Sharon Palmer RD

Published on September 18, 2026

Vegan Swedish Apple Cake: A Light & Healthy Apple Dessert

Bring a taste of Sweden to your kitchen with this delicious Vegan Swedish Apple Cake. Light, tender, and wholesome, this easy vegan apple cake is made with fresh apples and warm spices for a naturally comforting dessert that isn’t overly rich or heavy. Perfect for an afternoon treat, holiday table, or everyday baking, this healthy plant-based apple cake is a delicious way to enjoy seasonal apples in a simple Swedish-inspired dessert. This fabulously simple Vegan Apple Cake, which is filled with apples and cinnamon, yet is light in sugar and fats, is inspired by my family’s Swedish food traditions. It’s very common to serve a sponge cake chock full of apples in Sweden. I’ve seen it time and time again, and have looked at old vintage cookbooks describing how you make these apple cakes. With some thought, care and love, I took to rendering a traditional, lighter, vegan version of those classic Nordic apple cakes in my own kitchen with this recipe. It’s so easy! Just whip up some aquafaba (bean liquid) as an egg replacement (with a touch of brown sugar), fold in plant-based milk, vanilla, margarine, flour, and baking powder. Pour it into a baking dish. Then arrange apples tossed with brown sugar-cinnamon over the top. Pop it in the oven to bake it, and voila—you’re done! Traditionally this is served with a vanilla sauce, though I like it with a scoop of plant-based vanilla nice cream!

Step-By-Step Guide:

Whip aquafaba with brown sugar until thick.

Gently fold in plant-based milk, vanilla, vegan margarine, flour, and baking powder.

Spread batter into a round cake dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix sliced apples with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Arrange the apples over the cake batter.

Sprinkle with pearl sugar if desired. Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes.

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Vegan Swedish Apple Cake

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Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
Total Time: 53 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This light and healthy vegan Swedish apple cake is packed with fresh apples and warm spices. Enjoy this easy, wholesome plant-based dessert any time of year.

Ingredients

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Cake:

½ cup aquafaba (liquid from canned beans; learn how to make aquafaba here; see more below)
½ cup brown sugar (or coconut palm sugar)
¼ cup plant-based milk, plain, unsweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup vegan margarine or butter, melted (i.e., Earth Balance, Myoko’s Creamery)
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Apple Filling:

2 medium apples, peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Garnish: (optional)

1 tablespoon pearl sugar

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Instructions

Whip aquafaba and brown sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in milk, vanilla, and melted vegan margarine spread with a spatula.
Mix all purpose flour and baking powder together. Gently fold into cake batter with a spatula until smooth—do not overmix.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread the batter in the cake pan.
Toss together apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a medium bowl to coat.
Arrange the apples over the cake batter.
Sprinkle with pearl sugar, if desired.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until cake is tender and golden.
Remove, slice into 10 slices, and serve while warm. May serve with vegan ice cream, if desired.