Did you ever think a cake made with whole wheat flour, flax seed and grated apples could taste so amazing you’d want three slices? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening here. Let’s do this!
This recipe was made in partnership with Bob’s Red Mill using their whole-wheat flour, which provides a rustic, hearty texture that I adore.
Whole-wheat flour also packs more nutrition that your average cake made with all purpose, and complements the rolled oats, molasses, and brown sugar perfectly. 
This recipe requires just 1 bowl, simple ingredients and comes together in about 1 hour. A cake in one bowl in one hour? Yes, dreams do come true.
Speaking of dreams coming true, check out this vegan cream cheese frosting! Just 4 ingredients and you have a luxurious, creamy frosting that takes this cake to the next level.
This cake is my new fall and winter favorite. It’s:
Hearty
Rustic
Gingerbread-infused
Perfectly sweet
Moist
Tender
Subtly spiced
Simple
Shareable
& Altogether perfect
Might I suggest this cake for holiday gatherings? Your friends will love you forever.
Because of its healthier ingredients, I would even argue it could be an acceptable brunch item (yes, I went there). Or, if you’re like John and me, enjoy a slice in the afternoon with hot tea.
If you make this cake, please let us know! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We love seeing our recipes come to life in your kitchens.
Cheers, friends!
1-Bowl Apple Gingerbread Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 batches flax eggs (2 Tbsp (14 g) flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp (74 g) water as original recipe is written)
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp molasses
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or sub olive or melted coconut with varied results)
- 1 1/4 cup grated apple (loosely packed // a mix of sweet + tart)
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (sub up to 1/3 with water)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Whole-Wheat Flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (softened // such as Tofutti or Trader Joe’s brand)
- 1/3 cup vegan butter (softened // such as Earth Balance // butter sticks are best // not the spreadable tub)
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup flour (this is optional for thickening // alternatively sub more powdered sugar)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional // for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (162 C) and butter two round cake pans, or an 8x8 baking dish (as original recipe is written // adjust number or size of pans if altering batch size). Add flour to coat, then shake out excess and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, prepare flax eggs by mixing flaxseed and water and let rest.
- Core apples (no need to peel) and grate. I recommend a mix of finely grated, and coarsely grated. Place grated apple on a clean dish towel and gently squeeze to remove about half of the juice. Set aside. (P.S. you should totally drink that apple juice.)
- To the flax egg, add sugars, molasses, oil, vanilla, almond milk, grated apples, and whisk.
- Set a sifter over something to catch fall out and add dry ingredients in this order: 1 cup whole wheat flour (amount as original recipe is written // use 2/3 of the total if altering batch size), baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (amount as original recipe is written // use remaining 1/3 of the total if altering batch size). Stir gently with a spoon, then sift over wet ingredients and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix).
- Lastly, add oats and stir again to combine, being careful not to over mix. The batter should be thick but pourable. If it appears too thick, add a bit more almond milk to thin and stir.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan(s). If you're dividing between two pans, it may look like there’s not enough batter but there is! Spread it in an even layer and it will rise while baking.
- Bake for about 30-35 minutes if using 2 round cake pans or about 40-50 minutes for an 8x8. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean and the edges should be visibly browned. Remove from oven and set out on counter to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare frosting. To the same mixing bowl (rinsed clean), add softened cream cheese, softened butter and beat or whisk vigorously to combine. Then add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments until thick and spreadable.
- Add flour at the end to thicken (optional - or just more powdered sugar). You want this frosting to be pretty thick so it won’t slide off the cake, so keep adding flour and/or powdered sugar until it reaches the right consistency.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, add 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the bottom layer and spread into an even layer. Then add the top layer of cake and frost generously with remaining frosting, coating sides last. Add crushed pecans on the edges (optional), slice and serve.
- The cake should be stored covered in the fridge for optimal freshness, and should keep for 3-4 days. Move to the freezer after that, and thaw at room temp before serving.
Notes
*Recipe adapted from my Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Muffins
*Frosting recipe from my Gluten-Free Zucchini Cake
Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)
This post was sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Minimalist Baker.
Holly says
FACK I FORGOT THE FLAX SEED EGG!!!
Oh no!!
Linda says
Getting ready to make this – looks great! Just a note – you said to add flour to thicken the frosting. I thought you weren’t supposed to eat raw wheat flour? Perhaps oats flour would be better?
Hi Linda, you can use additional powdered sugar instead! We aren’t sure how oat flour would turn out.
Sharon says
Can these be made into cupcake size cakes? If so, how long would you suggest they are baked for?
Thank you
Yes! We’d say check at 18-22 minutes.
Tracy says
Thanks, I ll keep you posted
Tracy says
Can I skip out the oats? I loathe the texture ( can’t stand quinoa flakes etc either)….I’ll tackle the cake once I get an answer as I don’t want to wreck your oh so appealing recipe:), Thanks
Perhaps sub for finely chopped walnuts? Or reduce the wet ingredients slightly. Let us know how it goes!
Sharon says
Hi, I made this gingerbread cake without the oats. I used buckwheat flour instead of oats (had to increase the ginger quite a bit) and moist.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Sharon!
Niamh O'Reilly says
Sounds great! Can I sub regular egg for flax egg?
That should work. Let us know how it goes!
Niamh O'Reilly says
Thanks! I used two eggs and it turned out great :) I added lots of fresh ginger and raisins too. I opted for a maple glaze and the cake was delicious.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Niamh! xo
Priscilla says
This cake was amazing! So moist and delicious, and tasty without being overpoweringly sweet! Thanks for another great recipe :). My family loved this!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Priscilla! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Cher says
Subbed out a few ingredients to keep this GF and it still turned out beautifully. So so good. Not too sweet. A fun variety for dessert. Thank you for this!
