This Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake is so delicious, you won't mind that it's missing a few ingredients (like eggs and milk). It's fabulously moist and perfect for any occasion, especially Fall.
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This eggless apple upside down cake is so delicious that the non-vegans never noticed anything was missing. This cake is moist for days and a perfect treat for the Autumn months when all things apple spice just sound nice.
The warmth and coziness of apple upside-down cake make it a classic treat that is perfect for any occasion. The soft, cakey crumb has a subtle sweetness that perfectly balances the pronounced apple flavor.
If you're looking for another vegan apple recipe idea, check out my Spiced Vegan Apple Bundt Cake. It's a wonderful cake as well but let's not overlook the simplicity of this upside-down cake.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's delicious. Serve Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake as-is or with vanilla ice cream because we all know warm apple cake is great with ice cream. Yum!
- You can use your favorite apples. Make it with your favorite sweet or tart baking apples (or a combination of them), and enjoy a dessert that's both easy to make and impressive to look at.
- You won't notice the missing milk and eggs. This is one of those recipes that tastes so good you won't even notice what's missing. Perfect for sharing with everyone! Kind of like our Eggless Banana Bread.
🛒 Ingredients
Vegan butter- You'll need some dairy-free plant-based butter to help cook and saute the apples.
Brown sugar- Adding a little brown sugar to the apple slices will help them to caramelize.
Apple- Use your favorite baking apple for this cake. You can use a sweet or tart variety, depending on which you choose. If you still have apples, be sure to try our No Bake Apple Donuts and Vegan Banana Bread with Applesauce.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use inexpensive apples. Basic varieties like Gala, Fuji, or even slightly soft apples work perfectly here, so there's no need to splurge on specialty baking apples.
Skip specialty substitutes. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar both work, so use whichever is cheapest or already in your pantry.
Make it stretch. Double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13-inch pan to feed more people without doubling your prep time.
🥄 Instructions for Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of an 8-inch cake pan. Set the pan aside.
Step 2: In a skillet on the stove, warm your apple slices and butter with brown sugar until the apple slices are soft and hot. Set the pan aside to cool.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well mixed.
Step 4: Stir in the vanilla, vegetable oil, vinegar, and water until no flour streaks remain.
Step 5: Pour your apple slices into the prepared cake pan and try to make it an even layer so every slice will get apple pieces. It's okay if some apple slices overlap.
Step 6: Pour the cake batter over the top of the apple slices.
Step 7: Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Step 8: Wait about 10 minutes before flipping the cake onto a plate to reveal the apple slices on top. This helps the syrup to set.
Slice and serve.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Even slicing: Cut apples about ¼-inch thick for consistent cooking and texture.
- Prep efficiently: An apple cutter and corer speeds things up and creates uniform slices that bake evenly.
- Precook the apples: Briefly cooking the slices prevents them from floating to the top and ensures the cake bakes evenly without mushy fruit.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage: Store cooled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-30 seconds or in a low oven until heated through.
Make Ahead: Bake the cake a day in advance and refrigerate. You can also freeze it ahead of time and thaw before serving.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve this Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, plus a cup of coffee or tea. For a dessert spread, pair it with Easy Spiced Pear Cobbler, Sugar-Free Cherry Pie Filling, Cherry Apple Crisp, or simple slices of Eggless Banana Bread.
- Easy Spiced Pear CobblerRecipe $9.11 / Serving $1.14
- Sugar Free Cherry Pie FillingRecipe $8.19 / Serving $1.02
- Cherry Apple CrispRecipe $9.06 / Serving $1.13
- Eggless Banana BreadRecipe $1.73 / Serving $0.17
❓ Recipe FAQs
After this cake has cooled completely, keep it stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This will help it to stay fresh for days and still be enjoyable. If you allow it to sit on the counter for a few days, the apples will cause the cake to become soggy, and the apples will smell fermented. These are two things that we want to avoid.
If stored properly in the fridge, this cake can last about 3-5 days and still be great. You can always reheat a slice in the microwave or oven to warm it up before eating if you find you prefer it that way, though.
Yes, after this cake has been baked and cooled completely, you can freeze it as a whole or in slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge before eating.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
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- Cherokee Fry Bread RecipeRecipe $0.70 / Serving $0.07
- Vegan Slider BunsRecipe $1.19 / Serving $0.10
- 5 Ingredient White Bread RecipeRecipe $0.96
🐝 If you tried this Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Apple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Apple Topping
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Cake Batter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
- Cook apples. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Add the brown sugar and sliced apples and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Layer topping. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Slight overlap is fine.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add wet ingredients. Add the vanilla extract, vegetable oil, vinegar, and water. Stir until the batter is smooth and fully combined.
- Assemble. Pour the batter evenly over the apples in the pan.
- Bake. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Invert and serve. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and carefully invert to release the cake. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Vinegar choice. Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar both work well.
- Apple slicing. Slice apples about ¼-inch thick for even cooking.
- Why pre-cook apples. Cooking the apples briefly prevents them from rising into the cake batter during baking.
- Scaling. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9x13-inch dish. Adjust baking time as needed.
- Storage. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Reheat before serving if desired.
Nutritional Information
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