Gluten Free Apple Cake

I dug into my archives and reminded myself of the article I wrote for NPR some years ago regarding my hometown Gravenstein apple and which featured an easy, delicious apple cake. I loved that cake! Infused with a layer of cinnamon-dusted chopped apples and needing pantry basics, I knew the recipe had to be made gluten-free. After a bit of tinkering, I'm thrilled to share this gluten-free version. It's a moist and sturdy bake, as perfect with a morning cup of coffee as it is wrapped up and tucked into lunchboxes. I have been making this cake for 20 years, and bake it at least once a year during apple season.

This is a forgiving recipe, meaning that you can play around with the ingredients if needed to adapt them to what you have in the pantry. I also firmly believe that any apple you have on the tree will work here; I've made it with Gravensteins and Golden Delicious apples, and it's been great each time. Swap in brown sugar, try melted butter to make it richer, add sliced almonds to the top layer of apples, or make the recipe exactly as written.

Why This is the Best Apple Cake (It Really Is!)

I so love this homey, simple cake that's made in one bowl! Less delicate than my equally delicious but very different gluten free French apple cake, this is my go-to recipe for when I want an irresistibly reliable apple cake without making much effort. I love to keep it out on the counter so we can cut slices to nibble on throughout the day. And, it's:

• Not fussy. Look, I love a pretty and pretty fancy gluten free unicorn cake with alll the layers and colored buttercream as much as anyone, but my forever-favorite cakes are humble and rustic. This lovely cake is the type of cake you'd expect on the counter of a country kitchen in fall, with blue skies overhead, leaves to crunch outside, crisp apples on the trees, and the tang of woodsmoke in the air (yes - one bite may just transport you a bit).
• Beautifully gluten-free. Add this recipe to the file for "gluten-free recipes that are so good no one will know they're gluten-free." Seriously, no one will be able to tell thanks to how moist and smooth the crumb turns out.
• Keeps well. Counter, fridge, freezer - this cake does it all and tastes just as good no matter where you store it. Check out how to do so lower down in this post.

Ingredients Needed

You'll see that familiar ingredients make up the base of this beautiful cake, and it will come together in a flash. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

• Eggs - Use large eggs.
• Granulated sugar - I acknowledge that there is a lot of sugar called for in this cake. You can reduce the amount of sugar in the cake batter by ⅓ cup if you want to cut down on it.
• Oil - I used vegetable oil, and any neutral oil, including avocado, canola, or even melted coconut oil, will work fine.
• Orange juice - I used the juice of 1 large orange, and pre-made orange juice is fine, too.
• Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste adds a bit of extra flavor.
• Gluten free flour - I used my easy homemade gluten free flour blend to make this cake, and it was perfect! You may use your preferred 1:1 gluten-free flour here.
• Baking powder
• Salt - I used fine sea salt, and table salt works, too.
• Apples - When I make this cake, I use 2-3 large apples, and I find this the right ratio of fruit to cake. However, feel free to add another apple for even more juicy apple flavor.
• Ground cinnamon

Tips & Substitution Suggestions

• What type of apple to use? My answer: Any type of apple! While a firmer "baking apple" such as a Granny Smith or Jonagold will hold its shape better during baking, in my experience, any type of apple you have will do. You can also do a combination of different varieties of apples. Or, make my gluten free pear cake!
• Prepare batter in order of ingredients. The reason this recipe works so beautifully as a one-bowl method is that the batter is prepped following the order in the ingredient list. For example, add the eggs to the bowl first, whisk them, then proceed with adding the remaining ingredients.
• Another pan. I like using a tube pan because this makes a decent amount of cake, but I have used a 10-inch springform pan with good results.
• Place cake on a baking sheet. When using a tube pan, batter can sometimes leak out the bottom. To prevent spilling and burning on the floor of the oven, place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any extra batter.
• Try brown sugar. For a lovely hint of caramel complement to the apples, use light brown sugar instead of the granulated sugar to mix with the apples (you'll swap ½ cup of the granulated sugar for brown sugar when you mix up the apple pieces).
• Use butter. While I dearly appreciate that this cake is dairy-free, if you're yearning for a super-rich, buttery undertone, use 1 cup of softened, unsalted butter instead of the oil. If you go this route, cream the butter and sugar first before adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Add almonds. I love scattering sliced almonds over the top of the cake before baking for a bit of nutty crunch.
• Other spices. Instead of cinnamon, try ground ginger or a spice mix such as apple pie spice mix or even pumpkin spice mix later in the fall.
• To serve: A dusting of powdered sugar, a little whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, though my preference is to enjoy this cake plain.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Cake may be kept, loosely covered, on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Fridge - Cover the cake with foil and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic and a layer of foil, then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the fridge before serving.