If a heavenly cake topped with streusel and caramelized apples sounds like your thing, you need to try this easy apple oatmeal cake which is filled with quick oats and takes less than 30 minutes to bake inside the oven.
Let's also talk about that whipped cream frosting, which is completely dairy-free and delicious. All the moreish flavors come together to form a cake recipe which is going to be one of your favorites for sure!
Who wants a big slice? I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to eat this treat for breakfast the moment that you wake up in the morning. After all, it does contain plenty of oatmeal.
If you love breakfast recipes as much as I do, here are a few more recommendations from me. My vegan mini croissant cereal, vegan chocolate cinnamon french toast rolls and vegan protein banana pancakes are some of the best option
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Cake
- Great Flavors - Most are flavors of sweetness in this recipe, but there are savory hints in there too. Overall, I think the balance is just right and I can't wait for you to give it a try.
- The Toppings - This cake has four toppings which is incredible. The whipped cream frosting, streusel, caramelized apples and caramel are all so complimentary to each other and none are overwhelming. I particularly love apple recipes. I've also made vegan apple walnut crumble cake and vegan apple cinnamon cake and both are tasty.
- The Inclusion of Oatmeal - Not only is the inclusion oatmeal a healthy boost to this recipe, but it also makes the cake taste even tastier with a unique take on a breakfast cake.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This apple oatmeal cobbler cake is wholly vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Apple Cider Vinegar - This is the most important ingredient in this recipe. After being mixed into the soy milk, it reacts with the leavening agents to create a light and airy cake textures like the one you'll find in my vegan pecan coconut cake and vegan sticky date pudding cake.
- Quick Oats - The oatmeal will be added to both the cake batter and the streusel. Quick oats are better than rolled oats as they absorb the batter so nicely, creating a tasty consistency.
- Granny Smith Apples - These are my favorite apples to use for baked goods.
- Coconut Cream - This will be added to the frosting. Store inside the fridge overnight so that it can solidify.
- Canned Dairy-Free Whipped Cream - If you prefer, you can use my vegan coconut whipped cream instead which is a healthier alternative to store-bought whipped creams. It's so easy to make.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- I usually suggest that home bakers apples should use Granny Smith apples for their cakes as they're beautifully tart and consistently reliable. However, some other good options include Braeburn apples, Pink Lady apples and Honeycrisp apples which all have their own unique qualities.
- If you prefer a thicker frosting, you don't have to fold any whipped cream into yours. This is how the frosting is in my vegan red velvet white chocolate sheet cake bars recipe and it's equally delicious. It all comes down to your own personal preferences.
How To Make Apple Oatmeal Cake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line and grease a square baking pan then set aside.
2: Make the dairy-free buttermilk.
3: Combine the dry cake ingredients inside a mixing bowl.
4: Add the wet ingredients and the apples and fold into a batter.
5: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake inside the oven.
6: Combine the streusel ingredients inside a small bowl.
7: Place the streusel onto a baking sheet and bake.
8: Add all the frosting ingredients to a stand mixer bowl.
9: Cream the frosting ingredients together.
10: Add the powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat again.
11: Finally, fold the whipped cream into the mixture.
12: Separately, caramelize the apples inside a large pot.
13: Remove the baked cake from the oven.
14: Decorate the cake with frosting, streusel, stewed apples and also make the caramel to pour on. Slice and serve.
Expert Tips
Don't over-mix the cake batter - This apple oatmeal cake is naturally a little dense due to the quick oats in the batter, but don't over-mix the cake batter. If it becomes too dense, it may become unappetizing.
Avoid adding to much whipped cream - If you fold too much whipped cream into the frosting, it will have a super soft consistency. Unless you like it this way, stick to the recommended amount.
Recipe FAQs
Cakes containing oatmeal are very good for you. This is due to the high amount of fiber inside oats which also helps with digestion. They are also low in sugar.
Eating apples with oatmeal is a great choice for an early morning energy boost. This is mainly due to the high presence of carbohydrates and protein.
Apple cobbler is often made with stewed fresh apples and cinnamon. It is usually topped with a batter dough or streusel.
The crust of an apple pie sits below the apple filling, whereas with a cobbler it is the opposite. The crust sits on top of the cobbler.
Store this cake at room temperature or inside the fridge for up to three days. Make sure you store the cake inside airtight containers.
