My another successful baking experience with Taste of Home's recipe! I had bookmarked this apple cake recipe quite a while ago and got the chance to try it recently and it was a super duper hit. The original recipe by itself is egg free and vegan but I made some healthy changes.
I decided to use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose flour, reduced the quantity of oil and substituted some of it with unsweetened applesauce and the result was a very moist, delicious and guilt free vegan cocoa apple cake.
This recipe is quite similar to the whacky vegan chocolate cake except for the fact that we are using lemon juice instead of vinegar. This is my first experience with lemon juice as an egg substitute and I was not sure what to expect but was super excited after tasting the cake because it was so soft and light.
I was quite unsure about the quantity of lemon juice because I have read that 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda can be used to replaced 1 egg and that vinegar can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and this recipe uses only 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. I was going back and forth about using 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon but finally decided to follow the original recipe itself and was completely satisfied with the apple cake.
Recently I baked a peanut butter quick bread with whole wheat flour and it tasted yucky and I had to throw it away just like that. I don't know if its the brand of whole wheat flour or the recipe. So I'm not sure how this recipe would turn out with plain whole wheat flour as against whole wheat pastry flour.
So if you don't have whole wheat pastry flour go with all purpose flour itself as mentioned in the original recipe. Regular whole wheat flour doesn't work well in all recipes. But I have to mention that my bottle gourd chocolate cake came out very well with whole wheat flour. That was a different brand of flour, so I guess its the brand that makes the difference.
Recipe
Vegan Cocoa Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- ¼ cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Water
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Applesauce (dry measuring cup)
- 1 tablespoon Oil (I used canola)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Apples Peeled, Cored & Diced into small pieces
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar (See My Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C for 15 Mins. Lightly grease and line the cake tin with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non stick cooking spray as well.
- In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Break the lumps in baking soda if any and mix it well with the flour.
- In another bowl mix together the water, applesauce, oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry mixture and stir until just moistened.
- Fold in the apples and sugar into the batter and pour it in the prepared pan.
- Bake it for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. I checked mine after 30 minutes and it was done perfectly.
My Notes
Nutrition
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Shobha says
Hey Madhuram !!
I baked this cake for my dad's birthday and i think it turned out quite nice...all thanks to you..btw i used a pressure cooker fr baking as i prefer it more over an oven!! And could you give me storage suggestions pls ?
Madhuram says
Thanks Shobha. I have never baked in a pressure cooker, so curious to know how the texture was. Do you mean storage suggestions for storing the cake? Cut it into slices and store it in an air-tight container. Cakes do tend to harden slightly when stored in the refrigerator. In that case keep it out a couple of minutes before serving.
helpp says
I tried making this, but it turned out rather chewy and rubbery and didn't rise very well.(It still tasted great though). Can you please give me some tips on what I may have done wrong?
Madhuram says
Did you by any chance over beat/mix the batter? That's the only thing I can think of.
Monika says
what is applesauce in vegan cocoa apple cake recipe. can we make it at home?
Madhuram says
http://www.egglesscooking.com/homemade-applesauce-recipe/
carol says
In this recipe can lime be used instead of lemon? Also I don't have pastry flour...what can I substitute it with? Please reply...your pic is tempting ...I wanna try it...
Madhuram says
I have not used lime so far. Maybe it will work. You can use equal portion of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour as a substitute for pastry flour.
Rita says
Thank you so much for your recipe! Perfect cake!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Rita.
Sonia says
Made this yesterday. Texturewise like chocolate vattayappam than cake,looked like a brownie,but tasted great .
Thanks
Sonia
Madhuram says
You're welcome Sonia.
Linda says
I thought this came out very well. Taking a tip from another recipe, I shredded the apples instead of dicing them. I also used raw carob powder instead of cocoa. I doubled the recipe for a 9x13 baking dish, and used the lesser sweetener amount. BUT, I forgot to double the 2/3 cup of sugar!! Therefore, it was not sweet at all, so I made a vegan coconut-walnut frosting to top it with, and the sweetness of the frosting balanced out the un-sweetness of the cake. I will definitely try this again, but next time make sure I add all the sugar!
Tania says
Love these eggless recipes, great for a snow day when you realise there are no eggs and the kids want to bake!
Just willing this to cook as its been in an hour n still runny in the middle 🙁
Preeti says
Flooded suddenly with apples....thanks to you...I got rid of 2 of them....in style!!
Yumm cake!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Preeti.
Niagara says
Hello!
I have studying your site and I am thinking the recipes is all wonderfull. Today I made the vegan cocoa aplle cake. Iam translating and post in my blog for all people that don't know english. I love all.
My respect and my reverence
Hare Krishna!
