autumn/ cakes + cookies + sweets/ recipes/ season/ winter

Vegan Apple Cake

Vegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cake

I’m sitting here in my office, with a the beautiful mug filled with my favorite coffee, and I actually feel – content. I’m thinking about how insanely lucky I am to be able to do what I love as my job now. But then I’m reminded of how much work I’ve put into this space, and realize maybe it wasn’t all luck after all.

Sometimes I put a lot of pressure to show gratitude. I see people posting on Instagram with hashtag #blessed in their captions, and it makes me think that I’m not being grateful enough for what I have. But this is kind of silly for two reasons – 1. because you should never compare yourself to people on Instagram, and 2. because gratitude should come naturally from the heart, and not from peer pressure.

But there’s a certain type of gratitude that I wish I saw more of from others, and myself. And that is gratitude for YOURSELF. In my own case, I kept thinking about all of the outside factors that made my work possible, and totally neglected to thank myself for all the hard work I’ve put in. And I think that’s because many of us are taught that patting ourselves on the back is inherently wrong for some reason.

But I’m here to tell you (and me) today that it’s OKAY to be thankful for yourself. In fact, you SHOULD be! There’s a quote that says everyone is fighting a hard battle, but have you ever stopped to thank yourself for fighting that good fight? We’ve all faced hardships, difficulties, struggles – some of us may be going through these things right now. But today I invite you to APPRECIATE the fact that you’ve kept going. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are today, and you deserve true gratitude for what you’ve accomplished. Your troubles may or may not be over, but you’ve made it this far, haven’t you? So stop and THANK YOURSELF for achieving all you’ve achieved, even if they’re small victories. And if you ever think that you’re not deserving or worthy of gratitude, let me affirm that YOU ARE WORTHY.

Vegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cakeVegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cakeVegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cake

Vegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cake

Vegan Apple Cake

This vegan apple cake is made with simple ingredients but is sure to impress everyone at your table, especially with the delicious vanilla cashew cream.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil melted
  • 1 1/2 Cups Natural Applesauce

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Spelt or Whole Wheat Flour
  • 3/4 Cup Coconut Sugar
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Vanilla Cashew Cream

  • 1 Cup Cashews soaked overnight
  • Cup Almond Milk or other plant milk
  • ½ Tsp Vanilla
  • 2 Tbs Coconut Oil melted
  • 2 Tbs Maple Syrup

Garnishes

  • Sliced Almonds
  • Coconut Sugar

Instructions
 

Apple Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients - melted coconut oil and applesauce. Mix to combine fully.
  • In a larger bowl, mix dry ingredients - flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix to combine fully.
  • Fold wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until everything is just mixed.
  • Pour batter into a baking pan (I used a bundt pan) lined with vegetable spray or coconut oil.
  • Bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
  • When done, remove from oven and let cool.

Vanilla Cashew Cream

  • In a blender, combine soaked cashews, almond milk, vanilla, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Blend on high until everything is smooth and creamy.
  • The cream can be used instantly, but it will be very thin. To thicken, stick the cashew cream in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
  • Then, pour over the cake, garnishing with sliced almonds (if desired).
  • Enjoy!

Notes

The cashew cream loses its vibrancy after it's been on the cake for awhile. (That's because it has no artificial preservatives or colorants!) For the freshest looking icing, keep cashew cream in the fridge and wait until serving before icing the cake.

Vegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cakeVegan Apple Cake | Well and Full | #vegan #apple #cake

Quote of Day:

Almost proving what I said about society not willing to let you thank yourself – I couldn’t find a single quote about self-gratitude. So instead, I humbly submit these words:

You is kind. You is smart. You is important. 

