Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9×13″ sheet cake pan with oil, then line with parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal. Add apple cider vinegar to unsweetened dairy-free milk to make the vegan buttermilk and set aside.

Wash and dry the apples, then slice them into large chunks. Place the apples into a food processor or high-speed blender, and blend until they are completely grated. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, light brown sugar, vegan butter, oil, dairy free yogurt, and vanilla extract. Add in the chopped apples, followed by the baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spices, and sea salt, and whisk to combine. Then add in the flour and vegan buttermilk, and whisk JUST until the dry is incorporated into the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the cake pan. Place cake pans into the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a drying rack to cool completely before frosting.

You can make the salted caramel here. Let it cool completely at room temperature before icing the cake. Otherwise the caramel will melt the frosting.

When ready to frost the cakes, add vegan butter and vegan cream cheese to a stand mixer or large bowl and cream together with a hand mixer. Add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, continuing the beat the mixture until it’s a fluffy frosting.

Scoop the frosting onto the cake and spread to the edges. Drizzle the salted caramel on top.

Slice and serve the cake. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

To assemble the cake, place the first cake layer onto a cake board or plate and add about ¾ cup of frosting to the cake. Spread until the frosting reaches the edges, then drizzle caramel sauce on top.

Place the second layer on top and repeat.

Place the third layer on top and continue to frost the cake entirely. Place the cake into the fridge to chill for 20 minutes so that the frosting can set. When ready to serve, top with apples and the remaining caramel sauce and serve!