As a sidenote: I can never get this icing recipe to thicken up properly as it looks like it does in your photos, I ended up putting more than the recommended powdered sugar in and even added the flour and it turns out like more of a glaze. Any tips?
Hi Cher, we’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing! As for the icing, we wonder if the brand of vegan cream cheese or vegan butter you are using is more runny? We’d suggest tofutti vegan cream cheese and Earth balance buttery sticks.
Amber says
I made this for Thanksgiving Eve and it was delicious. Everyone, vegan and non-vegans enjoyed this cake. And I accidentally forgot the 1/2 of oil and it was still amazing. Maybe I didn’t ring the apples out enough so the juice made up for lack of oil because it was super moist and tasty!
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Amber! xo
Will says
This is my favorite cake recipe, and I’ve made it many times. I omit the molasses without substituting another sweetener. The apples, brown sugar, and spices combine for a nice flavour, but the molasses overpowers it and makes the cake too dense. Honeycrisp apples are best. I use coconut oil because I always have it and it’s easy to find.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Will! Thanks so much for sharing!
Amy says
Can I make this in a Bundt pan?
Hi Amy, we haven’t tried it, but other readers have done so with success. Let us know if you give it a try!
Sandy says
Hi,
What size cake pans did u use for this recipe?
Thank u!
6 inch!
Sparrow says
Could I swap out the whole-heat flour for Bob’s 1-1 GF flour?
Hi Sparrow, we haven’t tried that, but maybe? Let us know if you try it!
mark says
Made this today as single layer in a 9” cake tin and it took a bit longer to cook – just over an hour. The cake is soft and the spices and apple pair beautifully. Opted for a maple syrup glaze instead of the frosting and it was a nice hit of sweetness. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mark! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Monisha Reddy says
Can I make this in a loaf pan ?
That should work! You will likely need to increase the bake time. Let us know how it goes!
meghan says
oooooooo so so good!! it’s spring so i used 1 1/2 cups of blueberries instead of the grated apple, 1/2 cup total of sugar, bit extra molasses and double the spices. added extra oats because it looked quite wet and it baked up so fluffy and lovely in an 9×9 pan. thank you!!
We’re so glad it turned out well, Meghan! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jacquie says
Made this with the GF flour blend and baked in one 8″ round tin for 50 minutes. Iced with the cashew buttercream frosting. It was delicious and super moist.
Sophie Kasperska says
I made this recipe for christmas and it was absolutely amazing. I subbed maple syrup and more suger for the molasses and the results were still good. I used a cashew frosting and it worked really well with the cake.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Sharon says
It was wonderful! My only question is the cakes did not rise as much as yours in the picture. It all tasted great and am making another one for New Years. Any thoughts on why it didn’t rise that much. I just bought Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer, what do you think about using that instead of the flax eggs? With my flax eggs nothing rises quite like I would expect it. Thanks for any input.
Hi Sharon, it could definitely be the egg replacer! It might be more dense than flax eggs and cause that. Acid can also help give it more rise. You can add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to the almond milk. We’re so glad you still enjoyed it though!
Malorie says
Hi there! Could you substitute melted vegan butter or canola oil instead of avocado? Thanks!
We think so! Let us know how it goes!
Hannah Bendock says
This made a pleasantly moist and modestly spiced apple cake. I feared it was too moist at first (maybe because it’s difficult to judge if you’ve extracted half of the juice from the grated apples), but after completely cooling, and especially the next morning, everything was holding together nicely.
I think I’d like to try squeezing out all of the apple juice next time and replacing some of that lost liquid with molasses for a darker/richer gingerbread, and also amp up the spices (at least doubling the ginger and/or adding fresh), including some cloves and maybe allspice and dry mustard.
Thanks for sharing, Hannah!
Also, next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Marla says
I made this cake for a family dinner and everyone loved it. I used 3 apple (2 Macintosh and 1 Granny Smith) I also ended up only using 2 cups of powdered sugar and no flour in the frosting. I used kite hill plain cream cheese and earth balance sticks for the frosting. The cake wasn’t as ginger heavy as I was anticipating from the title, but delicious non the less. Reminded me of carrot cake. I will absolutely make it again! Thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marla! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Samantha says
Is there any good alternative for the pecan topping? I have a nut allergy…
Feel free to omit!
Lauren says
DELICIOUS. I made this for a Friendsgiving and it was so good i made it again to share with my neighbors. I followed the directions to the letter. Perfection. I used honeycrisp and granny smith apples. ~3/4 cup honey crisp and ~1/2 cup granny smith. Thanks for this great recipe! Will make it again! :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! Thanks for sharing! xo
Zoe Way says
Made this with a couple tweaks and it was delicious. The family loved it. Thanks!
Great, thanks for sharing, Zoe!
michelle says
Can I substitute molasses for something else? I’ve used it a few times and just dont like the taste.
Hi Michelle, molasses gives it that classic “gingerbread” taste. But perhaps another sweetener such as maple or brown rice syrup?
Whitney says
This cake turned out great – fed it to a non-vegan crowd and it was a hit! I used real eggs instead of flax because I’m not vegan, just dairy-free. Also, I didn’t use any flour in the frosting – I just let it set up a bit in the fridge before using and it was perfect. I candied the walnuts and which gave it an extra little “something.”
Thanks for sharing, Whitney! So glad your modifications worked out!
Kathy Lawson says
Delicious! I even slightly messed up and it worked. I had put the layers in the oven and realised I hadn’t put the oil in so put it in after. It was only a minute of baking-oops.
I used grape seed oil, rice malt syrup, plain flour for the cake and vegan spreadable butter for the icing. I actually added lemon and vanilla to the icing as well- but I just like that.
It sat side by side on the dessert table with a regular carrot cake and the relatives were amazed at how good it was. Made them realise vegan eating doesn’t mean missing out on cream cheese icing!!
