Vegan Apple Crumb Cake - Rainbow Nourishments

This vegan apple crumb cake is moist and fluffy and is topped with a pecan cinnamon streusel! It comes together in just 1 bowl with less than 10 ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Ingredients

Dry ingredients for the apple cake

▢ 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose plain flour, (note 1 for gluten-free)
▢ 1 cup (190g) packed brown sugar, coconut sugar or regular sugar
▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ Pinch of salt, optional

Wet ingredients for the apple cake

▢ 1 cup (240g) dairy-free milk
▢ 1 x (180g) medium-sized apple, grated very coarsely or chopped finely (note 2)
▢ ½ cup (120g) neutral flavored oil
▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, optional
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Crumb topping (note 3)

▢ ⅓ cup (35g) pecans, chopped
▢ ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons (30g) vegan butter, spreadable butter or coconut oil, softened
▢ 2 tablespoons (25g) packed brown sugar, coconut sugar or regular sugar
▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
▢ 1 x (180g) medium-size apple, sliced thinly

To serve (optional)

▢ powdered sugar / icing sugar

Instructions

Note: I recommend using grams for this recipe, except for the smaller spoon measurements. Like all my recipes, this cake was tested using grams.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease or line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper.

Make the vegan apple cake:

Add all the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until there are no lumps.
Add all of the wet ingredients to the bowl and mix until just combined. The batter should be thick. Scoop or pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.

Prepare the crumb topping:

Using the same bowl (or a smaller clean bowl), add all the ingredients for the topping. Mix with a spoon or your fingertips until combined. There shouldn't be any chunks of butter or flour.

Assemble and bake the cake:

Arrange the thinly sliced apple on the top of the cake in 'fan' shapes or as desired. Sprinkle the crumble in the gaps on top of the cake.
Bake the apple crumble cake for 55-60 minutes. If the crumble topping is browning too quickly, tent the cake pan with aluminum foil or cover the pan with an oven-safe plate. The cake is ready when you can insert a toothpick in the middle and there is no wet batter on it. The cake is very moist so a few crumbs on the toothpick are fine.
Rest the cake in the cake pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and allow it cool entirely on a cooling rack.
If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar or drizzle with a simple glaze (note 4). Enjoy with dairy-free yogurt, vegan ice cream or/and a cup of coffee.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Notes

For a gluten-free vegan apple crumble cake, substitute the plain flour for a good quality 1:1 gluten-free flour OR 1 ½ cups (150g) almond flour and 1 cup (160g) gluten-free all-purpose flour.
This cake will be too moist if you grate the apples too finely. Ideally, the grated apple shouldn't leak any juice. If your apple is extra juicy, use an extra 3 tablespoons (25g) of flour in the recipe.
For a healthier crumble, use the same amount of pecans, flour and cinnamon but combine it with 1 tbsp of maple syrup (instead of the sugar and butter). Mix all ingredients until there are no pockets of flour or syrup then crumble the mixture on the cake.
To make a simple glaze, mix 1 cup (100g) of powdered/icing sugar with 2-4 tablespoons of dairy-free milk until smooth. Add more sugar for a thicker glaze or more milk for a thinner glaze. Wait until the cake cools then drizzle the glaze on top.

Nutrition

Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!