Gluten Free Apple Cake with Caramel Icing
When it comes to fall desserts, pumpkin gets all the glory — but apple is always a delicious option. This year, enjoy a delicious fall dessert without the gluten with this quick and easy recipe. This gluten free apple cake is the perfect fall treat for any get-together. On top of the apple-filled cake, your guests will love the caramel cream cheese icing on top of this yummy gluten free dessert.
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Since this delicious spice cake is made with real apple baked right in, it’s the perfect light and fluffy fall dessert. And when it’s combined with a caramel frosting on top, you have a sweet treat that’s perfect for a party.
But the best part about this simple recipe is that it’s completely gluten free. But your guests will never know they’re eating a gluten free recipe because it tastes so delicious!
Gluten Free Apple Cake
While this simple cake is quick and easy to make, it’s also packed with flavor! That means it’s perfect for any get-together — whether you’re baking for a party or a holiday dinner with the family.
On top of being simple to make, this gluten free apple cake recipe is prepared with just a handful of common ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own apple spice cake:
- Gluten free flour. The key to making delicious gluten free cake is to use the right flour. I always bake with Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 Gluten Free Baking flour.
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Shredded apples. You can use any variety of apples for your cake, but I suggest using a sweeter variety to add a touch of sweetness to the cake. I used gala apples for my spice cake.
How to Make Gluten Free Apple Cake
You’re going to love how simple this fall cake is to make! Since you can prepare the cake in a matter of minutes, you’ll be able to enjoy a delicious apple dessert in no time.
The first step to preparing your gluten free apple spice cake is to combine the dry ingredients. Add the gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to a medium bowl and wisk the ingredients together until they’re well combined. After that, set your dry ingredients aside for a minute.
In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and softened butter until the mixture is light and fluffy. Make sure the butter is fully beaten and there aren’t any large chunks in the mixture.
Next, add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl and beat until the ingredients are mixed well. Make sure not to overmix the eggs into the batter.
Once the eggs and butter are well mixed, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and beat to combine. Continue beating on low until all the flour is fully mixed into the batter.
Now it’s time to add the apple! To prepare your apples for your cake, start by using an apple peeler to remove the peel. Then shred the apple with a cheese grater to get the right consistency in your cake.
Once the apples are ready, fold them into the batter until everything is well mixed. The apples will add some moisture to the batter to thin it out slightly.
Pour the prepared batter into a greased 8×8 baking dish and bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes. You’ll know your cake is done baking when a toothpick insterted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
How to Make Caramel Icing
Once your cake is finished baking, you’re not done preparing this delicious dessert! You’ll also need to whip up the delicious caramel icing for the top of the cake.
To prepare the icing, start by adding cream cheese, butter, and thick caramel sauce to a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth. Make sure to use softened butter and softened cream cheese to avoid having lumps in your frosting.
Once the caramel mixture is well blended, add the powdered sugar to the bowl and beat the ingredients until everything is smooth and well combined. To prevent the sugar from causing lumps in the frosting, run it through a sifter before adding it to the bowl.
After your cake is finished baking, allow it to cool completely. When the cake has reached room temperature, spread the prepared icing on top, cut it into slices and enjoy!
How Do You Store Gluten Free Apple Cake?
Since this cake is topped with cream cheese icing, it’s best to store your leftover cake slices in the refrigerator. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or transfer the leftover slices to an airtight container before refrigerating them.
When stored in the fridge, the cake will stay good for up to four days. The longer it’s stored in the refrigerator, the dryer the cake will get. So, make sure to eat up those leftovers quickly! Recipe Ideas
Gluten Free Apple Cake Recipe Ideas
Once you make this cake, it’s going to be your go-to dessert for all your fall get-togethers. That means you’re going to need all the ideas you can get to make this cake the best dessert ever.
Try these recipe adjustments and additions so you can create a delicious apple dessert for any occasion this fall:
- Double the recipe. Will you be feeding a crowd? This recipe can easily be doubled and prepared in a 9×13 pan. Just double the cake and frosing ingredients and prepare the cake according to the recipe. You will need to increase the bake time by 10 to 15 minutes to account for the larger cake size.
- Use applesauce in place of shredded apples. The same amount of unsweetened applesauce can be used in place of shredded apples in this recipe. So, if you don’t have any fresh apples on hand, try mixing in applesauce instead.
- Try diced apples instead of shreds. For more apple flavor in each bite, try cutting your apples into small chunks instead of shredding them. If you dice your apples instead of using a shredder, I suggest increase the amount of apples used from 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of diced apples.
Recipe for Gluten Free Apple Cake
This recipe for gluten free apple cake is the perfect fall dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups gluten free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups shredded peeled apples
For the Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
- Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth and well combined.
- Fold in the shredded apples.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, then top with frosting. To make the caramel frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and caramel sauce until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat until well mixed. Spread the mixture over the top of the cooled cake before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 473Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 442mgCarbohydrates: 75gFiber: 1gSugar: 60gProtein: 4g
More Easy Recipe Ideas:
Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies with Cake Mix
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