I’m making it again tonight.
Laren says
I don’t know what happened, but this did not set up for me. It was very liquidy in the middle, even after baking an additional six minutes. I did swap half of the flour our for almond flour, but do that regularly without issue. Flavor was very good though.
Sorry to hear that, Laren! Swapping half the flour for almond flour likely had something to do with it.. If you give the recipe another try as written, let us know how it turns out!
Pam P. says
Delicious! I made this for a family gathering and received many compliments. The cake is moist and flavorful. I especially thought the molasses added depth to the flavor and the rolled oats provided a nice chewiness to the texture. The cream cheese frosting is perfect for the apple and gingerbread combination. Many thanks for this recipe!
Shireen says
Hello! Curious if I could sub whole wheat flour for spelt flour with the same results!
Thanks :)
Yes, other readers had success in using spelt flour in place of whole wheat!
Maddie says
Can I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour?
We haven’t tried, but I would recommend our GF blend!
Rebecca says
Hi, do you think the frosting from your 1-BOWL CARROT APPLE SNACK CAKE would be a suitable substitute frosting for this recipe? I’m just really wanting an excuse to try the cashew cream frosting! :D
Yes I do!
CINDY SAADA says
Is it possible to do this as a non-gluten cake? if so, what flour do you recommend?
Hi Cindy! I would suggest our GF blend!
Ashley says
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! It was so quick and easy. I can’t wait to make it again.
Debbie says
Hello… I am wondering if I could substitute coconut milk for almond milk as there is a nut allergy in the family
Thanks
Ashley says
I used lightly sweetened vanilla Flax milk and it turned out great. I don’t think you will have a problem with coconut milk.
Yes, coconut or another non-dairy milk will work!
Dawn says
This cake was a huge hit with my family! We love all the spices in this cake so I doubled them all to make it extra spicy!
I made the cake about five days before I needed it, wrapped it well in plastic wrap, and froze it.
On the day before I was going to serve it, I made the frosting (I doubled the amount of frosting), and I frosted the cake while it was frozen. Then I put the frosted cake back in the freezer taking it out about four hours before serving it.
I didn’t have enough Earth Balance for the frosting so I subbed in some shortening. Turned out great. I would have liked more of a cream cheese flavor. Next time I’ll double the amount of Tofutti in the frosting. I also added a bit of vanilla to the frosting.
The cake was beautiful, cut beautifully, and tasted so delicious. Even the carnivores loved it! Thank you for this perfect recipe!
Amy says
Made this for Thanksgiving dessert. My son has a nut allergy, so instead of pecans atop the frosting, we sprinkled diced crystallized ginger along the top rim. It was pretty! And sooooo tasty like all of your recipes. On Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for MB recipes that always help the vegan meals I make special!
Smart! Thanks for sharing, Amy!
Nicole says
Can I use aquafaba in place of the flax eggs? IF so, how much would you recommend?
Karol says
This looks so yummy! I’d like to make with eggs so how many would I use? I also cannot use almond milk so what substitute would I use.
Thanks
2!
Dawn says
Has anyone tried to freeze this cake? Would like to make ahead of time for Thanksgiving, but I’ve too much to do the day before.
Hi Dawn! You can freeze this cake for up to 1 month and frost just before serving!
Dawn says
Sweet! I’ll make it today! Happy Thanksgiving!?
Kim says
Hi I’m wondering I am able to use 2 glass pie plates instead as I don’t have 2 cake pans.
Thank you,
Kim
Hi Kim! Yes, that should work. You may want to reduce the baking temperature by 25 degrees and it may be ready up to ten minutes earlier if you are substituting a glass dish for a metal baking pan. This is because glass doesn’t heat up as quickly as metal but will become very hot once heated up. Hope this helps!
Kim says
It worked beautifully, this cake was a HIT with my husband and 3 year old son. We are a huge fan of your recipes, we use your cookbook at least 3 times a week, if not more, and are never disappointed!
Thank you!
Kim
virginia says
I see this is made with WW flour. Does it hold together if using GF flour (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 or another blend)?
Hi Virginia! We haven’t tried, but we’d suggest using our GF blend!
Larissa says
Great cake. I ended up adding 1/4 -1/3 cup extra flour because it was too liquidy. Glad I did because the consistency turned out perfect! My husband didn’t care for the texture of the oats, so next time I will try cutting them out and adding a bit more flour. Overall a delicious eggless cake recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Thanks for sharing your changes, Larissa!
Julia says
Hi Dana– can I sub applesauce for all of the sugars in the recipe?
Thanks!
Have a read through at the subs other readers made! You could sub applesauce for oil and then reduce the sugar, but I wouldn’t recommend using applesauce in place of sugar without reducing the other liquids in the recipe!
Flexielle says
Made this cake for my birthday and it was amazing!! I used spelt flour instead of wholewheat which was super tasty. Also we didn’t have any mollassis so I used some mollassis sugar and coconut sugar and treacle instead of mollassis. It worked amazingly! Added some ground ginger to the icing because I love ginger. Thanks so much for this amazing vegan recipe, we’ve successfully converted my family to vegan baking!
Allie says
Maybe you could revamp this and make a gluten-free version like your carrot cake!!
Amy says
This looks fantastic! I’d like to make it for my daughter’s bday. I’m allergic to oats, could you recommend a substitute?
You can leave them out! We added them for texture + nutrition!
Amy says
The cake turned out beautifully! I added extra flour to get the right consistency. Everybody loved the taste and texture of this cake. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Yay! So glad to hear, Amy!
Anthony Back says
This looked terrific but not being vegan and not experienced with the modifications, I used 2 regular eggs, a mixture of melted butter and walnut oil, frosted it with organic cream cheese (spiked with a little bourbon and powdered sugar). Terrific!!! Thanks Dana!! Hope your other not-strictly-vegan readers will be inspired and your vegan readers not too offended…!
