Easy Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake (Spice Cake with Caramel Glaze)

Sharing is caring!

Apple desserts are my favorite way to enjoy the fall season, which is why this gluten free caramel apple cake is the perfect autumn treat! Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house or need a dessert to bring to a fall party, this spice cake is recipe is delicious on any occasion. On top of the apple-filled cake, your guests will love the caramel glaze on top of this yummy gluten free dessert.

This posts contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase something from my link (at no additional cost to you). Thanks for your support!

Since this delicious apple Bundt cake is made with real shredded apples baked right in, it’s the perfect light and fluffy fall dessert. And when it’s combined with a caramel glaze on top, you have a sweet treat that’s perfect for Thanksgiving.

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 Caramel Apple Cake

While this apple Bundt cake is quick and easy to make, it’s also packed with flavor! That means it’s perfect for any fall celebration — whether you’re baking for a party or a holiday dinner with the family.

On top of being simple to make, this gluten free caramel apple cake recipe is prepared with just a handful of common ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own apple Bundt 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 powder
• Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
• Salt
• Unsalted butter
• Sugar
• Brown 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 Cosmic Crisp apples for my spice cake.

In addition to the ingredients to make the apple spice cake, you’ll also need a few extra supplies to prepare the caramel glaze to drizzle on top. To make this simple glaze, you’ll need:

• Caramel sauce. I used Ghirardelli caramel sauce for this recipe, but any type of caramel will work to prepare your glaze.
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

How to Shred Apples

Before you can start preparing your gluten free apple Bundt cake, you’ll need to take a few minutes to prep your apples. Since this recipe uses shredded apples to keep from having large chunks of apple in the batter, you may be wondering how to get the shredded texture to add to your recipe.

I’ve found the simplest way to shred apples is to use a cheese grater. Follow these simple instructions to shred your apples for baking:

1. Peel the apples. Start by peeling the skin off the apple with a peeler or sharp knife. Once the peel is removed, leave the core intact to make it easier to hold your apples.
2. Shred across the largest side. If you’re using a cheese grater with multiple grades, choose the side that has the largest holes. This will help you shred your apple without removing too much of the moisture from the slices.
3. Hold the apple by the core. To protect your hands while you’re shredding, hold the apple by placing your thumb on the bottom and fingers on to. Use a downward motion to move the side of the apple down the grater.
4. Shred to the core. Continue shredding until you start see the seed in the apple. After that, rotate the apple to another side and repeat the process.

How to Make Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake

Now that you have your shredded apples ready to go, it’s time to start baking! Just follow these simple instructions for prepping and baking your own gluten free apple dessert.

The first step to preparing your gluten free apple cake is to combine the dry ingredients. Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until they’re well combined.

After that, set your dry ingredients aside while you prep the rest of the batter ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, brown 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 one at a time, beating between each addition. When you add the last egg, add the vanilla to the bowl with it and beat until mixed.

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! Add your shredded apples to the bowl and fold them into the batter until everything is well mixed. The apples will add some moisture to the batter to thin it out slightly.

Grease a Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and lightly sprinkle some gluten free flour around the sides to keep the cake from sticking. Then, spread the batter evenly across the pan.

Place the pan in the oven to bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for around 10 minutes, then carefully flip the pan over onto your serving plate. It’s best to do this when the cake and the pan are still warm to keep the cake from sticking.

Once you have your cake transferred to your serving dish, allow it to cool completely before you add your glaze on top.

How to Make Caramel Glaze

Once your cake is finished baking, you’re not done preparing this delicious dessert! You’ll also need to whip up the delicious caramel glaze for the top of the cake.

To prepare the glaze, start by combining the powdered sugar, caramel sauce, and one tablespoon of milk to a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until the mixture is smooth.

If your glaze is too thick, add more milk one teaspoon at a time. Whisk after each addition, then add more if needed until your desired consistency is reached.

The glaze should be thick enough to spread but slightly runny to allow it to drip down the sides of the cake.

Once the caramel glaze is the right consistency, spoon it over the to top of the cake slowly, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides of the cake as you spread it.

You can serve your cake with just the caramel glaze on top. But if you want to add even more caramel flavor, I highly suggest you drizzle some more caramel sauce on top!

If you plan on adding more sauce to the top of your dessert, I would do it right before you plan on serving the cake. The sauce tends to thin the longer it sits, so it will look its best right after you add it to the top.

How Do You Store Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake?

This delicious cake can be stored at room temperature for up to four days. Make sure to tightly cover your cake with plastic wrap or transfer the slices to an airtight container to keep it moist.

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:

• Bake it in a cake pan. While this recipe was designed to be baked in a Bundt pan, there’s no reason you can’t make a full-sized cake instead. Prepare the recipe as written and bake it in a 9×13 cake pan. You will need to decrease the bake time by 10 to 15 minutes to account for the different 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 increasing the amount of apples used from 2 cups to 2 1/2 cups of diced apples.

More Easy Recipe Ideas:

Simple Gluten Free Apple Pie Bars

Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Squares

Gluten Free Apple Cobbler with Cake Mix

Apple Butter Bundt Cake

If you like this post, you’ll probably like these: