Autumn Apple Cake {Vegan}
Well, it’s November. It gets dark at 5 pm and here in BC we appear to be living in some kind of environmental apocalypse.
Large chunks of our province are currently under water, and any land routes in and out of the lower mainland have been completely destroyed, effectively cutting us off from the rest of Canada.
We live in strange times.
I’m grateful I bought toilet paper on my last Costco trip already, because apparently that’s become a thing again. The reality is, I love a fully stocked pantry, because it allows me the freedom to make whatever I’m craving when I’m craving it. There is almost never a time when I don’t have flour, sugar and other basics on hand. One of the advantages of cooking vegan is that you also don’t need perishable items like eggs and milk. Bonus!
There’s a farm not far from me where they grow a lot of their own produce, and they also bring in local produce, like from the Okanagan. I have no idea how long it will be before those supply chains open up again, so I’m grateful I was fully stocked up with fresh, crisp Galas, which ended up in this apple cake.
The apple cake recipe seems a bit complicated; it does have three parts. There’s the streusel topping (which, trust me, you don’t want to skip, it’s the crown on this queen), the chonky stewed apples with bourbon and sugar, and then the actual base cake itself. So, yes, it has three components, but all three of the components are pretty easy. The end result? Delicious. Comforting. Fall in a bite.
So if you’re trapped in your house because it’s dark at 5 pm, at least you’ll have a nice slice of apple cake to cozy up to.
Apple Autumn Cake {Vegan}
Ingredients
For the apples
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 4 small, crisp apples like galas or ambrosias peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp bourbon or rum (optional)
For the streusel
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 6 tbsp white sugar
- 6 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
For the cake
- 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp apple sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a 7 or 8" springform pan with parchment or grease it well with vegan butter.
To make the apples
- Peel and core the apples. Cut them in half, then quarters, then eighths. Cut into 1/2" chunks.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, place the butter, then the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Toss well and allow to cook down together until the sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the bourbon if using, and allow it to cook for a few minutes to get the alcohol out. Set aside.
To make the cake
- In a small bowl, place the non dairy milk and the lemon juice and give it a good stir. Set aside while you complete the next step.
- In the bowl of your mixer, place the butter and the sugar and cream them well together for about 3-5 minutes.
- Next add the applesauce and the vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add the acidified milk and beat. It will look weird, but don't worry, it will come together when you add the flour.
- Add the salt, baking powder, cinnamon and flour and beat just until combined, everything comes together and there are no lumps.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Pour the apple mixture over top and side aside while you make the streusel.
For the streusel
- In a small bowl, mix together the sugars and flour. until they are combined.
- Cut the vegan butter up into small pieces and drop them into the flour-sugar mixture. Using your hands, work the butter into the mixture, pressing it between your fingers, until the mixture is sandy in texture. Spread this in an even layer over the prepared cake.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for about half an hour before removing from the pan.