Ashley says
What kinds of apples do you like to use in this recipe? Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith for the tart? Looking for something to make for Christmas!
Amanda says
Hi Dana!
This cake looks INCREDIBLE!!! I have two questions for you: I have to stay away from oils because of some intense digestion issues — do you think subbing applesauce in this would work, or would it change the texture too drastically? And: I’m unfortunately unable to get to the store before making this and don’t have all the ingredients for the frosting — would it work to do a powdered sugar frosting or glaze on this? I know it won’t be quite the same…but I’m in a pinch! Would love your thoughts. Thanks!
Courtney M Ransom says
Love love love this recipe. Used an extra half an apple and subbed for half the oil and topper with a sprinkle of pepitas because it was what I had on hand. Next time I plan on making it without the frosting, so I can have a yummy, healthy breakfast! Definitely a keeper!
Vanessa says
I see. Thank you for the reply!
Vanessa says
The recipe sounds delicious, but I am just wondering… on your about page you say that there is no sponsored content on the website and this page clearly states that it is sponsored.
Hi Vanessa! While this post is sponsored, we no longer create sponsored content.
Renee says
I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was loved by all, even those who were skeptical about a gingerbread cake. Everyone had a massive slice and took some home so I had no leftovers.
Changes I made:
*I subbed brown sugar with coconut sugar
*When I went to cool the two cake layers, I accidentally dropped one of them on the floor (rookie mistake). So I made another batch and ended up having 3 layers in total
*I put candied ginger in between the middle and top layer and it was a major hit
I already have requests to make this cake again. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Renee says
As an update: I made this again (since it was such a hit last time) but this time as cake pops with melted chocolate on the outside. Wowzers, were these amazing!
Once baked I cooled the cake layers and mixed it in a bowl with the frosting. Then I rolled them into balls and put them in the freezer to set for about 10 minutes. Then I melted the chocolate and dipped each cake ball into the chocolate. Once done I let each set on a cookie sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Great success!!!
Dawn says
I made this cake for a combo birthday cake/Thanksgiving dessert. AMAZING!! I didn’t have almond milk so I subbed with soy. I also subbed the organic cane sugar for coconut sugar. It was so delicious! It is now my new favorite cake! For an extra hit of ginger, I may add either fresh or candied ginger in my next recipe. If you like frosting, I recommend doubling the frosting recipe … especially if you’re making a layer cake. It was scrumptious!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Samantha says
Great cake recipe! Very forgiving, I un veganized it and doubled the spices and it was delicious! Had to mess around with the frosting but thats because i used the not vegan versions I’m sure and the water content was different
Stephen Sinclair says
Couldn’t wait for the cool weather to return so I could make this perfect cake again. I put all the batter into a spring form pan. No frosting. Just a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar. Like to keep things simple, but elegant. Was a huge hit at dinner this week. The molasses is key!
Trine says
Found this recipe while looking for vegan cakes online and you specifically say “vegan cream cheese frosting” and then the recipe asks for butter in the pan and butter in the frosting… Last time I checked, butter comes from cows…
Trine says
Oh, never mind, I see you’ve written “vegan butter” in the ingredient list. Still confusing choice of words in the instructions.
Esther McNaughton says
Can I leave off the frosting?
Hi Esther! You can leave off the frosting if you would like!
Meghan says
This looks so yummy! What are your recommendations for making it gluten free? Can I sub all purpose gf flour 1:1 or should I try to use a combo of gf flours?
Hi Meghan! That should work!
Zhanna says
I made this last night and it turned out soooo tasty! Better than any bakery bought cake (imo), knowing that I made it myself.
I added some coconut flakes in the batter, frosting, and as a topping.
It didn’t turn out as *pretty* as the one pictured here but I’m not a professional so I didn’t expect it to.
The only thing was that it took longer to make than 1 hour. It would’ve been nice to have an extra set of hands helping me out.
Thanks for this recipe :)
Sherri Lee says
Excellent!
Thomas Karlmann says
Frosting: I’d lose the powdered sugar (it’s refined sugar!) and replace with raw Agave, then add some Psyllium to thicken.
Olga says
I made it yesterday. My husband took it today to his job. I got three -WOW- from his coworkers ( non gluten free) and request for the recipe. Just amazing. I substituted molasses for honey and brown sugar for agave syrup and i used 2 cups of spelt flour.
Louise says
Hi, just wondering what size round baking form this recipe is designed for?
Dawn says
I just made this cake and used 8” cake pans. Turned out perfectly.
Giovanna Garcia says
Many thanks for the really fabulous and delicious recipe, I really liked its texture and flavor. For my intolerance to gluten and as refined sugar consumption. Use quinoa flour and carob flour, organic honey and organic coconut sugar and only sodium bicarbonate. I made the cake for a lunch with my friends and they loved it. I really like your recipes.
Stephen Sinclair says
Excellent! I baked the cake in a spring-form pan. After cooling for about ten minutes removed the ring and then only maybe thirty minutes later we started cutting slices and putting butter on them. Before you knew it half of it was gone! The next day when I served what was left just powdered the top. I’ve made the above frosting before and it’s delicious, but with a rich cake like this don’t want the frosting competing with the flavors of the cake. I’m thinking this recipe would make good muffins. Next time! Thanks again for all your great recipes.
Dawn says
Have you tried making muffins? If you do, please let me know the baking time.
Jackie Dubravsky says
This cake is amazing!! So super delicious. Everyone loved it, even the meat eaters! Thank you so much for this recipe! The only thing I did different is use coconut oil for the vegan butter in the frosting.
Will definitely make many times in the future!