26 Comments

  • Reply
    Karlie
    December 13, 2016 at 11:37 am

    oh my gosh this looks incredible!! Can’t wait to try it! Also, yes you are killing it keep it up!! xx

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 13, 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Thanks Karlie!! :D

  • Reply
    Christine@ Yum and in Love
    December 13, 2016 at 2:02 pm

    YES. You can be humble and still be grateful for yourself and the hard work you’ve put in. It is helpful to look back and think “Thanks, past me.” and encourage your present self to keep it up. Also, this Vegan Apple cake looks incredible. I’m not vegan but there’s a lot of food allergies in my family and I’m in charge of dessert for Christmas dinner!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 13, 2016 at 3:21 pm

      Yes, absolutely!! Sometimes I forget to thank past me but you’re right, it really is so helpful to do so!! And I hope you love this cake! :)

  • Reply
    Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
    December 13, 2016 at 11:14 pm

    I l ove the message behind this post. It’s such a great reminder! And this cake is stunning. I want to face plant right into the center and eat my way out, hehe. ;)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 14, 2016 at 8:42 am

      Haha thanks Sarah! :)

  • Reply
    Veronika
    December 14, 2016 at 10:44 am

    5 stars
    So beautifully said, Sarah :) Totally agree with what you’re saying.
    It’s sad that it’s such a foreign thing for us to be proud of ourselves more often. We’re being bombarded with things we could improve from every corner and I know I’m guilty of ignoring my achievements, always chasing the next thing.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 14, 2016 at 3:41 pm

      I definitely am guilty of the same thing. But here’s to new opportunities for us to be kind to ourselves! :)

  • Reply
    Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
    December 14, 2016 at 12:48 pm

    Ahhh I don’t know what I love more here this stunning cake or your beautiful poignant intro <33 It is such a wonderful powerful thing when you truly FEEL gratitude. Not when you think it or force it or feel like you should feel it but when it just hits you–that's the real stuff. And yes, being grateful for ourselves is such a good reminder! Heck I'm even grateful for the struggles because without them I wouldn't be who I am or where I am. And this cake–gorgeous!! Your photos blow me away every damn time <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 14, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Aww thank you so much Natalie! I’m so grateful for my struggles as well, because without them I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today!! Sending hugs <3

  • Reply
    Jess | Urban Alchemy
    December 14, 2016 at 2:24 pm

    Vegan cake and self-love stuff… girl, you are speaking my language!! SO much to talk about! I’ll shoot you an email. xo <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 14, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Can’t wait to talk, Jess!! :D

  • Reply
    Ruby
    December 14, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    I have been a silent follower of yours for a while now, but I just have to finally come out and say how stunning this cake is and how much I love your reflection on gratitude! Beautiful words xo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 15, 2016 at 12:08 am

      Thank you so much for leaving a note, Ruby, it means a lot to me :) I’m really glad you liked this post :D

  • Reply
    Tuulia Talvio
    December 15, 2016 at 2:38 am

    This cake is simply stunning! I love how the cashew cream looks so decadent in these photos :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 15, 2016 at 8:56 am

      Thank you so much Tuulia!! :)

  • Reply
    traci | Vanilla And Bean
    December 15, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Thank you for sharing this, Sarah. It’s true… but isn’t that our culture? We look without instead of withIN? You have worked so hard.. and I get it. But for me, the word blessed sounds like someone bestowed a special something to MEEEE!! I much prefer using the word grateful sans blessed. IDK. This cake is fabulous! I love using apple sauce in baked goods as a replacement for eggs. It does a great job and adds so much to a good cake. Delicious work my dear! xo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 15, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      The word “blessed” definitely has different connotations than the word grateful. I prefer gratitude too :) Thanks Traci <3

  • Reply
    Kathy
    December 16, 2016 at 12:31 pm

    yum. This looks like breakfast tomorrow morning. I have a whole treeful of apples begging for this cake!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 16, 2016 at 1:26 pm

      I hope you like it, Kathy!! :D

  • Reply
    Jessie Snyder
    December 20, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    So sweet Sarah – I am so happy for you! Way to go cultivating this passion into a full time gig. I’m cheering you on friend! xo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 21, 2016 at 7:43 am

      Thank you so much Jessie!! Sending huge hugs <3

  • Reply
    Inci @Bellasapron.com
    December 22, 2016 at 9:39 pm

    This looks really good! I have a lot of vegan friends that I will try and make this for over break.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      December 23, 2016 at 8:20 am

      I hope you like it, Inci!! :D

      • Reply
        Cherifa Dubois
        October 5, 2018 at 4:56 pm

        5 stars
        I made it last week and added some diced apple in the batter .

        It was a success :-)

        Thank you for sharing the recipes

        • Reply
          Sarah
          October 5, 2018 at 6:52 pm

          Oooh diced apples sound so good in this. I’ll have to try that myself!! Thanks so much for leaving a note :)

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