Perfectly spiced and topped with a sweet powdered sugar glaze, this one bowl gluten free apple cake is a delicious sweet treat that captures the essence of autumn in every bite. The warm spices and sweet apple flavor make this cake the ultimate fall dessert. As the name suggests, this recipe is made in just one bowl for a simple, hassle-free dessert!
This bundt cake is filled with real apple pieces with the addition of applesauce for an incredibly moist texture and bold flavor. I am a huge fan of bundt cakes because, like this oreo cake, they are easy to make and look elegant with minimal decorating. Make this apple cake for your next fall party to impress your guests and commemorate the harvest season.
Looking for more apple recipes? Check out this apple pie, this apple crisp and this apple bread!
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Table of contents
Why this recipe is a must-make!
I love baking with apples during the fall months and this one bowl gluten free apple cake is no exception. In addition to being free of gluten, this cake is also dairy free and can be made without eggs or refined sugar if you’d like. This recipe can be made in less than 2 hours with less than 30 minutes of prep. Here’s what else you’ll love about this delicious bundt cake:
- The cake batter is easy to whip up in just one bowl (this is also a one-bowl cake recipe)
- It yields 12 servings making it a great dessert for parties
- The unfrosted cake stores well in the freezer
- It stays fresh and moist for up to 2 days in the refrigerator
- It’s packed with fall spices and sweet, juicy apple pieces
💭Pro tips
Gluten free cakes can be a bit tricky to perfect. There are various pitfalls that can lead to a dry, dense, gummy, or even gritty texture. That being said, it’s not hard to avoid these issues if you take the necessary steps. Follow these baking tips to ensure your own bowl gluten free apple cake turns out extra light, fluffy, and moist!
1. Use room temperature ingredients
It’s important to use room temperature ingredients in this cake recipe for the very best results. They combine more evenly during mixing for a smooth and even batter.
2. Measure the specified ingredients by weight
Use a digital scale to measure the flour blend, almond flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar by weight. This is the most accurate way to measure ingredients. This is crucial not only for cake recipes but for all gluten free baked goods. More about this in my baking masterclass.
3. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes
Allowing the cake batter to rest before baking provides time for the dry ingredients to fully absorb the liquid ingredients. This contributes to the soft and fluffy texture. Additionally, the resting period allows time for the flavors to deepen for an extra flavorful cake.
4. Prepare the bundt pan with cooking spray and flour
Cooking spray alone won't be enough to keep the cake from sticking to the bundt pan. Prepare the pan by first greasing it with non-stick cooking spray and then coating it lightly with gluten free flour.
5. Start checking the cake for doneness after 45 minutes
This cake cooks for about 50 minutes but you should start checking on it at 45 minutes to avoid overbaking it. Check the cake with a toothpick to determine when it’s done baking.
6. Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze
When the cake is done baking, let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake out of the pan onto the wire rack to cool completely for 1-2 hours. You should wait until the cake is completely cooled before glazing otherwise the glaze will soak into the cake.
7. Helpful tools
Below are a few tools that will help in prepping your one bowl gluten free apple cake and links to the ones I use and recommend:
- Digital scale
- Stand mixer
- Grater
- Rubber spatula
- Bundt pan
- Wire cooling rack
- Small bowl
Ingredients & substitutions
- Brown sugar - The brown sugar can be replaced with Swerve brown sugar substitute for a refined sugar free cake.
- Granulated sugar - The granulated sugar can be swapped out for Swerve granular sweetener for a refined sugar free cake.
- Applesauce - There is no substitute for the applesauce in this recipe.
- Eggs - You can replace the regular eggs with an egg alternative in this cake recipe if needed. For the best results, use a combination of JUST Egg for 2 of the eggs and chia or flax egg for the other 2.
- Vegetable oil - There is no substitute for the vegetable oil in this recipe.
- Pure vanilla extract - There is no alternative for the vanilla extract in this recipe.
- King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour Mix - I recommend using this gluten free flour blend in this cake recipe to ensure the best results. Using other gluten free flour blends may alter the final outcome.
- Almond flour - If needed, the almond flour can be replaced with any of the substitutes listed here.
- Baking powder - There is no alternative for the baking powder in this recipe.
- Baking soda - There is no alternative for the baking soda in this recipe.
- Salt - There is no substitution for the salt in this recipe.
- Spices - There is no substitute for the ground cinnamon, ground cloves, or nutmeg in this recipe.
- Grated apple - The apple should be grated using medium or large side grates. There is no substitute for the apple.
- Vegan butter - The vegan butter can be replaced with regular butter in the glaze recipe if needed.
- Almond milk - The almond milk can be substituted with regular milk for the glaze.
