Kale cake? Yes! You can't taste the kale in this delicious vegetable cake, but it gives this cake a bright green colour and leaves some goodness behind. Hundreds of readers have made it and loved it.
Kale Cake! From Veggie Desserts + Cakes published by Pavilion Books. Image: Clare Winfield
Kale Cake
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.
Apple Kale Cake
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 found that the fresher the kale, the brighter the colour of the cake.
When I can get my hands on freshly picked local heads of kale, the green is incredibly vibrant.
Supermarket bags of chopped kale also work fine, but the colour can occasionally turn out a little less bright.
But don't be tempted to add more kale to make the colour brighter or its flavour will come through too much!
Why Make Kale Cake
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 sceptical.
Heck, I would be if I hadn't tried it.
More Vegetable Cake Recipes
If you're looking for more unusual vegetable cake recipes, try:
cauliflower banana bundt cake with cinnamon icing
lemon cucumber cake with gin icing
vanilla pea cake.
Kale Cake Recipe Testimonials
I've had LOADS of readers make this kale cake again and again, so here are some of their thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This was great – and I entered it to a competition and won first prize! Thanks!" - Mark
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "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
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "It was very tasty!" - Laurel
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I just made this cake.. It’s delicious!!!!! Will definitely make it again" - Caroline
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
Tips for Making Kale Cake
- Puree the kale very well, making a slightly stringy paste, in order to get an even green colour.
- If necessary, add a little of the applesauce to the kale to make pureeing easier.
- A hand blender/emersion blender works best to puree the kale.
- 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!
Get the Kale Cake Recipe
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.
Kale and Apple Cake with Apple Icing
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
- 2 cups (250g) icing sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 2 tablespoons applesauce smooth, puree if necessary
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line 2 x 8”(20cm) round cake tins with baking paper.
- Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces and boil or steam for a few minutes until tender. Refresh by running under cold water, drain and puree well with a hand blender.
**Kale is one of the more difficult vegetables to puree since it's quite fibrous. I've found that a hand blender works best. Persevere for a few minutes to blitz the fibrous leaves to a paste. If necessary, add a little of the applesauce when pureeing to make it easier to blitz.**
It will still be slightly stringy. Set aside. - Beat the eggs, oil, vanilla, applesauce and sugar together well with an electric mixer. Beat in the kale puree and grated apple.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently combine, taking care not to overmix at this stage.
- Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Cool for 2 minutes in the tins and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the Apple Icing:
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, add the other ingredients and mix with an electric mixer until smooth. - Store in the fridge until ready to use. Frost the completely cooled cake.
Recipe Tips
Nutrition Information
Nikki
Hi- I can across your recipe on my local farmer's market newsletter. It was def intriguing- in fact, the cake is cooling now! I do have one question- 200g or 2 cups packed: my 2 cups packed was only 100g. I ended up adding more kale, but wanted to check with you. And thank you very much for the recipe.
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, I suppose it depends on how dense and big the kale leaves are - larger ones could be heavier as they're a bit tougher. But I hope it worked out for you!
Hester McQueen
Love to make this as we do struggle for different ways to use kale!
Melissa Crowe
lovely ideas thankyou
Ash
Have you tried replacing the sugar with mashed bananas? Would I need to add more flour?
Also, could I use vegan butter instead of real butter? I'm baking a cake for a vegan friend!
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Ash,
It would be fine to use vegan butter, and you could replace the eggs with flax 'eggs'. I'd perhaps be wary about removing all of the sugar if you're making all of the other changes, but you could always try. Let me know how you get on!
rlwebster
I couldn't really get my kale to do what I considered "puree." But it looks okay, as it's cooling now. I'm just wondering, do you think you store this cake in the refrigerator until it's all gone or just leave it on the counter?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi! Kale can be tougher at some times of year and a bit more difficult to puree, but hopefully your cake will be nice and green. I leave mine in a tin on the counter, rather than the fridge. I hope you like it!
Sylvia M.
