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–+ servings
Slice of gluten free apple cake on white plate with fork topped with whipped cream.
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4.89 from 9 votes

Gluten Free Apple Cake

This Gluten Free Apple Cake is a great fall dessert! It's made with fresh apples, buttermilk, and baked with a cinnamon sugar topping.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: buttermilk apple cake, old fashioned apple cake, fresh apple cake, cinnamon sugar apple cake
Servings: 8
Calories: 294kcal
Author: Christine Rooney

Equipment

Ingredients

For The Apple Cake:

  • 1 ½ packed cups brown sugar light or dark
  • ½ cup unsalted butter equals 1 stick, softened
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large sweet apple such as Gala, Braeburn, Fuji, or Honeycrisp, or 2 small-medium apples
  • 1 large tart apple such as Granny Smith or Jonagold, or 2 small-medium apples
  • 2 cups gluten free flour blend or AP flour if not gluten free
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 ½ tsp. cinnamon split
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

For The Whipped Cream:

  • 16 oz. heavy whipping cream optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Apple Cake:

  • Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
  • Peel 1 large (or 2 small-medium) sweet apples such as Gala, Braeburn, or Fuji. Dice the sweet apples into small chunks (yields 1 ½ cups).
  • Peel 1 large (or 2 small-medium) tart apples such as Granny Smith or Jonagold. Dice the tart apples into small chunks (yields 1 ½ cups).
    Make sure that the apples are relatively the same size so that they cook evenly as the cake bakes in the oven. In total, there should be about 3 cups of chopped apples.
  • Place ½ cup (1 stick) of softened (but not melted) unsalted butter and 1 ½ packed cups of brown sugar (light or dark) in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
    Add 2 eggs to the butter and sugar and cream for another 30 seconds on medium speed until the mixture is completely combined (the mixture will be thick and a little grainy).
  • In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of gluten free flour blend, 1 tsp. baking soda, and ½ tsp. kosher salt.
    Stir the dry ingredients together with a fork or whisk until completely combined.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined. Add ½ cup of buttermilk to the batter and stir until combined.
    Repeat with the second half of the dry ingredients and then the other half of the buttermilk.
    Stir the batter until completely combined (it will be thick and kind of sticky).
  • Add the 3 cups of diced apples (both sweet and tart) to the batter along with ½ tsp. of cinnamon. Stir the apples and cinnamon into the batter until completely combined.
  • In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of granulated white sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon. Stir until completely combined.
  • Pour the cake batter into the greased baking pan and even it out with a spatula.
    Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top of the cake.
  • Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 42-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
    Feel free to bake for an additional few minutes if the middle of the cake is not finished.
  • Remove the baking pan from the oven and allow the cake to cool.

For The Whipped Cream (optional):

  • Place 16 oz. of cold heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl (feel free to add 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar or maple syrup for extra sweetness).
  • Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whip the cream on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, or until it forms stiff peaks (you can also whip it for 2-3 minutes for a looser texture).
  • To Serve: Allow the cake to cool a bit before serving. Top with homemade whipped cream (optional).

Notes

Baking times may vary slightly depending on the type of cake pan and oven used. I found 42-45 minutes to be perfect, but baking times may be different for you. Simply bake for an additional couple of minutes if needed.
The texture of the cake should be moist and springy.
You can use light or dark brown sugar to make this apple cake. Dark brown sugar has more of a molasses flavor.
Nutritional facts are calculated without the whipped cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 504IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg