Gluten Free Apple Cake
This gluten free apple cake is a delicious dairy free and paleo holiday dessert! It's perfect for a special occasion and the caramel frosting puts it over the top!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup full fat canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup grated apple (peeled and cored) Or finely chopped if you prefer. About 1 medium apple.
- 1/2 cup finely diced walnuts
For the Caramel Frosting
- 3/4 cup homemade dairy free caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup coconut cream the solid part on top of a refrigerated full fat can of coconut milk. It will take 1-2 cans depending on the brand.
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a glass 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Add in the eggs, maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, and coconut milk.
- Let the cake batter sit for 5 minutes while you peel, core, and grate the apples with a cheese grater.
- Finely dice the walnuts, and add them to the mixing bowl along with the shredded apples. Mix well until combined, and pour into a parchment lined 8x8 glass baking dish.
- Place into a 350℉ oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the middle feels bouncy when touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature before frosting. (See notes)
For the Frosting
- Add the cold coconut cream (the solid part of a can of full fat coconut milk), caramel sauce, ground cinnamon and vanilla into a mixing bowl.
- Use a hand mixer to thouroughly mix all the ingredients together until smooth and airy.
- If you don't have a hand mixer, a whisk will do. Please note that it may not be as light and fluffy as it would be if you used a hand mixer.
Notes
I like to stick the cake in the fridge and serve it cold - it's delicious!
If the caramel frosting isn't something you want to tackle, this cinnamon maple glaze would be fabulous on top. Or just a drizzle of homemade dairy free caramel sauce. Yum!
You can place the caramel frosting in the fridge to firm up a bit if needed.