Help! Can you tell me what I did wrong? My cake is not even slightly green. It's a normal cake color with the separate, green kale pieces. Each layer is only 1/2 an inch thick and the icing is only enough to cover one layer. I am so disappointed. I know it should work because it has turned out for other people.
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Sylvia. If the cake isn't green and the kale is in pieces, then I'd say that you needed to puree the kale more. As for it not rising, perhaps the baking powder was old? That can sometimes be the case. I've made this recipe quite a few times, plus I've had loads of readers tell me that they've enjoyed it, so perhaps try again? Sorry that it didn't work out for you.
Shauna
I made this cake and it tasted amazing but did not rise at all sadly. Although my baking powder was old so it could well have been that woopsy
Kate Hackworthy
Oh no! Old baking powder is usually the cause of a flat cake, sadly. Definitely pick up a fresh tub of it for the next cake!
Shauna
Making it again this weekend. It went down so well with my work colleagues!
Johnna
I try this cake and the cupcake. I loved the cupcakes but my cake did not rise
Laurel
It was very tasty! I substituted 2 cups grated zucchini for the apple. I also used white whole wheat flour and baked it in a bundt pan. My frosting separated a bit but other than that everything worked fine. Thank you!
Lyd
Delicious! I made it with flax "eggs" - came out great! Thank you for the beautiful recipe.
Lucy While
Hi. I plan to try this recipe. Is the suggested oven temperature based on a fan oven or not?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Lucy
The temperature is for a standard oven, so please adjust for fan. I hope you enjoy it!
Sadhna Grover
I have never seen such a nice, soft cake with kale and apple, and awesome light icing.
I would love to try, can you suggest any replacement for egg.
Your blog is fantastic, visiting first time.
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Sadhna, I'd just try it with whichever egg replacement you normally use: flax, chia etc... Enjoy!
superfitbabe
I've seen kale cakes that look so gross, and this is the epitome of DELICIOUSNESS!
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks! I'll freely admit that some of the early tests haven't been so delicious - but once I get the veg ratio right, they're fab!
Helen at Casa Costello
Oh my goodness, this looks incredible! I love the colour. I will admit to letting several bags of bought-with-good-intentions kale go rotten but now I know what to do with it. Popping over from Tots100 StumbleWednesday - Feel free to add this to #Bakeoftheweek linky too x
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Helen! I hate letting vegetables go to waste, too. So put them in cake!
.
Any thoughts on a vegan version? Would a purchased egg sub like Ener-g work? Or maybe ground flaxseed and water?
Kate Hackworthy
I haven't made this cake vegan, but I'd assume that any of your usual egg substitutes in cake might work. I haven't tried Ener-g, but flax egg usually works well. Please let me know what you try and how you get on as a lot of my readers are vegan.
Mark Charlton
This was great - and I entered it to a competition and won first prize! Thanks, guys! I stewed the apple (to make purée) with star anise and clove, which gave it an Autumny loveliness. Keep on baking!
Kate Hackworthy
WOW! That's amazing. I'm so pleased you won - and great idea for the spices!
Katya
Definitely going to try this...
Kate Hackworthy
I hope you get to! Let me know how it goes!
Megan
Greetings from Maryland, USA. I made this cake (slightly adapted) for a breakfast on Saturday. 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. The adaptations: baked in a single larger layer, added some millet for crunch, blended the kale stems as well and used less frosting as it was meant for breakfast. Several people asked where I found the recipe so I directed them to your blog.
Kate Hackworthy
I'm so glad that you all liked it! Your adaptions sound great. Millet - genius!
Anyonita
Such a beautiful cake! 🙂
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Anyonita. It tasted as good as it looked!
Kate Hackworthy
Thanks Jami! If someone takes the time to comment, the least I can do is reply!
I hope you and your daughter like the cake. We love green smoothies in this house and any way of getting leafy greens has to be good.
Let me know how you get on with the adjustments as I get a lot of comments from people with other dietary needs and it would be of use to them.
Enjoy! 🙂
Sam
Is step 7 essential cos it's missing
Kate Veggie Desserts
Hi Sam, there is no seventh instruction, I must have just hit enter. Hope you enjoy the cake!