Suzanne says
I made this last night for an Imbolc dessert. I had to make a few subs though, 1/2 cup honey for the brown sugar and steel cut oats instead of rolled. The result was still very good, although the oats were a bit chewy. I just had another piece this morning and it was better- the oats were more tender, I assume because of the humectant factor of the honey. I also didn’t have any of the icing ingredients so I slathered the middle with rose hip jam and topped it with a melted vegan chocolate bar. I would make this again but next time perhaps with the rolled oats or just more wheat flour.
Renuka says
Dear Dana,
I reallly do wish you would reply / write back. Have left comments & queries on sooo many of your recipes since May 2016!
Regarding this recipe- I don’t have access to a vegan cream cheese and vegan butter in India. What are my alternatives for the icing? Same case with some of your other cake that call for a cream cheese frosting. Some I feel would be ok without a frosting, but like this and the zucchini one- I feel a frosting would take it up a notch. Any suggestions / recommendations?
Hi! You could try substituting vegan cream cheese for cashew cream! I have not tried it for this recipe but if you give it a try, let me know how it goes. Hope this helps!
Eleanor says
Wow..I have never made a vegan cake and this was delicious! I used AP flour instead of wheat and only needed 1 cup of cashew milk. I used tofutti cream cheese and was skeptical because I was not a fan of it by itself but it turned out to be a good icing when mixed with the powdered sugar and vegan butter. I did not add flour to the icing. Just powdered sugar and tasted until it was sweet enough. Thanks for the recipe!
Lindsay says
My non-vegan mom said this cake made her believe in vegan desserts. Thanks for the fantastic recipes!
Shelly says
Hi this sounds FABULOUS! Just wondering if you used 8″ or 9″ round cake pans for the layer cake?
Sasha says
Made this cake for work holiday party and it was a huge hit with everyone from vegan to lactose intolerant to all the others. Was initially anxious about what pans to use since two round is not really the same as one 8×8. I used 2 8×8 square pans and it was fine. Used parchment paper in the bottom for ease and toasted pecans for the top. It’s definitely a stretch to call this a one bowl recipe – what do you grate the apples into and where do you catch the sifted flour? (hint: more bowls) I had a sink full of dishes by the end, but it was worth it anyway.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing! I grate the apples right into the bowl, or into a towel and wring out any excess moisture. I sift the flour right over the bowl!
Caitlin says
Alas, this recipe flopped for me! It ended up WAY too wet and mushy, and refused to bake all the way through even I gave it some extra time in the oven. (Which presented its own problems: because of the apple juice, I think, the outside started to get really brown and crisp even when the inside of the cake was still goo!)
The taste was nice, but the soggy texture made this cake unsalvagable. Bummer. The only thing I can think of is that I didn’t squeeze enough juice out of the apple…though, to be honest, I was dubious about this recipe from the start because 1 1/2 cups of almond milk + 1/2 cup of oil seemed like a LOT of liquid.
This is the very first recipe of yours I’ve tried that didn’t work out, and I see that other people made this cake successfully, so I’ll give it another go at some point! Next time I’ll really wring out the apple and perhaps use a lighter hand with the milk/oil.
Shelley says
My husband made this today so we could have a nice treat after decorating our Christmas tree. We couldn’t wait so we had a slice pre-decorating because it just smelled so amazing! It reminds me of fruit cake but, next level.
Elizabeth says
Absolutely delicious, love the moist apples in the middle. This will be my new birthday cake every year. Thank you!
I’m wondering if you can substitute some or all of it with All-purpose flour?
That should work!
Elizabeth says
Would i use the exact same amount of cups? I’m making it today
Sallie says
I made this cake for my vegan family members for Thanksgiving. I also made the vegan pot pie, including the vegan biscuits, and the mashed potato and cauliflower vegan side dish, all from this website and all in time for Thanksgiving lunch today! They were all delicious, but the cake was a big hit. I am not a particularly good cook, but found these recipes very easy to follow. I would recommend using a food processor for grating the apples as I realized I wasn’t going to have time to do it with the manual grater. I used about 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar to get the icing thick enough, and it was sweet, but yummy! Thank you for such a wonderful resource for vegan cooking!
Ron says
Dana, trying to find a dairy free dessert recipe for my GF’s daughter who is college age. This looks dairy free to me, yes? or how could I adapt the recipe to make this dairy free. Ron in Dallas.
Yes!
Akhila says
Is there a substitute for molasses that I can use?
Thanks,
Akhila
Hmm, maple syrup? Or brown rice syrup? It is pretty key to the flavor, though. Best of luck!
Donna says
I had apple butter in the slow cooker and with that smell in my house went searching for a spicy apple dessert. I subbed gluten free flour mix for the flour (adding an additional 1/4 cup as I often do when subbing for wheat flour) and baked the cake in a bundt pan. My son and I both ate a big piece last night and now I have a perfect snack for my fall hike today. This recipe is a keeper!
Jeff says
Another excellent recipe. I subbed 1/4 cup apple sauce for half the oil.
Brook Moniger says
Fantastic! The flavor was amazing! Overall an amazing recipe and I will definitely make again. I gave it 4/5 stars for a two reasons: I used two 9 in cake pans and they were quite thin, but it still worked. It doesn’t specify what size in the recipe so I’m curious, what size do you recommend? And secondly I found it to be almost too moist, almost mushy…but this was not a huge deal. I’m wondering if I didn’t squeeze out enough of the apple juice? This is another thing that would be beneficial to specify in the recipe, how much juice should be squeezed out? (like a measurement) My batter was pretty runny. I made a vegan orange vanilla buttercream frosting with vegan butter, powdered sugar, orange zest and vanilla…which was a huge hit!
RunningPathES says
I made this for Rosh Hashana and it was a hit. I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons: first, the cake itself was just a wee bit bland, and second, it was actually almost *too* moist in the center, to the point of almost soggy. Neither of these things kept us from gobbling it up, though! The icing was perfect. I put pecans on the outside just like in the picture. I will definitely make again, but probably play with the spices a bit, and I may try with carrots rather than apples at some point, as well.