Niagara
Madhuram says
Thanks Niagara.
maddy says
Nice Cake. I did make a sub by taking 3 medium Fuji apples,peeled and cored them and zipped them up in my Vitamix. This was in place of both the chopped apple and the apple sauce. I made a quick maple cinnamon soy cream cheese icing for it and dusted the top with a little cocoa.
Vandana says
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I tried it with WW flour and it still came out good.
Madhuram says
You're welcome Vandana. Please do rate the recipe when you find time.
momchef says
hi Madhuram:
I plan to make this next week for my wedding ann. Can i substitute Pastry flour (which I dont have) with a mix of APF and wholewheat atta?
Pls do let me know
thx
Madhuram says
Sure.
Devi says
Hi !! i cannot find Unsweetened Applesauce can you please tell me what can i replace it with and even how can i prepare applesauce??
Thank looking forward for your reply .
Madhuram says
Peel, chop and cook apples in little water either in microwave oven or stove top. Puree it smoothly once cooled. Your applesauce is ready.
Moco says
Hi! I tried this cake today, everything went well except it needs more sweetness in it. I didn't know that it needed more sugar. So I just put icing on it.
Thanks.
Madhuram says
I guess you missed that in the Notes. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Dipika says
Hi Madhuram,
I love the concept of eggless baking. I am thoroughly making use of your website 🙂
Really helps me prepare recipes instantly at anytime. very handy website..Appreciate it !!
I see some of the recipes need apple sauce. Can I use orange marmalade instead?
-Dipika
Madhuram says
Thanks Dipika. I think you will be able to use it if you try liquifying it a little bit but the baked goods might have an orange flavor to it.
Rathi says
I just made these today and after reading the reviews, tweaked the recipe. I added 1 cup sugar and the sweetness was perfect and made and baked them as cupcakes. As I did not have wholewheat flour , I used 1 cup of chapathi flour and 1/2 cup of wholemeal flour. They came out pretty good. Am looking forward to trying out your other recipes too.
Madhuram says
Thanks for the feedback Rathi.
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipe Rathi.
Allen Davis says
Thank you for publishing these eggless recipes. I have been trying to stay away from eggs because I need to keep my Cholestrol down.
lakshmi says
Hello madhuram:
You picture loks amazing and hence i tried it for my sisters birth day. I followed the ecipe to the T but it did not come out well. the cake was undercooked and i could taste the batter
Neela says
Hi,
I was just looking for cake recipes, and I came across this
website. [www.blog.fatfreevegan.com] I have not tried the recipes
but worth looking at it. (In google also you can search
(fatfreevegankitchen) - sinlessly deliciously same site.)
Chocalate-Orange Cake recipe seems interesting or worth
experimenting.
Neela
priya says
Tried this cake twice.The first time it came out well.The second time it was more of a brownie...don't know what went wrong.Will have to try it again.Wanted to share my feedback.Thanks.
Neela says
Hi Madhuram,
Any suggestions for diabetic say if a recipe uses 1 cup sugar what
are other alternatives in a cake or cookie recipes. Please let me
know. Thanks.
Madhuram says
Maybe you can try it with Splenda. It can be used measure to measure of sugar.
Neela says
Madhuram:
Thank you for the response.
I wish you would have tab for diabetic recipes in the future.
Neela
Rupa says
Hi Madhu,
I made this cake yesterday, but it ddint come out well.
I followed the recipe exactly ...dont know wat went wrong.
The outcome was more like a Brownie than a cake.
To start with the batter was very thick and so the cake / brownie was very very very chewy. There was not enough moisture either. I put 1 cup sugar and still it tasted very low on the sweet side. and so i made a vanilla frosting.
- Rupa
Yojana says
I made this cake over the long weekend.. I actually made cupcakes
and the recipe yielded 13 cupcakes.. I used just 1/4 cup brown
sugar and 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp normal sugar.. The cupcakes
turned very good, but i wouldn't have mind a lil more sugar.. So I
frosted the cupcakes following your buttercream icing recipe..
This was the first time I tried frosting and had fun decorating them
thanks for your recipes...
Aarthy says
I tried this recipe today with little more sugar like you suggested
and it came out great!!Now, I am excited to try more of your
egg less recipes. Thanks 🙂
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipe Aarthy.
Vera says
Today I tried this cake and its very delicious! I didn't have applesauce, so I used butter instead. It needed around 45-50 minutes to be cooked though. All in all, I am thrilled to find this site. My hubby doesn't eat eggs and this site is a lifesaver for me. Thx!
Madhuram says
Thanks Vera.
WorkingMaa says
Hi Madhuram,
I love your recipes ! I have tried a few of them and they turn out great ! I have mentioned your site in my blog and I hope the word spread as far as possible ! Thanks for this great work ..
-- WorkingMaa
Madhuram says
Thank you very much WorkingMaa.
asha says
Madhu what brand and where do I get the whole wheat pastry flour.
