This gluten-free apple cake is a single-layer snack cake studded with tender apples and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. There’s no frosting to deal with, so it works just as well for breakfast as it does for dessert.
It comes together with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Dress it up with a simple glaze, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you want something more dessert-like.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – This recipe has been tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Baking Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour. Both of these flour blends already contain xanthan gum. Gluten-free flour blends can vary in density by brand, so weighing it with a food scale gives more consistent results than scooping with a measuring cup.
- Applesauce – Use unsweetened applesauce. It adds moisture, a little sweetness, and extra apple flavor. It’s not a substitute for the oil in this recipe, since they’re doing different jobs in the batter (moisture and flavor vs. fat and rise).
- Sour Cream – Adds moisture and helps keep the texture light. Plain Greek yogurt works as a substitute if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vegetable Oil – Canola oil or another neutral oil like avocado oil both work in its place.
- Apples – Use a crisp variety, like granny smith, honeycrisp, gala or pink lady. Peel, core and dice them into about 1/2-inch chunks before folding into the batter.
Weigh Your Flour
For best results, weigh your flour using the metric measurements in the recipe card. Gluten-free flour blends can vary quite a bit depending on how you scoop them, so a food scale gives more consistent results.
Recipe FAQs
Use firm apples so it doesn’t disintegrate into the cake. You still want to see the apple chunks after baking. Granny Smith is a good choice if you like something tart. Gala if you like something sweeter, and Honeycrisp or Pink Lady if you want something in between. A mix of two varieties also works well if you want both sweet and tart in the same bite.
Yes, the texture of the peel doesn’t work well in this soft, fluffy cake, so it’s worth the extra few minutes to peel them first.
This has been tested with King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Both contain xanthan gum and are meant to be a 1:1 swap for all-purpose flour. Other brands may work, but I haven’t tested them in this recipe.
No, almond flour and coconut flour behave very differently than a gluten-free flour blend, and the ratios aren’t interchangeable. Save those for a recipe written specifically for them.
Expert Tips
Storage Instructions
Room temperature: Store covered for up to 2 days for best texture.
Refrigerator: Store covered for 3-5 days. If you plan on storing longer, I recommend freezing.
Freezer: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or a few hours at room temperature if you’re short on time.
Serving Suggestions
this gluten-free apple cake is good on its own with a cup of coffee, but there’s room to dress it up too. My brown butter cream cheese frosting adds a nutty, toasted flavor that plays well against the tartness of the apples, especially if you use Granny Smith. A dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream works just as well if you want something simpler.
If you’re putting together a fall dessert spread, apple cider caramels and gluten-free caramel apple cheesecake bars are great additions alongside a slice of this cake. They’re all built around the same warm fall spices.
Gluten-Free Apple Cake
Ingredients
For Coating the Pan:
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter - or shortening or vegetable oil for coating pan
- 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar - for coating pan
For the Cake Batter:
- 1¾ cups (245 g) gluten-free flour blend - this recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Baking Flour, both which contain xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (122 g) unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup (55 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 2 (100 g) large eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (226 g) apples - peeled, cored, and diced in ½ inch chunks; from 2 medium sized apples – see notes*
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with 1 teaspoon (5 g) unsalted butter and then add 2 tablespoons (24 g) granulated sugar and turn the pan moving the sugar around the pan until it is coated. Tap out any extra sugar. Set the pan aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1¾ cups (245 g) gluten-free flour blend, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (122 g) unsweetened applesauce, ½ cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream, ¼ cup (55 g) vegetable oil, 2 (100 g) large eggs, and 1 teaspoon (5 g) pure vanilla extract with a hand mixer until smooth and combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until no more streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in the diced 2 cups (226 g) apples.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 200-205°F.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes. If you used a springform pan, remove the sides and transfer the cake to a cooling rack to finish cooling. If you used a regular cake pan, run a knife around the edge, turn the cake out onto a cooling rack, then flip it right side up to finish cooling.
Video
Notes
- Apples: Use a crisp apple such as Granny Smith, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady. You’ll want to peel, core, and dice it into 1/2-inch chunks before folding it into the batter.
- Storage: Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or a few hours at room temperature if you’re short on time.