Rebecca Pierce says
I substituted the apples for carrots, came out amazing! Love this cake and so does everyone I’ve made it for.
Katherine says
Delicious!! And easy! I threw together a coconut oil based buttercream with vanilla, ginger and apple cider vinegar and it was great with the cake. But I think it would be just as delicious uniced. I’ll keep this recipe up my sleeve as a go to afternoon tea cake I think! Thanks!
Jordan says
I subbed olive oil as well as used pears instead of apples, but it turned out quite (and I mean overly) moist? Usually like that but this time it was too much. Wasn’t a great texture however the icing was absolutely perfect. Tastes good, just the texture wasn’t good! Perhaps due to the subs I made :)
Alicia says
Made this in cupcakes for a snack for my dairy/egg allergic son. Halved the sugar and left off the icing. He LOVES them!!!
Amy says
Finally made this today (a bit slow I know) and. It. Is. AMAZING! Thank you for all the recipes you share on here, I absolutely love your blog :D
Shivi says
I made the cake, the icing was fine but the actually cake while texture was good had absolutely no flavour or sweetness :/ I followed the recipe exactly. I made it for xmas day, such a let down when my family already think vegan food sucks :(
Johanna Klotz says
Hi – This recipe looks perfect! I’d like to make it while my Mother in Law is in town, but she doesn’t do soy. Do you think the frosting would still be good if I left out the vegan cream cheese and just used non-soy Earth Balance? Thanks!
Holly says
Have you considered a 2.0 o
Holly says
Have you considered a 2.0 of this recipe? (Gluten free, please)
Lisa says
Hi Dana. The pictures of this cake are incredible. I want to eat it now. I don’t have the ingredients for the frosting so I’m wondering if this recipe would be good for muffins? Or maybe I can find another frosting recipe on here with ingredients I have on hand…I just don’t have the vegan cream cheese.
Thanks!
brittany says
will regular all purpose flour work for this or does it need to be whole wheat flour?
Katie says
This is my first Christmas being vegan and I’m excited to try all of your amazing holiday recipes. Is there a sub for the apples in the recipe? My fiancé has a severe sensitivity to apples, but he loves ginger!
Hmm, maybe carrot? Good luck!
Amanda says
Looks great! Is there a substitute I could use for the vegan butter? I only have Earth Balance available to me and it has palm oil in it. Just wondering thanks :)
Ellen Lederman says
Dana, this is going to be Thanksgiving dessert—but I have a friend who insists that the recipe won’t work because there is no acid like lemon juice or vinegar! (She also says you can’t trust a blog—I’ve tried to tell her your recipes have been nothing short of excellent).
Seems like lots of people have made this and loved it—-so Judith is wrong, correct?
Hi Ellen! Molasses is slightly acidic, so it helps the cake rise. To give it even more rise, add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to the almond milk! Good luck!
Ellen Lederman says
Fantastic! We did add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Moist, like hummingbird cake. Liked the frosting as well. Maybe next time we would add raisins (for reasons I can’t explain—maybe just to put our own signature on it, because really it was perfect).
Thanks for a great Thanksgiving cake….and for all you do, all year round.
Tania says
Thanks for this recipe – I’ve been looking forward to baking this now that Autumn is here. Should it call for 2 apples or … ?
Best,
Tania
Olivehurst, CA
randy says
hi, why did you used oats in the recipe? is it for texture? can it leave it out?
It was for texture + nutrition, but yes, you can leave it out.
Shan bush says
This cake and icing are fantastic. I did it as a test bake for Thanksgiving and this cake is so moist and has such good flavor. I’m so glad I found this recipe!
Angie says
Thanks for sharing. Made this today (with extra ginger in the cake and a tub of Tofutti in the frosting!) and it’s delicious.
Penny says
I just made the ugliest version of this cake and have too much respect for your consistently excellent recipes to tag it. It tasted wonderful but looked a hot mess. I believe I put too many apples.
Penny says
To be clear! It was my mistake and I’ll be making it again without trying to eyeball the apple. ?
Tammy says
Any ideas to sub for all the icing sugar? I might use half of the amount…..
John says
Just made this for my mums 81 St birthday
Thanks we all loved it!!! Amazing …
Jeff says
I’m not much of a baker, but this is so great…made it three times in two weeks. Spectacular. Shared with many in person, and on instagram and Facebook, always including your blog. Perhaps an oddball sub…I used pomegranate molasses instead of conventional (which would sit in my pantry for years), to good effect. Also, I always used a bundt pan and was always fine. (It does shrink a bit once out of the oven.) I came on tonight to ask about cupcake adaptation. Any thoughts..? (I see puravida asked above but there’s no answer.) Again..I’m not much of a baker..! Thank you.
Sarah says
So good! Has anyone tried baking this in two loaf pans? If so how did you adapt the time or how should I adapt it if I try that?
I’d recommend baking it in one loaf pan! Not sure on the baking time, but probably at least double. Let me know how it goes!
Catherine says
HI
I am from the UK so cook in Celsius. The temperature seemed very low but I went with it. The cake just didn’t cook through the middle. I don’t understand why!
I worked it out as about 160 degrees C
Any suggestions??
Thanks
I could tell the taste should have been great!
Ann says
I just recently found your website and love it. I make vegan cakes all the time and I’m looking forward to making this on. Does the flour in the frosting taste like flour? I never thought of using flour to thicken frosting.
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Alex says
Just made this tonight and it was a hit with the whole family.
Taylor says
I made this for a group of omnis last night and they loved it! I love the texture of the grated apple in the cake. I changed up the frosting a bit because I was out of vegan cream cheese: used 1/2 stick earth balance with 3-4 T of cookie butter (!) and added about 2 cups of powdered sugar with a little vanilla and cinnamon too. It was amazing!
