Glazed Vegan Apple Cake
If someone asked me about my favorite cake, I would actually say I don't have one. I really like almost all cakes. But whenever I eat glazed apple pie, I slip out an „Oh, that's my favorite.“
I think it is the only apple pie that tastes better to me after it's been in the fridge instead of being warm and fresh out of the oven. The apple sauce filling must be cool, and the frosting layer on top almost crisp.
I've only ever known that cake from the bakery and wouldn't have thought it could be baked at home relatively straightforwardly. True to the bakery's original I grew up with, I prefer to bake the apple pie in a rectangular baking dish. You can choose a smaller or larger baking dish depending on how thick you want your apple filling to be. A comment under this recipe confirmed that the quantities also fit well for a 26 cm / 10 inches springform pan. Therefore, if you adjust the baking time, just ensure the shortcrust pastry on top doesn't burn.
When you are shopping for this pie, there is one thing you can look for when choosing the type of apple: Apple varieties can be roughly divided into dessert and cooking apples. Cooking apples develop their full flavor only during baking. They have a firm but not too juicy flesh and are therefore more suitable for this recipe. Some well-suited cooking apple varieties would be Boskop, Jonagold, or Elstar. Source
For the cake, first of all, you need the base – in this case, a simple shortcrust pastry, which functions as a crust at the bottom and on top of the cake. The filling consists of applesauce and apples, which you simmer together for a while and then round off with raisins and cinnamon. If you are not a raisin fan, you can leave them out. Finally, mix a classic frosting, pour it over the cake, and let it dry briefly for a perfect result.
By the way, we also have recipes for sunken apple cake or an American version – a vegan pie with caramelized apples. If the idea of apple pie still hasn't convinced you, or if you have some other fruit left over that needs to be used up, we also have vegan gooseberry crumble cake, German plum sheet cake, or pear-ginger pie on offer.
Glazed Vegan Apple Cake
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 g (4 cups) flour
- 250 g (1 cup) vegan butter
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 tbsp ice-cold water
For filling:
- 700 g (25 oz) apple puree
- 1 kg (35 oz) apples
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For glazing:
- 200 g (1.5 cups) confectioner’s sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice or water
Instructions
Let’s start with the short pastry. Add flour, sugar and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Add diced cold butter on top and start kneading with cold hands. Then add ice cold water and knead until a smooth dough forms. If it’s too dry, add a little more water, but make sure that the dough doesn’t get sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and plet rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime peel and finely dice apples. Add apple puree to a saucepan over medium heat, then add diced apples and simmer for approx. 15 minutes until the apple softens. Add raisins and cinnamon and keep simmering for 5 more minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool down a bit.
Grease and flour a cake pan, you can do this cake in a round or rectangle form, as you like. Roll out two thirds of the dough on a silicone baking matt or between two sheets of plastic wrap, then transfer it carefully into your cake pan. Make sure that the dough covers the bottom and the sides as well. Add the apple filling. Then roll out the remaining dough and carefully transfer it onto the apple filling so it’s covered. Slightly press the dough on all sides to „seal“ the cake.
Bake the cake in the oven at 180°C/350°F (circulaiting air) for approx. 15 – 20 minutes or until the top side is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool down.
For the glaze mix confectioner’s sugar and water or lemon juice. Brush the cake with it and let dry before serving the cake.
