Vegan Apple Fritter Cake with Cinnamon-Sugar Crumble
This Vegan Apple Fritter Cake is soft, cozy, and packed with spiced apples, a buttery cinnamon-sugar crumble, and a sweet maple glaze. Inspired by classic apple fritters, it’s the perfect plant-based cake for brunch, dessert, or a cozy afternoon treat.
Ingredients
Cinnamon-sugar crumble
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour OR gluten-free 1-to-1
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp salted vegan butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Brown butter vanilla bean cake
- 3/4 cup salted vegan butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar or classic monkfruit for sugar-free
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar or brown monkfruit sweetener
- 3/4 cup Culina maple plant-based yogurt, or thick yogurt or choice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups all-purpose flour OR gluten-free 1-to-1
- 2/3 cup vegan buttermilk, (plant-based milk whisked with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar) room temp (or use regular)
Apples
- dice 2-3 apples and toss with a little brown sugar + cinnamon. These get layered inside the cake for juicy, spiced pockets of flavor.
Maple glaze, whisk together until smooth
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp vegan heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×9 pan. Prep vegan buttermilk.
- Brown the vegan butter until nutty and fragrant.
- Whisk browned butter with sugars, yogurt, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Fold in flour and vegan buttermilk until smooth.
- Layer half the cake batter in the prepared pan. Add half the apples and half the crumble. Repeat: remaining batter → apples → crumble.
- Bake 42–47 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly then drizzle on glaze!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!