More Vegan Baking Recipes
If you tried this Apple Oatmeal Cobbler Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Apple Oatmeal Cobbler Cake
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 280 ml soy milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 270 g self-rising flour sifted
- 40 g quick oats
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 50 g light brown soft sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 90 ml canola oil
- 90 g dairy-free yogurt room temperature
- 2 Medium Granny Smith apples cored, peeled and diced
Streusel Topping:
- 40 g dairy-free butter melted
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g brown sugar demerara
- 20 g quick oats
- Pinch of salt
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 80 g dairy-free cream cheese cold
- 80 g dairy-free butter block room temperature
- 1.5 Tablespoons coconut cream can refrigerated overnight
- 250 g powdered sugar sifted
- 50 g canned dairy-free whipped cream store-bought
Caramelized Apples:
- 2 Medium Granny Smith apples cored, peeled and diced
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 0.5 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon dairy-free butter
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Caramel Sauce:
- 120 g coconut cream
- 0.5 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 90 g brown sugar demerara
- 0.5 teaspoon dairy-free butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 177 Celsius (350F).
- Line an 8-inch, square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper a little with dairy-free butter and set aside.
- Now make the buttermilk. Stir the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk and set aside for 8 minutes or so. It will curdle during this time so you can prepare your other ingredients in the meantime.
Making the cake batter:
- To a large mixing bowl, add the self-rising flour, quick oats, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine well.
- Next, pour in the curdled buttermilk, canola oil and dairy-free yogurt. Fold the dry cake batter ingredients into the wet ingredients gently until the batter is smooth and almost combined.
- Pour the apples in and fold one more time until all the flour pockets are gone. Never over-mix cake batter.
- Pour the apple batter into the prepared cake pan.
Baking the cake:
- Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Making the streusel:
- Now it’s time to make the streusel. Combine all the streusel crumble ingredients inside a small bowl with either your hands or a fork. The mixture will become nice and crumbly.
- Once the cake has been removed from the oven, the streusel can be baked. The oven temperature can remain the same (177 Celsius).
- Line a flat baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the streusel onto it evenly.
- Bake the streusel crumble inside the oven for 10 minutes until it’s golden brown and beautifully toasted.
- Remove the streusel from the oven and set aside.
Making the whipped cream cheese frosting:
- To make the frosting, add the whisk attachment to a stand mixer. Cream together the dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter and coconut cream on a high speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
- Reduce the stand mixer speed to medium, then gradually add the powdered sugar to the stand mixer bowl in regular intervals until it is fully combined with the other ingredients.
- Beat the frosting one more time on a high speed for 5 minutes. This will make it thicker in consistency.
- Turn the stand mixer off and add the canned dairy-free whipped cream. Fold it into the frosting with a large wooden spoon. If you’re not ready to use the cream frosting immediately, place it into the fridge to keep it cold. In the meantime, you can make the caramelized apples.
Making the caramelized apples:
- Place your diced apples and a teaspoon of vegan butter into regular sized non-stick frying pan or pot over a medium-high heat. Cook them alone inside the pan for three minutes so that they brown a little.
- Next, add the brown sugar, maple syrup, dairy-free butter, ground cinnamon and salt to the pan. Mix to combine so that the apples are covered by the other ingredients.
- Cook the apples for a further two minutes so that they become caramelized. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool fully. If they’re still warm, they’ll melt the frosting.
Making the caramel:
- The final thing to prepare is the caramel sauce. To a saucepan add all of the caramel ingredients. Stir them all constantly over a medium heat until the coconut cream melts.
- When the caramel begins to bubble, you need to reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook over a low heat for a further 4 minutes. Make sure that you keep stirring constantly.
- Remove your caramel sauce from the heat and allow it to sit inside the pan until it cools. This will allow it to thicken more.
Assembling the cake:
- Firstly spread the cream frosting onto the cake evenly, followed by the streusel on top of the cream. Finally, spoon the apples on top of the streusel before pouring the cooled caramel over the whole cake. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This apple oatmeal cake is naturally a little dense due to the quick oats in the batter, but don't over-mix the cake batter. If it becomes too dense, it may become unappetizing.
- If you fold too much whipped cream into the frosting, it will have a super soft consistency. Unless you like it this way, stick to the recommended amount.
Kathy Bennett says
This cake is really dreamy. Can’t beat that homemade caramel sauce which goes on top 😍
DJ says
Thank you, Kathy 🙂