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–+ servings
two slices of apple cake with frosting and cinnamon sprinkled on top on plates alongside cinnamon sticks and fresh apple slices.

Vegan Apple Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

With freshly grated apples and swirls of cinnamon throughout, this apple cake with cream cheese frosting is truly the perfect cake for Fall!
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Course: Dessert, Vegan Cakes + Cupcakes
Cuisine: American, Vegan Desserts
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 9 slices
Author: Megan Horowitch

Ingredients 
US Customary - Metric

Apple Cake:

  • 2 large apples peeled, grated, & strained
  • ½ cup oat milk
  • 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups pastry flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 6 Tablespoons vegan butter
  • 6 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese
  • 2-3 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 ⅓- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar start with 1 ⅓ and add more if you would like a sweeter frosting
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8*8 inch square pan with parchment paper or grease the pan lightly. Set aside for later.

Grate & peel the apples

  • First, peel the apples to remove the outer skin. Then, use a grater to grate them into a bowl. You can also cut them into large chunks and shred them in a food processor.
  • Use a mesh strainer to strain out the excess juice. We JUST want to use the grated apple here and remove the extra moisture for the right cake texture. If you can't find a mesh strainer, you can do this with your hands, but it usually leads to more apple waste, and you may need to grate another apple.
  • Add the grated & strained apples to a large mixing bowl.

Make the cake batter:

  • Next, add the oat milk, apple cider vinegar, sugar, oil, and vanilla to the bowl of grated apples and whisk together.
  • Then, add in the dry ingredients, starting with the pastry flour and then adding the apple pie spice, baking powder, salt, and baking soda on top.
  • Mix into a thick batter. I recommend starting with a whisk and then switching to a spatula so the batter does not get over-mixed. The batter will be a bit chunky, which is totally okay!

Bake the cake:

  • Pour the batter into the pan and add to the oven. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then carefully move to a wire rack to finish cooling completely before frosting.

Make the cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

  • Once the cake has cooled completely, make the frosting. Start by adding the butter, cream cheese, and cornstarch to a bowl. Use a standing mixer or electric mixer to whip for a minute or two until combined and fluffy in texture.
  • Gradually whip in the powdered sugar and ground cinnamon until incorporated. Once combined, I recommend whipping the frosting for minute or two longer to make it extra fluffy!

Frost the cake:

  • Use a cookie scoop to add the cinnamon cream cheese frosting to the cake and then spread it out with a cake spatula.
  • Top with an extra dusting of cinnamon, dried apple slices, or even fresh apple slices. Then, serve & enjoy!

Notes

  • Please see the blog post for substitution ideas & recipe tips.
  • You can bake this cake in a circular 9-inch pan for similar results.
  • This recipe can also be doubled and baked in a 9-by-13-inch pan if you want to make more cake. Please keep in mind, baking time may vary slightly depending on the pan size, so I recommend checking on your cake at the 25-minute mark.
  • If unfrosted, the cooled apple cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil and stored at room temperature for 24 hours.
  • If frosted, you can cover the cake and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  • You can also slice it and store it in a closed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Just defrost at room temperature for about 1 hour before enjoying.

Nutrition

Serving: 1large slice | Calories: 477kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!