Thanks for sharing, taylor! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Jan Bancarz says
Made this cake for company a few days ago using GF flour. Turned out fine. My husband loved it – he said he loved the fact that the cake is not sweet but the icing is – a good balance. I am not a “sweetie” so I found the icing too sweet for my liking. There were no leftovers the next day – a good sign!
Christa says
Made this tonight for my hubby’s birthday. So darn good. Made a Cookie butter frosting to top it off. This was my first time making a cake from scratch. It was amazingly easy. Thanks
Kate says
Made this for Christmas, everybody loved it! I ended up using 2 square pans because it turns out I only have one circle pan haha. In the end, everything was fine!
Amanda says
I made this today to bring to Christmas dinner and my family (vegans and omnivores) loved it! I’m definitely making it an annual tradition.
Ah, yay! Thanks for sharing, Amanda! xoxo
Gwen says
We made it with local spelt flour, local apples and decorated with gingerbread cookies adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/949872/honey-spice-gingerbread-cookies
I want to send a photo but I’m not on Instagram!
Yay! You can send us an email if you’d like!
gwen says
We made it three times already! I recommend subbing a fruit & nut muesli for the oats & candied ginger for ginger. Suggestions to reduce sugar in frosting?
Jana says
AMAZING! Huge hit at Christmas Eve dinner.
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Jana!
Michelle Barrett says
I made this cake for my family holiday dessert. It was delicious! Everyone loved it. I did ad lib a bit in making it as I don’t own a sifter and did my usual mixing of dry ingrediants in a bowl with a wink. I also added pumpkin pie spice rather than cinnimon and added it to the frosting as well.. Also put the shredded apple in a glass measuring cup and pressed juice into a cup rather than a towel.. I just had a piece for breakfast and it was so yummy with my coffee. Will definitely be using this recipi again soon.
Great! So great you loved it. Thanks, Michelle!!
Dori says
I made this as my bday cake and it is delicious. Made it last night, refrigerated it, and served it as breakfast – we have a family tradition of eating bday cake for breakfast rather than desert at night so we don’t have to wait as long to celebrate! I highly recommend this recipe and would definitely make it again. It’s worth noting, I love all your recipes I’ve made thus far – maybe 5 or so – they never disappoint. Well done, Dana!
Carmin says
Saw the notes about freezing the cake, does it come out all OK once it’s put in there?
Puravida says
Do you think this would work for cupcakes? Thank you!
Roberta Wiebe says
Hi, I subbed GF flour for the WW, and the icing I made sugar free with; one & 1/2 cups of light cream cheese, 1/4 c butter, 1/4 c maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla, & 1/2 tsp of maple flavoring, it was delicious & the icing wasn’t too sweet.
Great, thanks for sharing Roberta!
Rachel says
Hi Dana,
I love Minimalist Baker and all your blog really inspires me! Recently, I started my own blog too. I’m creating a list of holiday recipes to share and I was wondering if it was okay to feature this one by using one of your pictures and linking it to this original post. Of course, I will provide all the proper credits. Please let me know, thanks!
Rachel says
oops theres a typo in the first sentence haha..
Yes! Thanks Rachel. Follow our sharing guidelines and you should be good!
Zoe says
Recipe looks divine!I live in South Africa and we really don’t flax eggs and other fancy products.what could I substitute It with?
chia seeds, or just 3 Tbsp pureed pumpkin or butternut squash!
Laura says
Has anyone tried this with gluten-free flour?!
Not yet, to my knowledge, but I would suggest my GF blend!
Laura says
This is wonderful- thank you!
Ashlee says
This looks SO good! I’ve been pecan obsessed lately so I can’t to mix it with this cake beauty.
Tanya B says
I am going to be honest and say that 99% of the time I have no desire to go Vegan or Vegetarian or Gluten Free, but when I see your recipes, I think I might actually not mind it. Your recipes always look delicious, and the things I have made always turn at well. Just wanted to say, keep up the good work, and maybe you will convert this dedicated omnivore one day. :)
haha, best compliment ever!! Thanks, Tanya!
Jeri says
Hubs says this cake is heavenly. I did add cloves and more ginger as I love those spices. I also used fresh lemon juice instead of vanilla in frosting. I toasted the pecans. It is a delicious, hearty, yet moist cake that we will enjoy again!
Whoop! Love it. Thanks for sharing, Jeri!
Robin says
Do you have any sugar free recipes. I am diabetic. I know I can use Stevia in the Raw for the cane sugar but what can I substitute for the brown sugar and molasses.
Ruth says
This cake is fantastic. I adapted to make it gluten free by using my favourite GF flour and adding xantham gum. The results were wonderful! Posting a pic on Instagram.
Susan says
Thanks Ruth! I was really hoping someone had tried this with gf flour. This looks so delicious—it will be on our table this week!
Anne (Days of Flavour) says
I really need to contain myself from licking the screen right now.
Renee H. says
Oh my, yum! I bet you could swap the grated apple for grated carrots for a bomb-diggity carrot cake! I will take one of each, please.
Renee
Kristin of YesNomads.com says
This cake looks amazing. I will definitely be trying this out during the X-Mas family gathering.
Thanks for sharing.
Rebeca says
Just wanted to let you know that I adapted it to make it sugar and gluten free and it turned out great!
Megan Hansen says
What type of gluten free flour did you use Rebecca? I was thinking oat flour would taste okay
Rebeca says
I used a mix of oat and brown rice flour, and I also added a bit of flax seed mixed with hot water.
Emilie@TheCleverCarrot says
Um yes… of course it would taste amazing! You made it. Plus, you are the 1-bowl queen! Win, win all around. xx
Jenna Krabacher says
This recipe is amazing! I made it Friday night and it was gone Saturday. So I made it again Sunday and it will be gone by Tuesday. Super easy recipe and amazingly YUMMY!!
