Vegan apple cake is the perfect cake for fall!  Fill the house with the smell of cinnamon and apples baking with this easy salted caramel apple upside-down cake.  It’s moist, flavorful, and sure to be a hit with the whole family!

A vegan caramel apple upsidedown cake on a blue cake dish.

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This recipe came to me from my grandmother.  It’s not an old recipe passed down through the years, she created it last year, at the age of 88, for the local county fair baking competition where she won 2nd place!  The recipe sounded so good, that I had to make it vegan and try it myself, and it’s delicious!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • it’s quick and easy to make.
  • there is no need for frosting or decorating.
  • it’s pretty enough for a holiday or special occasion.
  • it’s super moist and delicious!

OMG! This was delicious! I was in the mood for something that would get me in the mood for fall and this did the trick!

—Christy
A slice of vegan apple cake on a white plate with a fork on the side.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the caramel apple topping

  • Vegan Butter – or any other neutral-flavored oil that you want.
  • Brown Sugar – for a caramel-like flavor.  You can also use coconut sugar.
  • Maple Syrup – to add moisture and sweetness.  You can swap it out with water if you don’t have maple syrup.
  • Salt – optional for a salted caramel flavor.
  • Apples – sliced thin to decorate the top.  You’ll need 1-2 apples for the top.

For the apple cake

  • Flour – all-purpose flour works best, but you can also use half whole wheat flour or a grain-based gluten-free flour mix.
  • Sugar – for sweetness.  White sugar will give you a whiter cake, but you can also use any other granulated sugar.
  • Baking Soda – to make the cake rise.
  • Cinnamon – is optional to flavor the cake.
  • Salt – for flavor
  • Plant-Based Milk – for the correct moisture level in the cake.  I like to use soy milk, but you can use almond, oat, or cashew milk too.
  • Apples – chopped up small in the cake. (optional) You only need 1/2 cup which is about 1 small apple.
  • Oil – to make the cake moist.  You can replace this with apple sauce to make it oil-free.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – to interact with the baking soda and help the cake rise.  You can use any type of vinegar or lemon juice for the acidity.

Note: you can also use a vegan yellow cake mix to make it super easy.  Just follow my super easy vegan cake recipe and put that on top of the caramel apple layer.

How to make a vegan apple cake

Make the caramel apple topping (This goes on the bottom of the cake pan, but will become the top when inverted.)

Step 1 – Peel and core 2-3 apples.  Cut 1-2 apples into thin slices (about 2-3 cm thick) and dice the other apple into small cubes. (You will need enough slices to cover the bottom of a cake pan and 1/2 cup of diced apples for the cake batter.)

Step 2 – Melt 4 tbsp of vegan butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup, and salt in a small saucepan and simmer until it begins to boil and the sugar is dissolved.

Step 3 – Pour the sugar mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 2-inch round cake pan and then arrange the sliced apples in a pattern in the sugar mixture.

A collage of 2 pictures showing melting the vegan butter, brown sugar and maple syrup to make the caramel layer for the apple cake.

Make the apple cake

Step 4 – Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C).

Step 5 – Measure out the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and give it a stir with a whisk.

Step 6 – Mix the oil, plant milk, and vinegar in a separate container and let it sit for a few minutes until the milk begins to curdle

Step 7 – Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well incorporated.

Step 8 – Toss in 1/2 cup of diced apples and fold them into the batter.

Step 9 – Spoon the cake batter over top of the caramel and apple layer so that you don’t disturb your pattern.

A collage of 4 pictures showing the dry ingredients, adding soy milk and apples, and spooning the cake batter on top of the apples and caramel.

Baking the cake

Step 10 – Bake the cake at 350° F (177° C) for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Step 11 – Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, slide a knife around the edges if they appear to be stuck, then invert the cake onto a plate. Don’t let it cool much longer than 10 minutes or it may stick to the pan. To remove, set a plate (or cake stand) on top of the cake, then quickly flip the cake over so that the cake pan is now sitting on the plate.  Tap the cake pan and wiggle it slowly until the cake releases and you can pull off the pan.

