This gluten free apple cranberry cake marries the tart flavors of cranberries with the sweet smoothness of apples into a flavorful, light and moist cake that would make anyone ask for seconds. And how beautiful?
The colors of the cranberry are so cheerful and are ideal for the season. Tucked into this winter cake, they are the perfect complement to this typically autumnal dessert.
It’s difficult to pin this cake down to one kind of treat, actually. It bridges the seasons — autumn to winter with apples to cranberries — and it is equally at home as a dessert as it is for breakfast (my father actually prefers it as a coffee cake!).
It’s not too sweet, so it’s quite nice served with a scoop of ice cream, but it certainly doesn’t need it. It’s delicious served warm or cold. A surprisingly delicious cake, even to those who profess to not love cranberries. It’s almost a tart, almost a cake. It’s so many things … all good.
But one of my favorite things about this cake is actually how easy it is to make! Seriously, you don’t even have to chop the cranberries! And if you really love cranberries, add more! It won’t throw the recipe off one bit!
So don’t be surprised if you talk yourself into enjoying a slice for breakfast, too! I mean, it’s full of fresh fruit, right? I won’t judge you … I just might have done it myself!
This is the best time of year to put together such a simple and sublime cake that’s easy to make and just beautiful when served. Eat-it-all-up scrumptious. See if you agree. Enjoy!
Gluten Free Apple Cranberry Cake
This gluten free apple cranberry cake marries the tart flavors of cranberries with the sweet smoothness of apples into a flavorful, light and moist cake.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup (approximately 165 grams) fresh cranberries (feel free to add more, especially if using a larger pan)
- 1 apple, peeled, cored & diced (I like Gala or Fuji)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut palm or maple sugar)
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 Tbs. orange zest (optional)
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs (or favorite egg substitute like 2 Tbs. flaxseed meal steeped in 6 Tbs. warm water)
- 3/4 cup granulated cane sugar (or Swerve or Monkfruit)
- 1/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative, melted (Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1/4 cup “natural” (unsweetened) applesauce
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (almond, coconut, soy, etc. like Silk® or So Delicious® OR sour cream, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 1/4 cup (169 grams) gfJules® All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- Sugar-cinnamon mixture or demerara sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F (static) 300° F (convection).
Wash and remove stems from cranberries. Combine in a medium-sized bowl with the apples, brown sugar, apple cider, orange zest and cinnamon. (Note: in the video, the apples were added separately; either way is fine.)
Pour into a 9 x 9 square baking pan or a 10-inch pie plate or tart pan and set aside.
Beat eggs and granulated sugar until light, approximately 1-2 minutes. Add butter, applesauce, vanilla and yogurt, beating until well mixed. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt; beat until fully integrated and smooth.
Pour flour batter over the fruit mixture; sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture, if desired.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (slightly less time for the 10 inch pie or tart pan because the cake will be thinner).
Serve with or without ice cream (dairy or non-dairy like So Delicious® Coconut Ice Cream!).
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 227Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 63mgSodium 224mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 36gProtein 2g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
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Hi Jules, are you using Apple Cider or Apple Cider Vinegar? I can’t seem to run your video
Apple cider in this recipe for sure! ENJOY, Shannon!
~jules
How would the recipe bake time, etc. change if the cake were to be made in mini-bundt pans? I like to give cakes like that as Christmas gifts.
What a fabulous idea!!! There are different sizes of mini bundt pans, of course, so you’re really going to have to pay close attention the first go-around and take notes! Depending on the size, they could be closer to muffin bake times — like 20-25 minutes — or longer, so just keep a close eye on them and keep checking with a toothpick. Larger mini-bundts with very deep wells filled with batter will bake much longer, so don’t take them out until they’re really done. Happy gifting!
~jules
Oh my, this is good. Absolutely perfect for a cold, winters day (or any day for that matter). Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream goes well. You can taste the orange zest, so if you’re not an orange fan, leave it out. (I thought it really added a nice flavor). This is the best apple cranberry cake I’ve ever had, including wheat flour versions. 🙂
WOW! Pretty as a picture, for sure! That is gorgeous, Tim – certainly good enough, or maybe too pretty? to eat! So happy you loved it. Thanks ever so much for taking the time to share a photo of your masterpiece!
~jules
Could you use Lakanto Classic monkfruit instead of the suga
Hi Ellen – yes! You should be able to make that substitute equally. Enjoy!
~jules