This Vegan Apple Cake recipe is packed with spices like cinnamon and ginger, loaded with chunks of fresh apple, and frosted with delicious bourbon buttercream. It's easy to make, super moist, and absolutely delicious. This is truly the perfect Fall dessert!
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I love incorporating apples into baked goods! They add pops of sweet-tart flavor and pair so well with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger. Lately I've made Apple Pie Cupcakes, Healthy Apple Crisp, and Apple Pie Cookies. What can I say? I'm in an apple mood!
And this Vegan Apple Layer Cake with bourbon frosting is what I make for a Fall celebration! It is surprisingly easy to make and is as delicious as it is beautiful. The cake layers are so tender and moist and packed with chunks of fresh apples. And if you are new to making layer cakes, don't worry! I give clear step-by-step instructions so you can nail it on your first try. So, let's make it.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe uses simple ingredients.
- The cake layers are super soft, moist, and full of warm spices like cinnamon and ginger.
- This Vegan Apple Cake is completely eggless and dairy-free, so anyone can enjoy it.
- The cake is frosted with a 4-ingredient bourbon buttercream, which pairs so well!
- And most importantly, it's absolutely delicious.
Ingredient Notes
Flour: This recipe uses regular all-purpose flour. And if you've been here for a while, you know I only love King Arthur Flour.
Non-Dairy Butter: I love Country Crock Plant Butter. It tastes great and is easy to find.
Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, and allspice are the spices I chose to make this vegan apple layer cake. But you can also use a pumpkin pie spice mix if you have it on hand!
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but coconut milk, almond milk, or soy milk will all work with identical results.
Apple: I used a Cosmic Crisp apple this time, but I have made this cake with Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, too! They are all delicious, so just use your favorite.
Bourbon: You'll need a high-quality bourbon for the Maple Bourbon Buttercream Frosting. I like Maker's Mark.
Variations
If bourbon frosting isn't your thing, make my Vegan Brown Sugar Frosting or Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting instead!
And if you are more of a pumpkin person, what are you doing here? Make my Vegan Pumpkin Cake instead!
special Equipment
You'll need two 8-inch round cake pans to bake the Vegan Apple Cake layers. My favorite cake pans are made by Fat Daddio's.
I also recommend a stand mixer to make the frosting. You can use a hand mixer, but it takes a little longer.
How to make the Vegan Apple Cake
Step 1. In a large bowl, add brown sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, vinegar, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.
Step 2. Then, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Whisk to form the batter.
Then, add chopped apple chunks and fold them into the batter.
Step 3. Then, portion the batter into two prepared 8-inch cake pans and bake the vegan apple cake layers in a 350* oven for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting!
Step 4. Once the cakes are cool, make the bourbon frosting.
Cream the vegan butter using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Then, add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Finally, slowly add the maple syrup and bourbon while the mixer is running. Then, scrape the bowl down with a spatula and mix until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Step 5. Now stack the cake! Place a cake layer upside down onto a cake plate or a cake board that is placed on top of a turntable.
Top the cake layer with about ¾ cup of frosting.
Step 6. Use a butter knife or mini offset spatula to spread the frosting all the way to the edge of the cake.
Step 7. Add the second apple cake layer, upside down again, and use the same butter knife or offset spatula to frost the outside of the cake.
Step 8. Finally, decorate the exterior of the Vegan Apple Cake however you like! I used an offset spatula to create some texture on the side of the cake, and piped a simple border on top and sprinkled it with cinnamon sugar.
And serve!
Recipe FAQs
Place it in a cake box or large container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Or, if you just have a couple of slices, place them into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I love Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, or Granny Smith apples! They are tart, crisp, and great for baking.
You won't taste the vinegar in the final product, but vinegar helps activate the baking soda for a nice and fluffy cake.
Expert Recipe Tips
Chop the apple as small as you can so it distributes evenly throughout the cake batter. I aim for about ½ inch cubes.
If you are a beginner at making layer cakes, once the Vegan Apple Cake layers are cool, place them in the freezer for about 20 minutes before you start decorating. This will make the cake layers firm so they don't move around while you frost them
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Apple Cake with Bourbon Buttercream
Equipment
- 2 8 Inch Round Cake Pans
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer For the frosting!
- 1 Offset Spatula or Butter Knife For frosting the cake
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt half this amount if using table salt!
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Allspice
- 1 ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
- 1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk
- 10 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon White Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Medium Apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes This will be about 1 ½ cups of chopped apple
For the Frosting
- 1 ½ Cup Vegan Butter, room temperature I love Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- ¼ Cup Maple Syrup
- 3 tablespoon High-Quality Bourbon
Instructions
Bake the Vegan Apple Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by greasing them well with shortening and inserting parchment circles into the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Whisk to combine.2 ⅔ Cup All-Purpose Flour, 2 ½ tsp Baking Powder, ½ tsp Kosher Salt, 1 Tbsp Cinnamon, 2 tsp Ginger, ½ tsp Allspice, ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, vinegar and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.1 ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed, 1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 10 Tbsp Vegan Butter, melted and cooled, 1 Tbsp White Vinegar or Lemon Juice, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter. Then, add the chopped apples and use a rubber spatula to fold them into the batter until they are evenly distributed.1 Medium Apple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes
- Portion the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and spread the batter out evenly. Bake in a 350* F oven for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before decorating. See note!
Make the Bourbon Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream the vegan butter until smooth and creamy. Then, add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on low until combined.1 ½ Cup Vegan Butter, room temperature, 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- While the mixer is running, slowly stream in the maple syrup. Stop and scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula, then start the mixer again and slowly stream in the bourbon. Scrape the bowl down once more and turn the mixer to medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 20 seconds.¼ Cup Maple Syrup, 3 Tbsp High-Quality Bourbon
Build the Vegan Apple Cake
- Place a completely cooled cake layer upside down on a cake board or cake stand. (See note!) Add about ¾ cup of frosting to the top and use an offset spatula or a butter knife to spread the frosting to the edges.
- Place the remaining cake layer on top, upside down again, and use the same offset spatula or butter knife to frost the exterior of the cake.
- From here, decorate as desired. I used an offset spatula to create some texture on the side of the cake and an Ateco 807 round tip to make a top border. Then, sprinkled the cake with cinnamon sugar.
Allison Walston says
Delicious! I made these as cupcakes to celebrate on Saturday. Used the brown sugar buttercream recipe too. Also delicious. Best part was licking the bowl & extra batter because no eggs!
Megan Calipari says
So happy you liked the cake! The brown sugar buttercream would be the perfect combo!
Alison says
I made the cupcakes and they were so good!! Especially with the maple bourbon buttercream on top! Thanks for the recipe 🙂