Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake (a Depression Cake Variation)

 If you're looking for another way to use up your preserved apple pie filling, this cake is a DELICIOUS option!  

apple pie filling cake in clear cake pan on wooden board with striped towel

Last year I made a lot of apple pie filling from the massive number of Asian pears one of our trees produced mixed with some apples we purchased from a local orchard.  We ate what we could raw, kept some in cold storage for future eating, and then I preserved the rest.  Knowing we wouldn't eat that much pie I began creating other ways to use this stockpile of deliciousness.  This recipe was one of the desserts we continue to enjoy.  

Our Asian pear tree is biennial bearing, so I happily anticipate building up my apple pie filling stock again next year.

Using an egg-free depression cake base, this cake is easy to make and is rich and moist.  Depression cakes include no butter, eggs, or milk (although milk is an option if you would prefer), making them an affordable dessert using items you likely have on hand.  I've included an optional glaze recipe that does use butter and milk, although this cake is SO GOOD without it that it's not a necessity.  

Some of my other depression cake recipes (all are egg free!) can be found here.  

ingredients for apple pie filling cake

Ingredient Notes:
  • Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water.  If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
  • Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice if that's what you have on hand.  The vinegar plus the baking soda are the leavening agents in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
  • Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil).  If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce.
  • Apple Pie Filling - you can use apple pie filling that you've canned or put up in the freezer, although you will want to thaw it first.  You can also use store bought.  If it's super sweet you can reduce the amount of sugar in the cake to balance it out.

piece of apple pie filling cake with brown sugar glaze on a white plate with a striped towel

Making The Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. 

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients.  Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.  Stir in apple pie filling.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

6. Serve as is or with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze.

Other Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes You May Enjoy (all are egg free):


apple pie filling cake in a clear cake pan on a wooden board

printable recipe can be found here

Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake (using canned or frozen apple pie filling)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup - 1 cup granulated sugar (lesser amount if your apple pie filling is heavily sweetened)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
5 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups canned or frozen (thawed) apple pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. 

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients.  Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.  Stir in apple pie filling.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

6. Serve as is or with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze (recipe follows).


Brown Sugar Glaze
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tablespoons milk

In a small saucepan, boil all of the ingredients together over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy, 1-2 minutes.  Drizzle over cake.  

**If drizzled over the entire cake it will soak into the cake once stored 4-6 hours or more.  Instead, you can store the glaze separately from the cake and spoon over individual pieces at time of serving.**



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2 comments

  1. It looks delicious. I love the way creative home cooks came up with recipes using what they had on hand. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Creative cooks indeed. There's so much to learn from the past, isn't there?

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