Vegan Apfelschlupfkuchen (German Apple Custard Cake)
A soft, bakery-style German apple cake with a lightly custard-enriched sponge and neatly arranged apples on top.
Equipment
- 8-9 inch (20-23 cm) springform pan
- mixing bowls
- Whisk or spatula
- Knife
- Baking parchment
Ingredients
For the apples
- 4-5 medium apples about 1.5-1.7 lb / 700-800 g
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the batter
- 1¾ cups plain flour 220 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sugar 130 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup neutral oil 120 ml
- ⅔ cup Nature’s Charm evaporated oat milk 150 ml
- ⅔ cup Nature’s Charm coconut custard 150 ml
Optional topping
- 2 tablespoons pearl sugar or demerara sugar
- Icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
Prepare the apples
- Peel, core, and halve the apples. Slice each half thinly without cutting all the way through so they stay slightly connected.
- Toss with lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar, then set aside.
Make the batter
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- In a separate jug, combine the oil, oat milk, coconut custard, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until smooth. The batter should be thick but still pourable.
Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C / 160°C fan).
- Grease and line your springform pan.
- Pour in the batter and smooth the top.
- Arrange the apple halves on top, cut side up, gently fanning them out.
Bake
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden and set. A skewer inserted into the center should come out mostly clean.
- If the top is browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil toward the end.
Cool & finish
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing.
- Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
Notes
For a slightly more custard-forward finish, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of coconut custard over the apples before baking.
Use firm apples so they hold their shape during baking.
The cake will continue to set as it cools - don’t worry if it feels a little soft when it first comes out of the oven.