Kale cake? Yes! You can't taste the kale in this delicious vegetable cake, but it gives this cake a bright green color and leaves some goodness behind. Hundreds of readers have made it and loved it.
I know, you're thinking kale? In cake? But trust me. It's awesome.
This naturally bright green cake (I swear, no editing with these pictures - the cake is really this green!) is colored by kale, but the flavor of it fades away.
I love this kale cake so much, that I've included it in my debut cookbook, Veggie Desserts + Cakes, all about vegetable cake recipes and vegetables in other desserts!
It has long been popular on this blog and hundreds of readers have written to me to tell me how much they've loved it.
I hope you love this vegetable cake too. Find out more about my vegetable cake cookbook.
This is the most popular vegetable cake recipe on my blog, with countless readers making it time and again.
Kale has risen up the ranks to become the world's trendiest leafy green, but I've shunned the usual kale chips and smoothies, and made it naughty by baking it into a cake.
This post was originally published on January 18 2014, and updated on September 6 2021 with new photos, revised method and step by step images.
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Reader Testimonials
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This was great - and I entered it into a competition and won first prize! Thanks!" - Mark
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I made this for St. Patrick's Day. Such an amazing green cake!" - Tina
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I made this again today for a kids' dinosaur party cake. Everyone loved it." - Susa
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I made it and it was so amazing!!!! I'm going to make another for my bbq. I love this cake!" - Amanda
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Making it again this weekend. It went down so well with my work colleagues!" - Shauna
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "It was fun to keep people guessing as to why it was green. Needless to say, the cake received lots of compliments and there was none left. Several people asked where I found the recipe." - Megan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I just made this cake.. It’s delicious!!!!! Will definitely make it again" - Caroline
Why you'll love this recipe
This cake is naturally green with no food coloring.
It's perfect for a dinosaur cake, monster cake or just a fun bright green cake recipe!
This kale cake has a delicate apple-flavoured sponge, topped with a zesty apple icing and, although there is quite a bit of kale, the flavour doesn't overpower the other ingredients.
I've added applesauce to this veg cake, so less oil needs to be used.
This kale cake is sweet without being too sugary and has moist texture, as vegetable cakes often do.
For the icing, instead of the usual buttercream I beat the powdered sugar with applesauce and just a little butter to solidify it. The tangy-sweet icing compliments this vegetable cake well.
I know that you're still skeptical. Heck, I would be if I hadn't tried it.
Ingredients
Kale - get fresh, bright green kale and discard the woody stems.
Eggs - to help bind the cake.
Vegetable oil - go for a neutral-tasting oil like sunflower or canola.
Vanilla extract - adds richness and sweetness.
Applesauce - replaces half the oil for a healthier cake.
Sugar - white granulated sugar.
Apples - any apples will do, but I usually go for sweet eating apples.
Flour - plain, all-purpose flour.
Baking powder - to help the cake to rise.
Salt - to balance the flavors.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Step-by-step Tutorial
Wondering how to make this kale cake recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Steam the kale for a few minutes until soft, then rinse in cold water and drain.
Add the kale to a blender (or a large bowl and use a stick blender) with the eggs, oil, vanilla, applesauce and sugar.
Blend until it's smooth.
Pour the blended kale mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the grated apple.
Tip: be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the grated apple.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently combine
Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Tips
- Readers have had success using flax eggs to make a vegan kale cake.
- Use any apples that you like to eat, gala, cox etc...
- Fresh kale can produce a more vibrant colour, though supermarket bags of chopped kale still work well.
- Don't be tempted to add more kale to get a brighter colour or the flavour will come through too much.
- Check out my other naturally green vegetable cakes!
- I previously had the method written telling readers to puree the kale, then beat it into the batter. However, some people didn't puree it enough so the color wasn't so green. I've been testing and now amended the recipe to puree the kale with the other wet ingredients in a blender. That ensures the kale is fully pureed and the kale is very green!
Vegan Kale Cake
And a reader successfully made it into a vegan kale cake:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Delicious! I made it with flax “eggs” – came out great! Thank you for the beautiful recipe." - Lyd
How to make a flax egg.
More Vegetable Cake Recipes
If you're looking for more unusual vegetable cake recipes, try these:
Check out the Veggie Desserts + Cakes cookbook on Amazon
If you make this kale and apple cake recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram or other social media. I LOVE seeing your recreations of my recipes! Also, pop down to the comment and let me know how you got on with the recipe. It’s always great to hear from my readers.