Madhuram says
I think Bob Red Mill, Arrow Heads Mill and King Arthur sells it. But I was not able to find any of these while I lived in US. Here I'm fortunate to have a bulk store nearby which sells a lot of specialty flours.
vegan says
hi madhuram....
I just moved back to India.....how can applesauce be replaced...?
can whea flour be used instead of pastry flour?
thanks for helping
Madhuram says
You can prepare applesauce at home. Just peel and cut apples; add little water and either cook it on stove top or in a microwave oven and puree it once it is cool enough and your homemade applesauce is ready. Try using all purpose flour and whole wheat flour in 1:1 ratio instead of whole wheat pastry flour.
Garima says
Hi ,
This is the first recipe I am trying from your website. I love your recipes!I have a question. Do you use the large oven (the one underneath the USA gas stoves) or the small kitchen counter oven??
Thanks,
Garima
Shibani says
Congratulation and glad to hear the news. We made this cake and it was great and very moist. Thanks for sharing and take care
Marilyn says
I should add that I have discovered that if you grease a ceramic coated cast iron pan or stone muffin pans and then heat them in the oven, muffins and cakes don't stick. Then you're not getting chemicals from spray on cooking oils.
I heartily recommend pans from Mario Batali and Le Creuset (Mario's are half the price though) and stone bakeware from Hartstone.
Marilyn says
I didn't have applesauce so I used a mashed banana, and I'm not vegan anymore so I used a tablespoon of butter (vegetable oil turns to a transfat when heated), and I used 1 and a quarter cup whole spelt flour and 1/2 cup of cocoa, and a handful of chocolate chips. I baked it in a ceramic coated cast iron pan greased with coconut oil (I'm almost out of coconut oil or I would have used that instead of butter.)
It turned out great - thank you for the recipe!
Madhuram says
Thanks for trying the recipe and for the tips.
side dish recipes says
looks so yummy I'll like to do this dish weekend.
Krsna says
Hi Madhuram,
i tried this. turned out
pretty good i did a mousse icicng on this:)it was really tasty.
Thanks,
Sharmilee says
Apple is my fav fruit so surely my taste bud wud luv it...perfect cake and texture u've got!
Sarah says
Thank you - this looks wonderful, I'm going to make it today. I love your site.
Madhuram says
Thanks Sarah.
Paula says
this looks so delicious!
have a nice time!
Paula
samata says
The cake looks scrumptious.Did you notice any difference in the
crumb / texture of the cake with the lemon juice ; Also i've
noticed that vinegar gives coarser crumb , did you notice that
or is it only me?
Madhuram says
Hmm...I think I didn't notice any difference in the texture. It looked and tasted like any ordinary cake.
Subhashini says
can i use any alternate for "Unsweetened Applesauce"?
I dont think that i will get this in my place.
Madhuram says
Applesacue is as easy as cooking potatoes Subhashini. You can very well make it yourself. Just peel and cut the apple, add couple spoons water and cook it in the microwave oven/stove. Blend the cooked apples in a mixie and applesauce is ready.
Amber Sackett says
YUMMM. we didn't have pastry flour so we used all purpose. also we added come spiced clove.
also we used 3/4 raw sugar.
it was so moist and yummy
Madhuram says
That was so quick Amber. Thanks for trying the recipe.
Jay says
Hi Madhuram,
I recently bought whilte whole wheat flour from Trader Joe's.
I am yet to use it for baking. Can you please tell me if white whole wheat flour can be used in place of whole wheat pastry flour?
Also, in the above recipe, what variety of apple did you use?
Madhuram says
Jay, white whole wheat flour is surely better than regular whole wheat flour when it comes to baking. It's been a while since I used it, so I really don't remember the taste and texture of it in baked goods. So I would suggest you to start with 50% of white whole wheat flour and all purpose flour each and depending on how much you like it you can increase the quantity of WWWF in your subsequent tries.
Latha says
Looks fantastic.
vandana rajesh says
Looks so very tempting...tried your chocolate banana cake and was just superb, everyone at home
just loved it. This too is bookmarked, can't wait to try it
Madhuram says
Thanks Vandana.
My Man's Belly says
This cake sounds delicious! I'm always looking for ways to make our favorite recipes healther.
Priya says
Great looking and scrumptious cake..looks super moist..
meeso says
Lovely healthy recipe for cake!
Rachana says
Wow! Love this vegan version... the cake looks perfect.
Hari Chandana says
mouth watering cake.. yummyy !!
satya says
wow love this vegan version ...looks so delicious n soft ..yummy
Satya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com
harini-jaya says
sounds gr8..only that my kids not choc fans..
CurryLeaf says
Wow.Love your version Madhu.Too good it looks.
I would but defly go for 1 cup of sugar 😀