
If you need more easy vegan cake recipes, try this matcha cake with frosting and chocolate bundt cake.
What To Serve With Vegan Applesauce Cake
This simple dessert is perfect as is, but you can also make it more decadent.
- Serve warm with vegan whipped cream.
- Top with vanilla vegan ice cream.
- Spread some vanilla whipped frosting on top.
- Enjoy with a cup of tea.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature
Store any leftover applesauce cake in an airtight container at room temperature. Eat the leftover cake within 3 days.
Freezer
After cake is cooled completely, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, simply defrost overnight in the fridge before serving.
You can also slightly warm up pieces of cake in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to use whole wheat flour, you can substitute up to 1 cup of the white flour with whole wheat flour. It will affect the texture a bit and make it a little denser.
No, I don't bake with flax eggs (ground flaxseed and water). They make baked goods too dense. This cake is light and fluffy!
If you want to add some dried fruit, I recommend mixing in ½ cup raisins before pouring the batter into the pan.
Vegan Cake Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Applesauce Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Easy Vegan Applesauce Cake
Equipment
- 8" x 8" baking dish
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by lightly coating with non-stick oil spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, white sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the melted vegan butter, sugars, vanilla, applesauce, non-dairy milk, and apple cider vinegar until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Put the powdered sugar in a sifter or a fine mesh sieve and dust the top of the cake, if you are using it. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I use unsweetened soy milk but almond milk would work great too.
- If you want a sweeter cake you can add a simple glaze. Simply mix a few tablespoons of powdered sugar with a small amount of non-dairy milk until you get a desired consistency. Then drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Jen says
We love this cake. It’s just sweet enough without going overboard. It’s easy to make too.