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Home » Vegan German Apple Cake [Apfelkuchen]

October 13, 2018

Vegan German Apple Cake [Apfelkuchen]

This version of traditional German apple cake (apfelkuchen) is vegan friendly and made with spelt flour. Topped with cinnamon, this vegan German apple cake is a perfect Autumn indulgence that also happens to be high in fiber. Most importantly, in true German apple cake fashion, this recipe retains the soft and moist crumb and develops a perfect caramelized sugar ring around the edge (so good)!

JUMP TO RECIPE

overhead image of german apple cake with cake lifter and 3 fresh apples.

a ¾ angle view of a vegan german apple cake sitting beside a window with a knife in the foreground.overhead image of a german apple cake with slices of apples on a cutting board and fresh apples on the upper left.


My family grew up with many German traditions thanks to my very German father. As such, we ate traditional German fare, including Apfelkuchen (apple cake) on occasion.  The smell of apfelkuchen, apricot dumplings, chamomile tea, and sauerkraut will always bring me back to my youth, a happy time filled with lots of German comfort foods.

While there are certain German foods I can't exactly make vegan friendly, apple cake is easy enough to do and it's sure to please any nostalgic palette. My dad thoroughly enjoys this cake; I like to think it reminds him of "the old country" as he calls it!

This version is made with spelt flour which adds fiber and a slight nutty flavour to this simple, yet beautiful vegan apple cake. Most importantly, in true German apple cake fashion, this recipe retains the soft and moist crumb and develops a perfect caramelized sugar ring around the edge (so good). Note that the batter for this recipe is thick; as a result, you will need spread the batter into your pan somewhat.

Enjoy this vegan German apple cake with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream or whipped cream on the side. This cake is also perfect on it's own with a cup of tea or coffee.

Guten appetit xx

an angled shot of vegan german apple cake with a slice removed.an overhead image of a german apple cake with a slice on a black plate and a knife on the left.

Want more recipes like this one?

If you like this recipe, check out my other favourite apple recipes!

Vegan Apple Spice Cake

Vegan Apple Cinnamon Galette

Harvest Apple Crunch Loaf

vegan german apple cake overhead
4.89 from 9 votes
Print

Vegan German Apple Cake [Apfelkuchen]

This version of traditional German apple cake (apfelkuchen) is vegan friendly and made with spelt flour. Topped with cinnamon sugar, it's a perfect Autumn indulgence. This recipe varies slightly from the YouTube version in that it uses flax meal instead of egg replacer powder and spelt flour instead of all purpose flour.

Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword german apple cake, vegan apple cake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 people
Calories 279 kcal
Author Heidi Richter

Ingredients

  • 2 Medium-large Gala Apples, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into ¼" slices
  • ½ Cup vegetable Oil
  • ½ Cup Organic Cane Sugar
  • 2 TBSP flax meal + 4 tbsp water, mixed together
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • ½ tsp Almond extract
  • 1 ¼ Cups Spelt flour
  • 2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp ginger root power

For the Topping

  • 2-3 TBSP Organic Cane Sugar
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375' F. Line the bottom and lightly grease an 8" round spring-form pan. Set aside. Combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5 minutes.

  2. In a large bowl, mix together the vegetable oil, sugar, almond milk, almond extract and flax mixture. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

  3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on top. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the cake making sure to cover the entire surface.

  4. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for  approx 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let the cake stand for 10 minutes before unmolding. Use a knife and gently run around the edge of the cake to help it release. Cool completely before serving.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts
Vegan German Apple Cake [Apfelkuchen]
Amount Per Serving
Calories 279 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Sodium 13mg1%
Potassium 142mg4%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 14IU0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 59mg6%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.

an overhead image of vegan german apple cake with two slices on plates with ice cream.overhead image of apples and a paring knife.

About Heidi Richter

Heidi is the recipe developer, food photographer, and organic gardener behind The Simple Green. She fuels her passion for food, gardening and photography with copious amounts of matcha tea.

Previous Post: « Baked Apples with Easy Oat Streusel [vegan]
Next Post: Garden Journal: Summer 2018 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily says

    February 07, 2019 at 3:08 am

    4 stars
    Made this cake today and it was wonderful!
    I only needed one apple and the top of my cake was quite sufficiently covered. Also, I used all of the sugar recommended for the top, and it is perfect. However, mine is much sugarier than the one pictured.

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      February 07, 2019 at 4:23 am

      I'm so happy to hear you like the recipe, Emily! Yes, the size of the apple(s) will determine how many you may actually need...I can imagine how beautiful it must have looked 🙂

      Reply
  2. Ebony says

    April 18, 2019 at 3:27 pm

    Should you store this in the fridge or can you put it in a cake stand container. making tonight 🙂

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      April 18, 2019 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Ebony! I've kept it in the fridge in the past, however, it can also be kept covered in a cake stand. Let me know how you like the recipe 🙂

      Reply
  3. Kristin says

    May 07, 2019 at 6:32 pm

    5 stars
    I made this cake for our parents who are German and it was really good. They enjoyed it. Thank you for the recipe and I will keep this one for their next visit.

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      May 19, 2019 at 9:56 pm

      That's wonderful! Thank you for sharing your feedback, Kristin!

