Vegan Apple Fritter Cake
This vegan apple fritter cake is buttery, packed with soft cinnamon apples and drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze. It tastes just like apple fritters, minus the effort and deep-frying!
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Vegan butter adds a rich and cozy depth of flavor that helps make this cake reminiscent of apple fritters. Alternatively, you can use a neutral-flavored oil and extra salt. It won’t have the same richness as butter, but the cake will still be delicious.
Dairy-free yogurt adds structure and thickens the cake batter, which helps prevent the apples from sinking.
Granulated sugar helps keep the cake light, brown sugar for the gooey apples and powdered sugar for the icing.
Baking powder and baking soda work together to help the cake rise. Baking soda also encourages browning and creates a richer flavor to give the cake a more authentic golden apple fritter flavor instead of just a basic apple cake.
Ground cinnamon coats the apples, and ground nutmeg adds a nostalgic bakery-style touch to the cake batter.
Prepare the Cake Batter
One of the best things about this apple fritter cake is how easy it is to make! No yeast, no proofing and no mixer needed.
To make the batter, in a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients until well combined. In another bowl, melt the butter and mix in all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the dry ingredients, stir until combined and that’s it! The cake batter will initially look very dry, but it’ll loosen up after a minute as the sugar will dissolve.
While most of my recipes come together in one bowl, using two mixing bowls is definitely worth it for this recipe! Since you’ll already be melting the butter in a pouring jug or bowl, you can mix the rest of the wet ingredients right in it. Plus, mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately helps prevent overmixing which keeps your cake perfectly soft.
The batter will be nice and thick, which stops the apples from sinking to the bottom. Don’t worry, the cake will not be dry! The batter absorbs the natural juices from the apples during baking, and the cake will turn out beautifully moist and soft.
Prepare the Cinnamon Apples
After you prepare the cake batter, toss the apples in the sugar and cinnamon until just combined. Yes, I recommend doing this after your cake batter is ready!
If you let the apples sit in the sugar for too long, they’ll release their natural juices before baking and this can create dense or gummy pockets in your finished cake. It’s ok to let the apples sit for 5-10 minutes but 30 minutes is a bit too long.
Assembling the Apple Fritter Cake
First, spoon half of the cake batter into your pan and smooth the surface.
Then, scatter a layer of the coated apples on top, using about two-thirds of the total fruit. I prefer keeping most of the apples inside the cake rather than on top because apples on top absorb the icing and can become too damp. Feel free to split the apples evenly, if you prefer!
Next, dollop the remaining cake batter on top and carefully smooth the top. When you smooth it out, don’t worry if some of the middle apple pieces get caught in the batter.
Finally, scatter the remaining apple pieces on top and your cake is ready to bake!
Once your cake is done baking, let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
When the cake has completely cooled down, drizzle and spread the icing on top. If you prefer a gooey cake, you can ice the cake when it’s warm – the cake will absorb the icing and become sweet and gooey in spots.
Expert Tips for the Best Apple Fritter Cake
- Dice the apples before starting the cake batter, but don’t toss them in the sugar until you’re ready to use them! Sugaring the apples too early draws out excess juices which can cause the cake to bake unevenly and have dense and gummy spots.
- Don’t overmix the cake batter as this will make your cake tough. Initially, the batter will feel very thick but will naturally loosen up after a few minutes as the sugar dissolves.
- Measure the flour accurately to ensure your cake is not too moist or too dry. For the best results, use the gram measurements. If you only have measuring cups, use the spoon and level method.
- Don’t add more apples than the recipe asked for. I experimented with adding more apples to this recipe and it resulted in a dense, stodgy and overly moist cake that took ages to cook.
Customizing This Cake
I haven’t tested this but I don’t recommend it because the recipe is already packed with SO many apples. Adding more ingredients or components will weigh down the cake. Instead, check out my apple coffee cake or apple crumble cake.
Yes, this recipe works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure gluten-free flour. Other gluten-free blends may produce different results.
This cake is best enjoyed on the day of baking, so you may want to make only half the cake if you’re serving a smaller crowd. The recipe works really well in an 8-inch loaf pan and will take around 50-55 minutes to bake.
The cake will also work in a 9-inch square pan, though it’ll be shorter. Just reduce the bake time by around 5-10 minutes. Or bake it in an 8-inch round cake pan for around the same time as the original recipe.
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Vegan Apple Fritter Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¼ cups (280g) all-purpose plain flour, spoon and leveled
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (120g) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (115g) dairy-free yogurt, room temperature (note 1)
- ½ cup (115g) vegan butter, melted and cooled (note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Apples
- 3 cups (420g) peeled and diced apples, (about 3-4 medium apples)
- 3 tablespoons (40g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Icing
- ⅔ cup (80g) powdered sugar, or as needed
- 3-4 teaspoons dairy-free milk, room temperature, or as needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang. Dice your apples before you start preparing the cake.
Prepare the Cake Batter:
- Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl or pouring jug, add all the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick. Set aside.
Prepare the Cinnamon Apples:
- Add the diced apples, brown sugar and cinnamon to a medium bowl and toss until just combined.
Assemble and Bake:
- Spoon half the cake batter into your prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the apples on top (or enough apples to generously cover the surface). Gently press some apples into the cake batter.
- Spoon the remaining batter on top and carefully smooth the top. When you smooth the second layer of cake batter, it may lift some of the cinnamon apples. The trick is to avoid lifting your spatula as much as possible, but don't worry if it's not perfect.
- Scatter the remaining apples on top.
- Bake the cake for about 53-58 minutes. The cake is ready when the surface is golden brown and the middle springs back when lightly touched. If you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, it should come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Decorate and Serve:
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the icing. For a thicker icing, mix in more sugar or for a thinner icing, mix in more liquid.
- When the cake has cooled completely, drizzle over the icing and spread it evenly with a spatula or spoon. If you prefer a gooey cake, drizzle the icing while the cake is slightly warm so the glaze can soak in.
- For the cleanest slices, use a serrated knife to cut the cake. Enjoy as is or with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream. The cake is best enjoyed the day it's baked, as it naturally becomes moister over time. Store any leftovers at room temperature with a loosely fitted lid for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 3 days. (note 3)
Notes
- Alternatively, unsweetened applesauce works well in this recipe. It’ll make your cake a bit sweeter so you may want to reduce the sugar in the cake by 1 tablespoon (13g).
- Instead of melted butter, you can use 1/2 cup (110g) of a neutral-flavored oil. It doesn’t have as much depth of flavor so I suggest increasing the salt to 3/4 teaspoon.
- This cake is actually stored best when you leave the container slightly cracked open! A completely airtight container can trap moisture from the apples, causing condensation that can make the cake overly moist. Also, keep in mind that the icing will soften over time.
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