Pro Tips

  • I use a heavy non-stick cake pan and the cake always comes out clean without having to grease the pan, but if you have a thin aluminum cake pan, you may want to cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan.
  • Heat the caramel just long enough for the brown sugar to melt and become smooth.  Don’t let it boil or it will start to crystalize.
  • It is common for the butter and sugar mixture to bubble up and over in upside-down cakes.  You may want to place an old cookie sheet or some foil in your oven under the cake pan to catch any drips.

This apple upside-down cake will be a delicious addition to Halloween parties or your Thanksgiving dessert table.  I love that it looks pretty as is and there is no need for frosting or decorating.  However, if you want to turn it into a more traditional vegan apple cake, simply don’t put the caramel and apples at the bottom, then use the cinnamon version of my vegan buttercream frosting. And if you don’t want to make the cake from scratch, you can use any vegan boxed cake mix and follow the directions for my super easy vegan soda cake and spoon that on top of the caramel apple mixture.

How to make a gluten-free apple cake

You can swap out the flour in this recipe with any all-purpose gluten-free flour.  Make sure it’s a grain-based mix, it will not work with almond flour.  If the mix doesn’t have xanthan gum in it already, add 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum to the dry ingredients to help the structure of the cake.  You can also use a gluten-free cake mix and follow my soda cake recipe and put it on top of the caramel apple layer. If you’re looking for more gluten-free cake recipes gluten-free vegan chocolate cupcakes.

A vegan apple cake on a blue plate with a slice being taken out of it.

More desserts for fall

Vegan apple cake recipe

A slice being taken out of a vegan apple cake.
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5 from 10 rating

Vegan Apple Cake

Yield: 10
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A vegan caramel apple upsidedown cake made with simple ingredients for a perfect fall dessert.
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Ingredients

For the caramel apple topping

  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt , (you can add up to 1/2 tsp for extra salty caramel)
  • 1 cup sliced apples

Dry ingredients for the apple cake

  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

  • 1 cup soy milk, (or almond milk, oat milk, or any other plant-based milk)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup oil, any neutral-flavored oil will work
  • 1/2 cup apples, diced

Equipment

Instructions
 

Make the caramel apple topping (This goes on the bottom of the cake pan, but will become the top when inverted.)

  • Peel and core 2-3 apples.  Cut 1-2 apples into thin slices (about 2-3 cm thick) and dice the other apple into small cubes. (You will need enough slices to cover the bottom of a cake pan and 1/2 cup of diced apples for the cake batter.)
  • Melt 4 tbsp of vegan butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup, and salt in a small saucepan and simmer until it begins to boil and the sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour the sugar mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 2-inch round cake pan and then arrange the sliced apples in a pattern in the sugar mixture.

Make the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C).
  • Measure out 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp salt in a mixing bowl and give it a stir.
  • Mix 1 cup plant-milk, 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup oil in a separate container and let it sit for a few minutes until the milk begins to curdle
  • Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until they are well incorporated.
  • Toss in 1/2 cup of diced apples and give another small stir.
  • Spoon the cake batter over top of the caramel and apple layer so that you don’t disturb your pattern.
  • Bake the cake at 350° F (177° C) for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes, slide a knife around the edges if they appear to be stuck, then invert the cake onto a plate.  To do this, set a plate (or cake stand) on top of the cake, then quickly flip the cake over so that the cake pan is now sitting on the plate.  Tap the cake pan and wiggle it slowly until the cake releases and you can pull off the pan.

Notes

  • I use a heavy non-stick cake pan and the cake always comes out clean without having to grease the pan, but if you have a thin aluminum cake pan, you may want to cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan.
  • Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes to let the cake solidify enough that it will hold together when inverted, but don’t let it cool too much or the caramel will start to harden and stick to the pan.
  • Heat the caramel just long enough for the brown sugar to melt and become smooth.  Don’t let it boil or it will start to crystalize.
  • If you don’t want to make the cake from scratch, you can use any vegan boxed cake mix and follow the directions for my super easy vegan soda cake and spoon that on top of the caramel apple mixture.
  • It is common for the butter and sugar mixture to bubble up and over in upsidedown cakes.  You may want to place an old cookie sheet or some foil in your oven under the cake pan to catch any drips.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 579mg, Potassium: 136mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 313IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 1mg
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