📖 Recipe
Kale Cake with Apple Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 cups loosely packed, (200g) kale raw, woody stalks discarded)
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup (100ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (100g) applesauce (see notes on how to make your own)
- ¾ cup (175g) granulated sugar
- 2 apples peeled and grated
- 2 cups (250g) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Apple Icing (double to frost the sides as well as the top and middle)
- 2 cups (250g) icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons applesauce smooth, puree if necessary
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease and line 2 x 8”(20cm) round cake pans with baking paper.
- Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and boil or steam for 3-5 minutes until tender. Refresh by running under cold water, drain and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- Add the kale to a blender (or a large bowl and use a stick blender) with the eggs, oil, vanilla, applesauce and sugar and whiz until smooth.Note: if you've made this kale cake recipe before, you'll have been instructed to puree the kale with a stick blender, then stir it into a bowl of beaten egg, oil, applesauce, vanilla ,and sugar. I've tested it again many times and although you can do it that way, it's easier to blend the kale with the liquid ingredients.
- Pour the blended kale mixture into a mixing bowl. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the grated apple, then add the apple to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently combine, taking care not to overmix at this stage.
- Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Cool for 2 minutes in the pans and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the apple frosting
- Beat the butter, apple sauce and vanilla, then sift in the powdered sugar and beat until thick and smooth. If necessary, add a little more powdered sugar to thicken, or a tablespoon of milk to thin.
- Frost the completely cooled cake. And, if desired, decorate the top wiht blueberries.
Notes
- If you don't have applesauce, just peel, core and slice some apples, steam until soft and puree.
- Readers have had success using flax eggs to make a vegan kale cake.
- Use any apples that you like to eat.
- Fresh kale can produce a more vibrant colour, though supermarket bags of chopped kale still work well.
- Don't be tempted to add more kale to get a brighter colour or the flavour will come through too much.
- NOTE: I previously had the method written telling readers to puree the kale, then beat it into the batter. However, some people didn't puree it enough so the color wasn't so green. I've been testing and now amended the recipe to puree the kale with the other wet ingredients in a blender. That ensures the kale is fully pureed and the kale is very green!
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Angie
Can I use baby kale? If so, should I remove the stems?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, that should still work. Just remove any tough stems that won't puree after cooking.
Thea
My cake turned out bland with bits of green from kale but not a green coloring of the cake. . What wenr wrong ?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Thea
If the cake didn't get a green colour, then it would have been that the kale just wasn't pureed enough. Sorry that you didn't have any luck with this.
Dianne Carpenter
Excellent recipe!
Sam
Hi
Can I use curly kale for this recipe? Tia
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, absolutely! Any kale will work. I hope you enjoy it.
Sam
Absolutely delicious.
The only change (mistake) I did was not cook the kale before blending it. So it did have a mild kale smell. I'm hoping my kids(picky eater) will enjoy it and I will be super happy to get some veggies into them... Thanks heaps for the brilliant recipe and immediate response. Gonna try your others ones soon.
Kathy K
I made these as mini cupcakes, but used a Two Sisters Cinnamon Buttercream frosting instead. Decadent, I know, but I was looking for a frosting that I could use to make the cupcakes look pretty! Anyhow, they are getting raves! The cake is very moist!
Kelsey
These are great! Just a hint of kale. I did a half recipe and got 12 cupcakes baked for 21 minutes. I prefer the icing a little less sweet, but otherwise awesome.
Tas
Hi Kate, just found you, and have become an instant fan. I tried this cake today, and it came out a little doughy although the family thought it was great. Does yours? Or should I have left it in the oven for longer? It passed all the ‘done’ tests: was brown around the edges, which came away from the sides, and the skewer came out clean. I do have a fan forced oven though and it usually converts 180 Celsius to 160 Celsius ... is your recommended oven temp for a fan forced oven? Really want to perfect this - I’m a dietitian and really want to recommend your website to patients too! Thankyou x
Anna Rumming-Pain
I really want to try this! Is the apple sauce shop bought? If so, where can I get it? Or is it homemade? If so, how do I make it? Sorry, complete novice!
Kate Hackworthy
Hi! I sometimes buy applesauce (it's with other condiments like mint sauce etc...), or else I make my own. Peel and core apples, then slice thinly and put into a pan with a tablespoon of water. Cook until the apples are soft, then puree.
Janice
What a wonderful recipe! It's so unusual and looks absolutely delicious