This simple gluten-free apple cake is loaded with fresh apples which makes it perfectly moist. Top it with cream cheese frosting for a sweet, yet humble treat perfect for fall!
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This cake is one of my favorite fall desserts. The flavors are so simple, but so good!
This was inspired by my Low Carb Apple Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting and my Keto Carrot Cake. They are both gluten free as well, but the apple cupcakes don't have nearly the amount of apples as this cake.
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
- Almond Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Granny Smith Apples
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract or vanilla bean paste
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Confectioners Sugar
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
To make this gluten free apple cake, start out by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. You can also bake this in an 8x8 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat the eggs in, then the milk and vanilla. Next, add in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and cinnamon and mix until combined.
Fold in the diced apples and mix just until it is well integrated into the batter.
Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Note: The cake may still not seem set in the center, but as long as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean it should be done.
Allow the cake to cool for 15-20 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Allow the plate to cool completely before frosting.
Hint: Place strips of parchment paper under the edges of the cake before frosting. This ensures that you can easily frost the sides of the cake without making a mess on the plate. When you are finished frosting the cake, simply pull away the strips and discard them!
While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and uniform. Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla and continue mixing. Add the heavy cream and stir until you have a smooth frosting.
Variations
- Low Carb - Simply swap the brown sugar and confectioners sugar with Lakanto Golden, (affiliate) and Powdered Lakanto (affiliate) Use code "THISMOMSMENU" for 10% off your Lakanto order! This reduces the total carbs to 12 grams with 4 grams of fiber for 9 grams of total carbs.
- Dairy Free - Use butter flavored coconut oil or vanilla bean ghee (affiliate) in place of the butter, and dairy free milk substitute for the milk. Use a half batch of this vegan cream cheese frosting in place of the recipe I have listed.
If desired you can also swap the cream cheese frosting I have used here, with my caramel frosting which is just as delicious and compliments the apples very well!
Equipment
This cake only requires very basic equipment. You will need measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, an 8 or 9 inch cake pan (or an 8x8 square baking dish), an electric mixer (affiliate), a serving plate, and a rubber spatula.
I also find it nice to have some precut parchment rounds (affiliate), an offset spatula (affiliate) for icing the cake, and regular parchment paper for keeping the plate clean when frosting.
Storage
This cake will keep in the fridge, in a sealed container for up to seven days. It can also be frozen in a tightly sealed freezer safe container for up to six months.
To eat from frozen, allow the cake to thaw at room temperature. Heating the cake will result in the frosting melting.
FAQs
Yes and no. Gluten free cake generally tastes very similar to regular cake, but the texture is usually a little different than traditional flour based cakes. I overcome this by using a mixture of almond and coconut flour which has a better texture than only using a singular flour.
It's no secret that gluten free cake can be a little on the dry side. Luckily this cake is very moist thanks to the apples! Adding fruit or vegetables to gluten free cake is a great way to make them more moist.
Granny smith apples are my favorite apple for cooking. They are very firm which ensures that they don't get mushy when cooked. Other good options are Jonathan apples or Honeycrisp.
Yes, you should always store cream cheese icing in the refrigerator. If you do not want to serve your cake chilled, you can allow it to sit out for up to two hours at room temperature before serving.
Top tip
This cake is mildly sweetened. Feel free to increase the sweetener in the cake or the frosting to suit your taste!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric Mixer
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup Brown Sugar packed
- 5 tablespoon Butter softened
- 4 Large Eggs
- ¼ cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ¾ cups Almond Flour
- ¼ cup Coconut Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 2 cups Granny Smith Apples Peeled, cored, and diced (about 2 medium apples)
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 4 tablespoon Butter softened
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
- ⅓ cup Confectioners Sugar
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9" cake pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar and butter until fluffy.½ cup Brown Sugar, 5 tablespoon Butter
- Beat the eggs in, then the milk and vanilla.¼ cup Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 4 Large Eggs
- Next, beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.1 ¾ cups Almond Flour, ¼ cup Coconut Flour, 1 tablespoon Baking Powder, 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- Fold in the diced apples and mix just until it is well integrated into the batter.2 cups Granny Smith Apples
- Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Note: the cake may still not seem set in the center, but as long as a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean it should be done.
- Allow to cool completely before frosting.
For Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth and uniform.4 tablespoon Butter, 8 oz Cream Cheese
- Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla and continue mixing.⅓ cup Confectioners Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the heavy cream and stir until you have a smooth frosting. Add more heavy cream ½ tablespoon at a time if your frosting is too thick.3 tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
- When the cake is completely cool, top with the frosting and chopped pecans if desired.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
Nutrition
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