Vegan Apple Coffee Cake with a thick cinnamon sugar swirl, layer of juicy apples and buttery cinnamon crumb topping. This recipe is essentially half coffee cake, and half apple crumble!
Ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Apples, peeled and chopped. I prefer using sweet snacking apples, such as Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp as they add natural sweetness to the cake. If you prefer a less sweet cake, you can use Granny Smith apples.
Unsweetened applesauce adds moisture to the cake and helps thicken the batter without adding more flour. We need a thick batter to support the weight of the fruit and crumble. Alternatively, you can use dairy-free yogurt.
Granulated sugar for the cake, and light brown sugar for depth of flavor in the crumb topping.
Non-dairy milk. I always like using soy milk in baked goods for texture and depth of flavor. Oat milk is also popular for baking!
No eggs are needed for this recipe! The baking powder, apple cider vinegar, and apple sauce all help replace the moisture and rising function of eggs.
Prepare the apples, crumb topping and cinnamon sugar
Even though this apple coffee cake has several components, they’re all easy to make as you just mix the ingredients in separate bowls. No special equipment needed!
After mixing the crumb topping, I recommend popping it in the fridge. This helps set the mixture and ensures it remains crispy after baking.
Prepare the cake batter
The cake batter can be prepared just one large bowl, and you even don’t need a mixer! It comes together like a simple muffin mix, where you mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
Similar to my blueberry coffee cake, please ensure your applesauce and milk are at room temperature. If any of the ingredients are cold, the batter won’t emulsify well and your cake won’t bake consistently.
The batter is meant to be quite thick but don’t worry – your cake won’t be dry! The apple chunks, applesauce and oil in the cake ensure the cake doesn’t dry out :).
Assemble the apple coffee cake
To layer this cake, you will need to:
- Scoop half of the cake batter into your cake pan, and smooth the surface.
- Sprinkle all the cinnamon sugar on top. (Image 3)
- Scoop the remaining cake batter on top, and smooth it out. As the batter is thick, it’s easier to dollop the cake batter around the cake pan, rather than in the center. (Image 4)
- Sprinkle the apples on top. Don’t press the apples into the batter. (Image 5)
- Scatter the crumb topping on top. (Image 6)
Then, bake the cake in your preheated oven for about 1 hour 5 minutes. The cake is ready when you can insert a toothpick in the center and there’s no wet cake batter on it. Your toothpick might pick up some moisture from the apple layer which is fine.
This cake is the perfect treat with a hot cup of coffee in the afternoon or as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Customizing this recipe
Yes you can! There are no changes to the recipe/bake time if you don’t want to make the cinnamon sugar layer. If you bake it without the crumble, reduce the baking time to around 1 hour.
Alternatively, check out my classic coffee cake that has no fruit.
Yes, walnuts and pecans would be delicious add-ins! Add about ½ cup (50g) of chopped walnuts/pecans, and increase the melted butter to 6 tablespoons (90g).
If you don’t enjoy the texture of chopped apples, you can make my vegan apple crumb cake that uses grated apples!
More recipes for apple season
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Vegan Apple Coffee Cake
Servings: 16 slices
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar layer (optional)
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Instructions
Prepare the apple filling:
Prepare the cinnamon sugar layer (optional):
Assemble and bake the cake:
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Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Pour the remaining batter into the cake pan and smooth the surface. When you smooth the second layer of cake batter, it won’t stick to the cinnamon sugar. The trick is to avoid lifting your spatula as much possible, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect.
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Scatter the apples on top of the batter (don’t press them down). Then, sprinkle the crumble on top of the cake.
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Bake the cake for about 1 hour 3 minutes to 1 hour 8 minutes. The cake is ready when the topping is golden brown. If you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, it should have no wet cake batter on it.
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Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into slices. Serve the cake as is, or with a scoop of ice cream (see note 4 to make a simple icing). Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The crumble will soften over time.
Notes
- For more depth of flavor in the cake, you can replace half of the oil with butter. Use 3 tablespoons (45g) oil and 3 tablespoons (45g) melted vegan butter.
- Please ensure your applesauce and milk are at room temperature otherwise your batter won’t emulsify well, and your cake won’t bake evenly. If you use yogurt, I recommend adding an extra 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar to the batter as yogurt is less sweet than applesauce.
- If your butter is still hot, your crumble may resemble a thick paste rather than a crumbly mixture. Don’t worry because the fridge will help firm up the mixture.
- You can make a simple icing by mixing ¾ cup (75g) of powdered sugar and 3-4 teaspoons of dairy-free milk. Mix in more sugar for a thicker icing or more liquid for a thinner icing. When the cake has cooled, drizzle the icing on top of the cake.
