Danish Apple Cake | Vegan, Egg-Free, and Dairy-Free

When autumn rolls around, I’m bound to be picking apples at an orchard, followed by putting them to good use in some sort of treat! But Danish Apple Cake has never been one of them.

As an American, I was really only familiar with apple pies, crumbles, crisps, and cobblers. Oh, and I can’t forget about candy apples.

That’s until last year, when my mother-in-law served me an apple cake, or, in Danish, “æblekage." Come autumn, when local apples fill the markets and trees in many people's backyards, Danish Apple Cake becomes quite the popular dessert across the country. It’s the kind of treat you'd find being served alongside an afternoon coffee at a Sunday get-together with family.

Apples have always been abundant in Danish gardens and orchards, and home bakers found ways to add them to soft, buttery batters. It’s a cake that reflects what Danish baking is all about — resourceful, cozy, and quietly elegant. No frostings or frills, just simple ingredients.

There’s something about the smell of apples and cinnamon wafting through the kitchen that instantly makes you slow down. A quiet moment of hygge baked into every slice. I’m not normally a cake person, but I fell in love with this kind of apple dessert! It’s a cake, but not your average spongy layer cake. It’s more moist, has crisp edges, and the apples and cinnamon add that pastry-like flair that I love. I’d say it’s closer to a banana bread texture/consistency.

I’ve since tried my hand at it, and now I would love to share my take on it with you. And, it’s entirely vegan. No eggs, no dairy.

I hope you'll love it just as much as I do.

Danish Apple Cake - RECIPE

About 12-14 slices

Ingredients

• 4 large or 5 small apples

• 3/4 cup (175g) caster sugar

• 7 ounces (200g) non-dairy butter, room temperature

• 1 cup (250g) unsweetened applesauce

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric (for color)

• 1/3 cup (70g) Turbinado sugar

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

• Pinch flaky sea salt

• 1/3 cup (28 g) sliced almonds or hazelnuts

• 2 tablespoons non-dairy butter, melted

• Garnish: non-dairy creme fraiche or Greek yogurt (about 1-2 tablespoons per slice)

• Optional garnish: small pinch of lemon/orange zest per slice

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. With a pat of non-dairy butter, grease the bottom and sides of a springform pan or equivalent (I use a ceramic-coated springform pan and don't have any issues with sticking). If you're using another pan/dish and are worried about sticking, line it with parchment paper, but remember to still coat it with butter to make sure the cake gets the crisp and browning it should have.

2. Wash and peel your apples, then set them aside in a bowl of cold water so they don't brown while we prepare the batter.

3. In a bowl, cream together the caster sugar, non-dairy butter, applesauce, vanilla, and lemon/orange zest with a whisk or electric whisk. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and turmeric.

4. Combine the wet and dry mixtures in one bowl. Don't over-mix - just until everything is evenly incorporated.

5. In a separate bowl, combine half of the Turbinado sugar, but all of the cinnamon, flaky salt, and nutmeg amounts.

6. Remove the apples from the water and dry them. Remove the core, cut into quarters, then slice them so that they're about 2mm in thickness.

7. Toss the apple slices in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

8. Pour half the batter into the pan, tap the pan against the table and/or smooth the batter to make sure it's even in all spots, then add in half the cinnamon sugar-coated apple slices. I like to arrange them in a spiral/fan shape.

9. Pour in the remaining batter, tap the pan against the table and/or smooth the batter to make sure it's even in all spots, then add in the remaining cinnamon sugar-coated apple slices in a spiral/fan shape.

10. Sprinkle on the sliced almonds/hazelnuts and gently brush/dab the top with the melted butter. Sprinkle on the reserved Turbinado sugar.

11. Place the pan in the lower third part of the oven and bake for about 50 minutes. Before removing it from the oven, use a toothpick to make sure the batter is cooked in the center (it's normal to stick a little, but it shouldn't be wet or gloopy).

12. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

13. Slice and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and, optionally, a sprinkle of lemon/orange zest.