      Reply
  4. Gijs says

    May 12, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Hi!
    I'm making this now and there is an inconsistency in you recipe. In the ingredient listing you speak of baking powder, but later in the instructions you say baking soda...! Which is it?

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      May 12, 2019 at 6:23 pm

      Hi Gijs! It should read baking powder. My sincere apologies for the inconsistency in the direction listing. I will ensure this is corrected! Thank you for pointing that out.

      Reply
  5. Susan says

    August 06, 2019 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and super easy!

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      August 06, 2019 at 9:48 pm

      Thanks, Susan! So happy to hear you like it!

      Reply
  6. Lauren says

    November 27, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last night and used 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour + 1/4 cup whole wheat flour because I didn't have any spelt. My springform pan is also 9" instead of 8" but I still cooked it for ~50 minutes and it turned out beautifully! So simple yet delicious and impressive looking.

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      November 27, 2019 at 5:37 pm

      I'm so happy you like it, Lauren! And thank you for sharing your success with all purpose and whole wheat flour!

      Reply
  7. Yaryna says

    January 20, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Salve!Avrei tanto piacere di provare questa ricetta,se potresti indicare le dosi degli ingredienti in grammi e ml?Sarei molto grata!

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      January 21, 2020 at 9:41 pm

      Hello Yaryna! I'm sorry I didn't include measurements in grams, however, this is a helpful list for doing the conversions yourself https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart
      In future I plan to include gram measurements for all my recipes 🙂

      Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      January 21, 2020 at 9:44 pm

      Ciao Yaryna! Mi dispiace di non aver incluso le misure in grammi, tuttavia, questo è un elenco utile per eseguire le conversioni da solo. In futuro ho intenzione di includere misurazioni di grammi per tutte le mie ricette.
      https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart

      Reply
  8. Lara says

    March 20, 2020 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Loved how fast+easy it came together! The smell and taste are spot on - like my German grandma used to make ?

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      March 20, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      I'm thrilled to hear the feedback, Lara! Thank you so much!

      Reply
  9. Pen says

    May 26, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! It was sticky, gooey and tasted like Christmas. I subbed the white sugar for coconut sugar.

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      May 26, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      I so happy to hear it, Pen! Thank you so much for making my recipe 🙂

      Reply
  10. Diane says

    July 30, 2020 at 10:24 pm

    5 stars
    Hi! I absolutely love this cake! I’ve made it 3 times and it’s perfect every time! Earned some brownie points from the German in-laws too! If I wanted to double the recipe what size baking tin would you recommend? Thanks xx

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      July 30, 2020 at 10:40 pm

      Thank you so much for the feedback, Diane! So happy to hear it. Hmm, that is a good question and I'm not entirely sure which size tin would be best for doubling the recipe. You could opt to make it in a rectangular pan perhaps a 9x13? Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
  11. Natalia says

    September 29, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    I am sorry, you use cup measure and i do not understand how big is the cup and how many grams are inside? Using your link for conversions it gives me 1 cup of spelt flour = 99 grams. so for this cake needs 1 1/4 cups = about 124 grams. But it is too less for this cake I think. Normally I use around 300 gr of flour for such dimension of cake. So I do not know how to cook it(((

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      October 01, 2020 at 7:34 pm

      Hi Natalia! Thank you for the question and I am endeavoring to update my recipes to all include weight measurements. For this recipe, 1 1/4 cups of spelt flour equals about 195g. The cake itself is not tall, so it may seem like not enough flour.

      Reply
  12. Shruti Shah says

    October 31, 2020 at 4:20 am

    5 stars
    I made this amazing cake in the morning today and it turned out absolutely fabulous!! I am not a baker and I am always skeptical as my cakes never turn out as cake at all!
    But this recipe is absolutely perfect to the tee and I loved it! Thank you so much for making lives easy for people like me who cannot bake at all. I would love to try other recipes too!
    Thank you once again

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      October 31, 2020 at 4:26 am

      I am so very happy to hear it, Shruti! Your comment made my day 🙂

      Reply
  13. Nanou says

    November 10, 2020 at 8:13 am

    5 stars
    I add more apple less sugar on the top and it was amazing thanks

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      November 10, 2020 at 4:59 pm

      Thank you for the feedback, Nanou! I’m so happy it turned out for you!

      Reply
  14. Julia says

    November 20, 2020 at 3:42 pm

    Hi! The recipe written here and the YouTube video have different recorded measurements and I was curious which ones are accurate. In the youtube video it says 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon baking powder but here on your blog it is 1 1/4 cup flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder? I have been eyeing this cake recipe for a while and am very eager to make it correctly!

    Reply
    • Heidi Richter says

      November 20, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      Hi Julia! Both recipes are accurate, however, the blog version was changed slightly from the YouTube version in that it uses flax meal instead of egg replacer powder and spelt flour instead of all purpose flour. This was done due to my new preferences to use spelt flour in baking, however, feel
      free to use either version you like 🙂

      Reply

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About

a portrait of Heidi Richter the author of The Simple Green.Hi! I'm Heidi, the recipe developer, organic gardener,  photographer, and West coast dweller behind The Simple Green. Here you will find simple and delicious recipes inspired by the magic of seasonal plant-based ingredients.

Nourish simply & eat well!

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