This fresh chunky applesauce cake starts with a quick pot of homemade applesauce, cooked just until some of the apples melt into sauce and the rest stay in tender pieces. Folded into a lightly sweetened whole wheat batter with walnuts and cinnamon, it makes a moist, rustic cake that's as much about the fruit as the crumb.
Photos by Evan Atlas.
Unlike most applesauce cakes, which call for a cup of smooth jarred sauce, this one is built around sauce you make yourself just before baking. The result is a cake full of soft apple pieces, with a texture somewhere between a snack cake and a baked apple pudding. It's not too sweet, it holds up well in lunch boxes, and it's welcome on the table when fall and winter company comes over.
How to Make the Fresh Chunky Applesauce
The applesauce is the heart of this recipe, and it takes only a saucepan and a little patience. Peel, core, and thinly slice about 5 medium apples, enough for 5 cups. Thin slices matter here: they cook evenly, and the thinner edges break down into sauce while the thicker centers stay in tender pieces.
Put the slices in a saucepan with just enough water to keep the bottom of the pan moist, about ¼ cup. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until roughly half of the apples have collapsed into sauce and the rest are tender but still hold their shape. You're not aiming for smooth applesauce; you want a thick, chunky mixture with visible pieces of fruit. If the pan looks dry before the apples soften, add another splash of water, a tablespoon at a time.
How long this takes depends almost entirely on the apples. Soft, tart varieties like McIntosh or Cortland can break down in 10 minutes, while firm apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith may need 20 minutes or more. Check every few minutes and take the pan off the heat as soon as you have that half-sauce, half-chunks texture. You should end up with roughly 2 ½ to 3 cups. The applesauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator, which turns the cake itself into a quick stir-together job.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples. Any variety works. A mix of a soft apple (McIntosh) and a firm one (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) gives you the best of both: plenty of sauce plus distinct chunks. Tart apples give the cake more flavor than very sweet ones.
- Whole wheat pastry flour. Milled from soft wheat, whole wheat pastry flour keeps the cake tender while adding whole grain flavor. Unbleached all-purpose flour works too. For a gluten-free cake, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
- Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup is the only sweetener besides the fruit, so the cake is gently sweet. Agave or brown rice syrup can stand in for it in the same amount.
- Cinnamon. It goes in twice: half in the dry ingredients and half stirred in with the applesauce, so you get warm spice in every bite. A pinch of nutmeg or allspice is a nice addition.
- Safflower oil. Any neutral oil works, such as high oleic safflower oil, sunflower, or avocado oil. Melted coconut oil adds a faint coconut note.
- Walnuts. They add crunch against the soft apples. Pecans are a good swap, and you can leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free cake.
- Nondairy milk. Plain or vanilla soy, oat, or almond milk all work. You only need a few tablespoons, just enough to moisten the last of the flour.
Helpful Tips
Expect a very stiff batter. Before the applesauce goes in, the flour mixture barely holds together. That's normal: the apples release moisture as the cake bakes. Add nondairy milk only until no dry flour remains, and stop while the batter is still thick and lumpy.
Don't overmix. Once the applesauce and walnuts are in, stir just until they're evenly distributed. Overmixing breaks up the apple chunks and can make a whole wheat cake tough.
Choose the right pan. A deep 9-inch round cake pan gives you a thick, wedge-cut cake like the one in the photos. A 9 x 13-inch pan makes a thinner cake for cutting into squares; start checking it about 5 minutes early.
Test for doneness carefully. A knife inserted in the center should come out free of raw batter, though it may be damp from the apples. The top should be golden and feel set when pressed lightly.
Let it cool before slicing. The cake is fragile while hot because of all the fruit. Give it at least 30 minutes in the pan so it firms up and slices cleanly.
Variations
- Apple-pear cake. Replace up to half the apples with ripe pears, which break down quickly and make an especially saucy cake.
- Cranberry-apple cake. Stir ½ cup fresh or dried cranberries into the applesauce for tart pops of color, a nice fit for the holidays.
- Raisin spice cake. Add ½ cup raisins and ½ teaspoon each of ground ginger and nutmeg.
- Crumb-topped. Scatter a simple streusel of oats, flour, maple syrup, and oil over the batter before baking, like our Vegan Cinnamon-Walnut Crumble Coffee Cake.
- Gluten-free. Swap in a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend; the texture will be a little more delicate.
Serving Ideas
This cake is good plain, still slightly warm, with a cup of tea or coffee. For dessert, top wedges with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Because it isn't very sweet, it also works as a weekend breakfast or brunch dish alongside Apple Pie Oatmeal or a bowl of fresh fruit. Squares pack well for school and work lunches, and a plate of wedges is an easy, homemade addition to a fall dessert table next to Vegan Pumpkin Bars.
Storing & Freezing
Keep the cake covered at room temperature for 1 day. After that, because it's so moist with fresh fruit, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let slices sit out for 15 minutes or warm them briefly before serving, since the cake tastes best when it isn't fridge-cold.
This cake freezes well. Wrap individual slices or squares tightly in plastic wrap, then put them in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for about an hour, or warm a slice in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Frozen slices can go straight into a lunch box in the morning and will be thawed by midday.
More Vegan Apple Desserts and Bakes
If you loved this cake, here are a few more apple recipes and cozy bakes you might enjoy:
- Cinnamon Apple Chickpea Cake
- Vegan Cinnamon-Apple Pancakes
- Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
- Just-as-Sweet-as-Honey Cake
Recipe
Fresh Chunky Applesauce Cake
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- 9" cake pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan
Ingredients
For the chunky applesauce
- 5 cups apples any variety (about 5 medium), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup water plus more as needed
For the cake
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup safflower oil or other neutral oil
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- 2 to 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk plain or vanilla, as needed
Instructions
Make the chunky applesauce
- Put the sliced apples in a medium saucepan with the water, which should be just enough to keep the bottom of the pan moist. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until about half of the apples have broken down into sauce and the rest are tender but still in pieces, 10 to 20 minutes depending on the variety. Add a splash more water if the pan gets dry before the apples soften. Remove from the heat. (The applesauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.)
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a deep 9-inch round cake pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and mix thoroughly.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the maple syrup, vanilla, and oil. Stir until the flour mixture is moistened. It will barely hold together at this point.
- Add the chunky applesauce, walnuts, and the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and stir briefly, just until evenly distributed.
- Stir in the nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, just until no dry flour remains. The batter should stay very stiff and lumpy.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and pat it down lightly with the back of a spatula.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (start checking a 9 x 13-inch pan at 25 minutes), until the top is golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, apart from any moisture from the apples. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then cut into wedges or squares.
Tabbi says
How many cups of applesauce does it make? I already canned some chunky applesauce that could be used. Thanks.
Nava says
Tabbi — I'm not 100% sure — I'm thinking it cooks down to 2 - 2 1/2 cups. I'll measure when I make this again, as it's a good question! Start with 2 cups and see if the batter does not get too wet.