Lindsay says
I made this yesterday. It turned out great! I subbed coconut milk (from the carton) for the almond milk, and I made a butter cream frosting instead. I also only needed to bake for 25 minutes, and a toothpick came out clean. I love the healthier ingredients! It did take quite a bit longer to make, because of the apples, but it was worth it!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Lindsay!
Easy, Healthy and Yummy says
let me tell you: I looove your 1bowl recipes! This is exactly my point of view. I hate too difficult prepartaion and this is great!
Thanks for sharing. Also – your pictures are amazing (like always). I bough your course few months ago and I hope that mine pics are improved as well :)
So great! Thanks for sharing and for the kind words! xoxo
Fi at this and that blog says
This cake looks amazing and I can’t believe it uses so little effort, utensils and ingredients! I’m definitely going to give this a go! Thanks for sharing. Fi xx
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
This cake looks SO delicious. Definitely craving a thick slice of it devour right now… a recipe i need to make too, I can never go past a great one bowl wonder!
Alice says
If I read correctly, the frosting has raw flour in it. From what I know, raw flour is one of the reasons that you should not eat raw cookie dough (raw eggs are the potentially another reason).
So, maybe a nut flour or similar product should be substituted. Otherwise, looks very moist and tasty!
Thanks for sharing! I think a nut flour would work OK in this recipe. However, over that I would recommend just using more powdered sugar.
Lee says
Need dat cake in my bellayyyy. And I’m still swooning over those utensils :D
Emma Hodgson says
This looks SO good, I’m a ginger addict so will definitely be trying this out! Thanks x x
Megan Hansen says
This looks great! I want to make it for my mom!! Any ideas on how to make it gluten free?
Nancy says
Yes, I was scrolling along nc here to see if anyone had already asl d about gluten free! Bob’s Red Mill does make some different gluten free flours.
Kristan says
Wowzers.. This. You. Too perfect.
Sandy says
My house has what is like to call a MBA(Minimalist baker addiction). My freezer is always full of your WW waffles and pancakes. You own the recipe for our absolute favorite one bowl chocolate cake. I’m positive this will be a well loved recipe of yours as well! Xoxo Washington
Ah yay! That made my day! Thanks for sharing, Sandy!
Robyn @realfoodwholelife says
I love Bob’s Red Mill everything. Do you know you can visit their headquarters and eat their specialty pancakes? Worth the trip to Oregon City. The frosting looks amazing, btw. Might just make that and eat it with a spoon. :)
Ayesha says
Hey Dana,
I’ve noticed that your desserts tend to use vegan butter (earth balance) in them, do you know any other alternatives other than earth balance that I could use in this recipe for the cream cheese frosting?
Thanks!
Ayesha says
or actually, maybe i could even eliminate the butter?
feruza says
oops, I meant ‘flour’:)
Hmm, not sure! If you give it a try, let me know!
feruza says
Do you think this could be made with Rice flower? Looks amazing!
Caren says
This sounds so amazing! My husband has a slight allergy to flax seed so I try to avoid it for him. Any suggestions for baking without flax? Maybe a chia egg?
Yes! A chia egg should do well here. Otherwise, try 3 Tbsp pumpkin puree!
Caren says
Thanks so much! I’ll have to report back when once I’ve made it. :)
Chelsea says
Hi Dana,
I am a superfan of your blog, and I love making your recipes! Do you think this cake would work as a bundt? I can totally see this on my christmas dessert menu but want a bundt for the centerpiece. Do you think it will stick to the bundt and make me crazy, or should I go for it?
Hi Chelsea! Great question (and thanks for the love). Hmm, I say go for it! I had no problems with sticking in my cake pans, so it should be find as long as it’s buttered and floured as I mention in the instructions. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Jeff says
I’ve only made it in a non stick plus greased and floured bundt pan with never a problem. I’ve also subbed pomegranate molasses for the molasses in your recipe w no problem ..!
Ala says
I’ve been looking at gingerbread cakes everywhere these days–this one sounds so simple and lovely though! I’m just about to dig into my Bob’s Red Mill stash as well, so I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yay! Hope you love it Ala!
Arthur in the Garden! says
Yummy!
Alicia Latour says
omg, this looks amazing! props !
CakePants says
This looks absolutely marvelous! I love the idea of adding grated apple to gingerbread – this cake looks deliciously moist. And I never even noticed that Trader Joe’s had vegan cream cheese…I’ll have to keep an eye out for it, because I know my family would adore this cake!
Yeah! It hides near the tofu – it was quite the find!
Brittany at I Love Vegan says
I think I found my birthday cake for this year! Yay! This looks absolutely AMAZING Dana!
DO IT – perfect winter birthday cake!
jenna @ just j.faye says
This cake looks fantastic! I’m all about the molasses these days!
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
This cake was soooo good! Thanks for bringing it to Ali’s house, it was an honor to eat your food!
Ah, yay! It FINALLY made its appearance! haha – good memory!
Stacy | Keeping Willow says
I love baking but sometimes it’s just so much work. This looks simple and delectable. I think this will be a great cake for my daughter’s birthday.
Yes! Healthier birthday cake to the rescue. Hope you all love it!
chen says
Would it be ok to sub applesauce for the oil? And is blackstrap molasses too intense for this? Thank you in advance! I’d like to make this for Christmas.
I don’t think it would be too intense, but feel free to scale back if you’re worried. You can sub applesauce for up to half of the oil, but it will affect the texture. Good luck!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
One bowl for this beauty?! YES please!! And so many good for you ingredients packed into this cake as well. Love it!
Danielle @.Chits and Chats and Chocolate says
I’d eat this for Brunch! And that frosting—- oooh. Looks fantabulous.
You get me.