I’m making a come back from my rather long blog post absence with the perfect Autumnal dessert, this Vegan Caramel Apple Layer Cake. It’s also an ideal show stopping cake for spooky season! October has to be my favourite month of the year. I love Autumn/winter fashion, cosy evenings, comforting meals and the sweet scent of pumpkin spice taking over my kitchen! This is actually the first (of many) delicious Autumnal sweet treats I’m sharing with you this year and is going to be pretty difficult to top!
The cake is completely plant based… but trust me, you would never guess! The moist layers of apple sponge cake are sandwiched together with a decadently creamy vegan cinnamon buttercream frosting. Topped with a glorious drizzle of vegan caramel sauce and, of course, CARAMEL APPLES!
What will I need to make vegan caramel apple layer cake?
- Olive oil: I pretty much use olive oil exclusively when. baking cakes these days. I opt for a light & mild variety to minimise any strong flavours and bitterness. I find that replacing butter or coconut oil with olive oil not only keeps the recipe dairy free, but also creates a super soft, fluffy texture.
- Sugar: I’ve used regular golden caster sugar here, but you could switch this for coconut sugar to keep the recipe refined sugar free.
- Self raising flour: If you’d like the recipe to be GF, make sure to swap this for a GF self raising flour blend. Self raising flour is key in this recipe to insure you get a nice fluffy, well risen sponge cake.
- Vegan stick butter: this is my not so secret ingredient for achieving the perfect, creamy frosting consistency. I always use vegan stick butter over spread for my frosting and it makes such a huge difference.
- Apples: The name might have given this one away, but you will indeed need apples for this recipe! I love adding grated fruits and veggies into bakes for flavour, added moisture and I suppose a little added sprinkling of health! The apples add a subtle natural sweetness and help keep the cake really moist. You’ll of course also need extra for the candy apple decor. For this, I love to use the vibrant red apples, as I feel they add to the magical vibe!
Why you should make this cake…
- Easy to make
- Perfect for fall or Halloween celebrations! Actually, it would also work for Bonfire night too!
- Completely vegan
- Has a super fluffy, moist texture! No dry cakes here thank you!
- Can be adapted to be gluten free
- Is also extremely fun to decorate and make as spooky as possible!
How to make the perfect vegan buttercream frosting
I thought I would touch on this here, because this frosting is something that I used in 90% of my cakes and I’ve learned a lot of nifty tips and tricks over the past year. A good buttercream frosting should be gloriously creamy, with an almost whipped consistency. You want a mixture that is easy to spread, but also not too runny! I always use my electric hand whisk to whip up my frostings. Not only is it a lot quicker, but also creates a far smoother and creamier texture. I also always use this vegan stick butter. It’s a game changer!
Vegan Caramel Apple Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 2 apples- grated
- 2 cup caster sugar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 2/3 cups non dairy milk (I use oat)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 1/2 cups self raising flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
Frosting
- 250 g ( 1 block) vegan stick butter
- 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
Caramel Sauce
- 3 tbsp cashew butter
- 3 tbsp agave syrup
- Milk as needed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven top 180c, then line and grease your 4 loose bottom cake tins with baking paper. I've used 20cm tins here.
- Combine the milk and vinger, then set this aside for 5 minutes to allow to thicken.
- Pop all of your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and give a rough mix.
- Add in the olive oil, grated apple and then your milk mixture. Fold evetrything together and mix until well combined.
- Pour your smooth cake mixture into your tins. To divide the mixture evenly, I use 1/2 cup measures and gradually distribute the batter.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until beautifully risen and golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
- For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then gradually incoorporate your icing sugar and cinnamon. You should be left with a thick, creamy whiped frosting.
- To make the caramel, mix together the cashew butter and agave syrup then gradually add in a small splash of water to reate a thick, but pourable consistency.
- Assemble your cake by layering with the frosting and carefully placing the cakes on top of one another. Use the remaining buttercream to naked frost the cake. (You can completely cover the cake if you would prefer, but I love the naked frosted look).
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top, allowing to drip over the edges. Add some fresh figs and caramelised apples for decor!