Vegan Spiced Apple Cinnamon Roll Cake {gluten-free}

This vegan spiced apple cinnamon roll cake is a fusion of my two favorite things: spiced apples and cinnamon rolls. If you’re looking for an ooey-gooey cake filled with soft spiced apples bathed in brown sugar and butter, you’ll love this recipe. Your family will never guess that this insanely delicious cinnamon roll cake is gluten, soy, egg, and dairy-free! It’s the perfect Christmas morning cake.

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When I was growing up, you couldn’t tell me that the canned cinnamon rolls from Pilsbury weren’t a delicacy. Nothing made me happier and more excited than seeing my mother pop open the container with the back of a spoon. The little pop from the exploding rolls made me giddy. When I got my first job at a major department store in the mall, I tried Cinnabon. Good Lord! Those cinnabon rolls changed my life and enhanced my love of cinnamon rolls.

The baked treat was the inspiration for this breakfast hybrid of three of my favorite indulgences: cake, cinnamon rolls, and apple fritters. This fresh, aromatic, oven-baked spiced apple cinnamon roll cake is simply irresistible. The combination of spiced apples, an ooey-gooey cinnamon center, and a light and fluffy cake base should easily be listed as the eighth wonder of the world. If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas morning cake, this should be a recipe you save and use for years to come.

I have outlined the steps to making this vegan cinnamon roll cake below. There are four main parts to this easy recipe: the spiced apple filling, cake base, cinnamon topping, and cake icing. Each has been broken down for easy replication to ensure your vegan spiced apple cinnamon roll cake is just as delicious as mine was.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE A VEGAN SPICED APPLE CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

For the spiced apple filling, you will need:

• apples
• brown sugar
• butter
• cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
• nutmeg
• cinnamon
• cardamom
• vanilla

For the cake base, you will need:

• gluten-free flour
• coconut sugar
• salt
• baking powder
• coconut milk
• flaxseed meal (replaces 2 eggs)
• water
• vanilla
• plant-based butter

For the cinnamon topping, you will need:

• plant-based butter
• brown sugar
• flour
• cinnamon

For the cake icing, you will need:

• powdered sugar
• non-dairy milk
• vanilla

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A SPICED APPLE CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

Spiced apple filling: wash, peel, core, and chop your apples into small, one-inch pieces. Combine apples, butter, and brown sugar in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and stir until butter is melted. Stir in spices and cornstarch and continue until all is dissolved. Allow simmering for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow apples to sit for 10 minutes.

Cake Base: In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients, flaxseed meal, water, melted butter, and vanilla by hand. The dough is properly mixed once it becomes sticky and a bit difficult to stir.

Cinnamon Topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer (or hand mixer), cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and gluten-free flour. Mix well until fully combined.

Cake Icing: Combine powdered sugar and non-dairy milk and mix until smooth and shiny.

IN WHAT ORDER SHOULD THE CINNAMON ROLL CAKE LAYERS OCCUR?

To ensure that your spiced apple cinnamon roll cake tastes just like an ooey-gooey cinnamon roll, I suggest you assemble it as follows.

1. 1. Start by layering your cake base in the bottom of your baking dish and spreading it flat with the back of a spoon.
   2. Top your cake base with half of your cinnamon roll topping, and with a butter knife, swirl the topping into the cake base mixture.
   3. Pour your spiced apple mixture over the cinnamon roll topping.
   4. Using a knife, spread the remaining cinnamon mixture over the apples and around the sides of the cake. You want to get some of that cinnamon roll topping in between the cake and the baking dish. This creates and cinnamony-sweet crust around the outside of the cake.
   5. Once the cake is out of the oven, poke a few holes through the cake to ensure the icing gets inside the cake.
   6. Pour cake icing on top of the warm cake.
   7. Leftover icing can be refrigerated and used when reheating your cake.

WHAT TYPE OF APPLES SHOULD YOU USE FOR THIS CAKE?

I used Fuji apples. Their fairly sweet and slightly tart flesh, pleasant and refreshing crunch, and good texture make them the perfect apples for baking.

WHAT ARE THE BEST APPLES FOR BAKING?

As mentioned, For this recipe, I used Fuji apples. Their fairly sweet and slightly tart flesh, pleasant and refreshing crunch, and good texture make them the perfect apples for baking. Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp are my choices for the best apples to use for cooking and baking.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SPICES TO USE ON APPLES?

Cinnamon is the most common spice that goes with apples giving them a spicy edge. Cloves are used in making mulled apple cider. Cloves can be used in small quantities to flavor other sweet apple dishes but are typically used to add zest to baked apples. Nutmeg is also a good flavor for sweet apple recipes. For example, apple spice cake typically contains nutmeg. Although not one of the top spices to use on apples, cardamom adds warmth and roundness to cooked apples.

Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas?

Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding

Vegan Banana Carob Baked Oatmeal

Easy Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Crumb Topping

Easy Cinnamon Banana Pancakes from Scratch

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