Description
A delicious vegan apple upside down cake featuring tender apples glazed with a cinnamon-vanilla caramel sauce atop a moist, spiced cake. Perfect for a cozy dessert or special occasion treat served with dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Topping
- 1/2 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter or oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven and grease pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the sides of a 9-inch cake pan with vegan butter, but you do not need to grease the bottom. Set the pan aside.
- Prepare the apple topping: In a small saucepan, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk occasionally until fully melted and combined, cooking for about 1 minute while continuously whisking. Remove from heat and stir in the ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour this caramel sauce into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Arrange the peeled and sliced apples evenly on top of the sauce.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Add the melted vegan butter or oil, unsweetened applesauce, unsweetened soy milk, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined—do not overmix to keep the cake light.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the prepared cake batter evenly over the apple slices in the pan, spreading gently to cover the fruit. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and serve: Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate so that the caramelized apples become the top layer. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally with dairy-free vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all purpose flour with gluten free all purpose flour.
- You can swap the apples with other fruits such as pear slices for a different flavor.
- Ensure not to overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
- Use vegan butter alternatives or neutral oil as preferred.
- Serve with vegan ice cream or whipped cream to keep the dish fully vegan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