- Powdered sugar - I have not tested any replacements for the powdered sugar in the glaze. Swerve powdered sweetener may work as a sugar free option.
🍏Grated or diced apple?
In some recipes, like this apple crisp or apple pie, diced or sliced apples work perfectly. But in this cake recipe, I recommend using grated or shredded apple rather than diced apple. Grate it with the large side grates to help the process go a bit quicker. Grated apple offers a better texture than diced, which creates mushy holes in the cake.
Mixing
Mix up this gluten free apple cake batter in just 25 minutes. You’ll want to make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started on the batter. First, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vegetable oil to the bowl of a stand mixer (step 1 above). Mix the wet ingredients on low speed for 15 seconds. Then, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Next, add the flour mix, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices to the wet ingredients (step 2). Mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Then, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl again with a spatula. Mix again on medium speed for 1 minute. Finally, fold in the grated apple (step 3) and set the batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
Baking & serving
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a bundt pan by greasing it with non-stick cooking spray and lightly coating it with flour. Once it’s done resting, scrape the batter into the prepared pan (step 4) and bake for 50 minutes. You’ll want to start checking the cake with a toothpick at 45 minutes to avoid overbaking. When the cake is done, the toothpick should come out clean. Remove the baked cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then, turn the cake out of the pan and let it finish cooling on the wire rack for 1-2 hours.
To prepare the glaze, start by adding the vegan butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar to a small bowl. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until they are fully combined. Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Then, sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon, slice, and serve immediately.
FAQ's
You can use virtually any type of apple in this cake. I like to use green apples for this recipe but any variety of either red or green apples works great.
Yes, you should peel the apple before grating it in this recipe. Leaving the peel on could potentially result in tough, chewy pieces in your cake.
This gluten free apple cake should be stored in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. It will stay soft and moist in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in a sealed container.
Yes, this cake stores very well in the freezer if it’s unglazed. Slice the remaining cake pieces and place wax paper in between each slice. When you are ready to enjoy a piece, let the cake thaw completely before adding the glaze on top. A microwave can help speed up the thawing process!
More cake recipes!
Recipe
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Recipe
One Bowl Gluten Free Apple Cake
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 65 grams brown sugar about ⅔ cup
- 140 grams granulated sugar about ¾ cup
- 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 260 grams King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour mix about 2 cups
- 140 grams almond flour about 1 ½ cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ¼ cup grated apple medium-large grates
Glaze ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegan butter very soft
- 2 Tablespoons almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the wet ingredients and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients, except the apple, and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Fold in the grated apple.
- Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and lightly flour the pan.
- Scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes. Start checking with a toothpick at 45 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean.
- Remove baked cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn cake out of the pan and let finish cooling for 1-2 hours.
Prepare glaze
- Mix all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve immediately.
Notes
- King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour mix is recommended for this recipe.
- The almond flour can be substituted with a substitute listed here.
- Swerve sweetener may be substituted for the sugars in the cake. Swerve has not been tested as a replacement for the powdered sugar in the glaze.
- Use unsweetened applesauce.
- The eggs can be substituted with a combination of JUST egg for 2 of them and a chia or flax egg for the other 2.
- The apple should be grated using medium or large side grates.
- Flour the pan to prevent the cake from sticking and falling apart after baking.
- Make sure to let the cake cool completely before glazing otherwise it will soak into the cake.
- Cake should be stored in the refrigerator. It will last for 2 days refrigerated.
- It freezes well if left unglazed.
Katherine
What kind of applesauce do you need? Sweetened or unsweetened?
Christine
Hi Katherine,
Great question - unsweetened. I'll update that in the recipe.
Thanks for asking.
Christine
Alicia
Hi Christine,
I made this and its delicious but I cooked it for at least an hour. When I cut into it, it was still really moist. Is it supposed a super moist cake or was it a bit undercooked?
When I put a toothpick in it did come out crumby and I touched the top of the cake before I took it out and it bounced back.
Thanks!
Christine
Hi Alicia,
Thanks for asking, so let's see, to answer your question first - it is not moist to the point of being undercooked, it's a nice, tender cake, but shouldn't be 'gooey'. Couple questions though, what kind of pan did you use and then do you have an oven thermometer to check the oven temp? The reason I ask is because I've found sometimes even 5 degrees off can change the bake time!
It does need to cool for a long time before cutting into it as well.
Let me know.
Christine
Sharon
Would I be able to use Bob’s Red Mill 1-1, Better Batter or Cup4Cup instead of King Arthur?
Christine
Hi Sharon,
So I haven't tested them but I would try the Better Batter - let me know how it goes 🙂
Christine