A rustic vegan apple cake topped with crunchy demerara, studded with juicy sultanas and generous apple chunks — the perfect plant-based teatime treat.
This simple vegan apple cake is a successful baking experiment: hearty and rustic rather than delicate, with a crunchy demerara top and a moist, sultana-studded crumb beneath. It’s not a show-stopper in terms of appearance, but its textures and big apple pieces make it irresistibly comforting with a cup of tea.
📝 What you need
Ingredients
- 150 g dairy-free margarine
- 225 g soft brown sugar
- 150 g unsweetened dairy-free yoghurt (plain soya works well)
- 150 ml unsweetened dairy-free milk (soya or oat milk)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 35 g rolled oats
- 90 g sultanas (or substitute dried cranberries or chopped dates)
- 3 small to medium eating apples (peeled and diced for the batter; keep one unpeeled and thinly sliced for the top)
- 40 g demerara sugar (for the crunchy topping)
Equipment
Use a fairly deep 20cm cake tin; a loose-bottomed or springform tin makes it easier to remove the cake after baking. You can make the batter by hand with a large bowl and spatula, but a hand whisk or electric mixer will make it quicker to cream the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
👩🏽🍳 Apple Cake Variations
This recipe adapts easily if you want to change flavours or add texture. Try one of these tweaks:
- Add nuts: Roughly chopped walnuts or hazelnuts (about 50 g) add a pleasant crunch.
- Use pears: Just-ripe pears make a tasty alternative to apples; avoid overly soft fruit that will break down while baking.
- Include ground almonds: Add 50 g ground almonds with the flour for extra moistness and a richer texture.
- Switch the dried fruit: Swap the sultanas for dried cranberries or chopped dates for a different sweetness profile.
❄️ Freezing
This cake freezes well, making it ideal to prepare ahead of time. Wrap it airtight, and if you freeze slices, thaw them completely at room temperature so the apple pieces recover their juiciness.
🍽 If you liked that…
You might also enjoy these other vegan bakes and autumnal desserts:
- Vegan Polenta Cake with plums & lemon syrup
- Sticky Vegan Orange Cake
- Vegan Blackberry Muffins
- Classic Vegan Apple Crumble
📖 Recipe
Vegan Apple Cake with Sultanas
A rustic vegan apple cake with a crunchy demerara topping, studded with sultanas and generous apple chunks. Ideal for afternoon tea.
Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 1 hour • Total time: 1 hr 15 mins
Serves: 12 slices • Calories: approx. 319 kcal per slice
Ingredients (metric)
- 150 g dairy-free margarine
- 225 g soft brown sugar
- 150 g unsweetened dairy-free yoghurt
- 150 ml unsweetened dairy-free milk
- 300 g self-raising flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 35 g rolled oats
- 90 g sultanas
- 3 small-medium eating apples (2 peeled and diced, 1 cored and thinly sliced)
- 40 g demerara sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 175°C (fan) / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20 cm cake tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
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Cream the margarine and soft brown sugar together in a mixer or large bowl for 2–3 minutes until fairly pale and fluffy.
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In a jug, stir together the dairy-free yoghurt, milk, cinnamon and lemon zest.
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Peel and core two of the apples and chop into chunky pieces. Core the third apple and slice it thinly to arrange on top of the cake later.
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Pour the yoghurt-and-milk mixture into the creamed margarine and sugar. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix gently until just combined.
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Fold in the oats, diced apple chunks and sultanas, taking care not to overwork the batter.
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Tip the mixture into your prepared tin and smooth the top. Arrange the reserved apple slices over the surface in whatever pattern you prefer.
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Sprinkle the apple slices with demerara sugar. Bake for 60–80 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. A shallower cake in a larger tin will cook faster. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the remaining time.
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Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then lift it out, slice and serve. It keeps well for several days at room temperature and can be frozen in slices for later.
Nutrition (approx. per slice)
Calories: 319 kcal • Carbohydrates: 55 g • Protein: 5 g • Fat: 9 g • Sugar: 32 g • Fibre: 2 g
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it went — feedback helps improve recipes and inspires others to bake.
This recipe is loosely adapted from a classic apple cake and has been veganised and adjusted to highlight big apple pieces and a satisfying oat texture. It’s perfect for colder months or whenever you want a comforting, homely bake.
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