Vegan Apple Butter Cake with Buttered Caramel Frosting

Apple butter is one of my favorite baking ingredients, so I just knew it would add incredible flavor to make a gluten free and vegan apple butter cake.

Have you ever have a recipe inspiration based upon a single ingredient — something you just know in your taste buds will be incredible … you just have to figure out how to pull it off? Well that’s what happened for me with this vegan apple butter cake with buttered caramel frosting.

Apple butter (or pumpkin butter!) would make an ordinary cake exceptional, but buttered caramel frosting takes it to the next level.

The base for this apple-butter-inspired cake is something called a “War Cake”, “Depression Cake” or “Wacky Cake.” During the Great Depression and times of war, eggs, milk and butter were scarce, so crafty cooks baked cakes without. I used olive oil in my version — I love its yummy health benefits, and that it subtle-ly imparts a warm, savory flavor in baked goods. I’m sure you could use your favorite vegetable oil instead, if you prefer.

It seems odd to be thinking about making war-time or Depression-Era cakes in modern times, but we’re dealing with a lot of really strange things right now that most (ok probably all) of us never thought we would. One of them is food shortages in the grocery store. Whether due to panic hoarding or supply chain inconsistencies from the quarantine, having a sweet treat recipe that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients is a nice thing to have right about now.

You might be thinking that it’s great to have a gluten free cake recipe with no eggs, dairy or butter, but you don’t have any apple butter on hand. No problem! If you can get your hands on some apples, it’s super easy to make your own! We’re all finding some new things to get good at right now, aren’t we?

Check out my easy homemade apple butter recipe and video, and add apple butter making to your quiver of new skills to impress your friends with. “What did you learn how to do today?” “Um, play cards?” “Well I made apple butter!” (They don’t have to know it’s super simple to do.) Oh, and if you’re making this recipe later in the year, try making homemade pumpkin butter with my easy recipe for that! Here’s my homemade pumpkin butter recipe and video!

Once you’ve mastered making homemade apple butter, the sky ‘s the limit on the recipes you can make with it! Here are some of our favorites so far: Gluten Free Apple Bread; Gluten Free Poptarts; Apple Butter-Sriracha Marinade; Gluten Free Apple Butter Granola; Apple Butter-Butternut Squash Casserole; and even the yummy filling to Gluten Free Doughnut Holes! 

Now back to this luscious cake! What it lacks in traditional cake ingredients (butter, milk and eggs), it most certainly does not lack in taste or texture.

I did use vegan butter in the “buttered” caramel frosting, but if you’re low on that ingredient, use shortening or pick another frosting you prefer (I have several recipes on my site — just use the search bar) or even dust with confectioner’s sugar. Or here’s an idea: serve with a dollop of homemade apple butter on top!

However you share it, your family will love this gluten free, vegan gem at your next gathering (or at-home quarantine party) and no one will miss a thing!

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Vegan Apple Butter Cake with Buttered Caramel Frosting

Yield: 2 round cakes or 9x13 sheet cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

This scrumptious gluten free vegan apple butter cake with buttered caramel frosting lacks nothing in taste or texture, but gets super creative with limited ingredients, allowing you to bake a delicious cake even without eggs, dairy or gluten.

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Ingredients

Cake

• 1/4 cup apple butter (you can make your own) or pumpkin butter
• 3/4 cup very warm water
• 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules® All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups unrefined coconut palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Buttered Caramel Frosting

• 1/3 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks OR vegetable shortening or solid coconut oil
• 1/2 cup unrefined coconut palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tbs. apple butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbs. milk, dairy or non-dairy OR water
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 1/2 pecans, chopped (to garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F (325° F convection).

Oil two 8-9-inch cake pans or oil the sides and line with parchment circles.

In a small bowl, whisk together apple butter and very warm water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the gfJules® Flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, oil, vinegar and vanilla together. Add dry ingredients and mix slowly while adding the apple butter-water mixture, stirring until fully integrated. Stir in pecans, if using.

Evenly distribute batter between the two cake pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes will come out clean when the cakes are done, and they will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan a bit.

Remove to cool on wire racks for 20 minutes, then gently turn out to completely cool. Frost with your favorite frosting (like vegan cream cheese frosting), or my Buttered Caramel Frosting, below. Or simply serve with a dollop of apple butter!

To make frosting ...

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the coconut palm sugar and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Slowly add the apple butter and bring to a boil.

Transfer to a metal mixing bowl and refrigerate until fully cooled. Once chilled, whisk in vanilla, 1 tablespoon of milk and confectioner’s sugar. Beat until creamy (add more milk, as necessary for frosting to be spreadable).

Spread evenly over cooled cake, or just on the cake tops for the cake as pictured. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top, if desired.

Recommended Products

I may earn a small amount from qualifying affiliate purchases; this amount goes to fund this blog and does not cost you anything additional.

• 
  Earth Balance Vegan, Lactose Free, Non-Dairy, Gluten Free, No MSG, Non-GMO Buttery Sticks 16 ounce (Pack of 6)
• 
  gfJules All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

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