One of our favorite fall activities is picking apples. Creating new recipes to use them in is a fun challenge, and my new Gluten Free Honey Apple Cake is a success story I don’t mind sharing with you.
Whether you’re looking for new ways to use bushels of overly-ambitiously-picked apples or are in need of a truly delicious Rosh Hashanah recipe, this moist, flavorful gluten free cake will make everyone happy!
Honey is not only a wonderful baking ingredient (did you know it keeps cakes and breads soft and helps them stay fresh longer?) for a touch of sweetness, it’s also used in Jewish recipes at Rosh Hashanah to signify hope for a “sweet” new year.
Paired with apples, which ancient Jews believed had healing properties and which are mentioned as a symbolic fruit throughout the Bible, these two ingredients are not only delicious, they’re meaningful.
I like baking this beauty in a bundt pan, but a couple loaf pans would do the trick, too. Or even bake them as muffins to spread the love.
You can even bake this cake in a decorative honeycomb pan, apparently! How beautiful is this cake baked by reader Lynne K-L? She said the only key is to be sure to spray the pan well with oil and lightly flour (do not use oil sprays that already contain flour or starch, as they are NOT gluten-free!)
However and whenever you choose to make this cake, enjoy it in good health and may it bring you all sweet things in your new year.
Gluten Free Honey Apple Cake
This divine bundt is the perfect combination of honey and apple flavors tucked into a moist, just sweet enough cake drizzled with glaze that will only make you want a second slice.
Ingredients
Gluten Free Honey Apple Cake:
- 2 cups peeled & thinly sliced crisp apples like Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp (~ 1-2 apples)
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3 ¼ cups gfJules™ All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour (439 gr)
- 1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 eggs, room temperature (suggested egg substitution: 3 TBS flaxmeal plus 6 TBS warm water (let steep 10 minutes) plus 1 Ener-G egg replacer recipe)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup natural applesauce (no sugar added)
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup coconut oil, melted (or other vegetable oil)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup apple cider or juice
Glaze ingredients:
- ¾ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs. milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Oil a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan well, then set aside.
- Slice apples and place in a bowl filled with water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir, then drain in a colander. Return to the bowl.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of sugar with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, then pour over the apples while stirring.
- In a separate bowl, measure then whisk together the gfJules flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another mixing bowl, beat together the eggs with granulated sugar, brown sugar, applesauce, honey, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract. Once incorporated, stir in the dry ingredients, mixing slowly and pouring apple cider on top. Continue mixing for one minute.
- Pour one third of the batter into the bottom of the Bundt pan. Arrange apple slices to cover the batter; pour more batter on top to cover the apples, then arrange the remaining slices on top of the batter and top with remaining batter. Make sure the batter covers all the apple slices.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (bake for up to 1 hr 20 minutes at high altitude).
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes. Gently turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack and let the cake cool completely before icing.
- Whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl, adding more or less milk until the icing is able to be drizzled over the cake without being watery. Add more confectioner’s sugar if the icing gets too thin; add more milk if it’s too thick.
Notes
Bake for up to 1 hour 20 minutes for high altitude.
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Find more gluten free Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur recipes here on gfJules.com!
Question? Can you dice the apples and add to the total batter? I would like to try this and think that might work.
Hi Sandy, you could do that but I would roll the diced apples in a dusting of my gfJules Flour first to help keep them from clumping and falling to the bottom of the cake. Let me know how it goes!!!
~jules
Gorgeous! I would hate to cut into that. 🙂
With time and energy at a premium over Thanksgiving, I borrowed another presentation method that used slightly different ingredient amounts (and included lightly caramelizing the apples first) and then baked it in a 9″ spring form. Totally not pretty like yours! BUT the flavor and texture were simply amazing! A definite keeper!
Mixed using only a spatula and a bowl – easy cleanup.
PS: Don’t forget to gently reheat and add the vanilla ice cream!!!!
It’s all about the taste, Dave, and your caramelization technique I’m sure knocked it out of the park! But anytime you want to share a pic of your creations, feel free! 😉
I just love baking in springform pans; lined with parchment that’s another easy cleanup method, too!
~jules
If I wanted to make this cake using regular flour for the rest of my family who do not have celiac, what changes should I make? The recipe sounds delicious!
Hi Livia, you should be able to use this recipe with regular wheat flour instead, although you may use slightly less liquid than would be needed with my gfJules Flour. Add the liquid slowly so you make sure not to add to much — you can always add more but you can’t take it away! ENJOY!
~jules
Love this recipe! Amazing combination of flavors. Just a general question on the kosher salt amount & type. It’s one tsp, correct? And should it be the coarse type which is what I associate with kosher salt though I’ve seen it in fine crystals.
Hi Deborah, it’s just one teaspoon, yes, and the fine crystals for baking, not the coarse type. Thanks for clarifying! Fine for baking, always, unless specified! Enjoy this wonderful cake!!
~jules
Hello,
I made this recipe a couple of days ago to test it out before the holidays and it has already been devoured! Best honey apple cake EVER!
Will be making it again tomorrow, and wondered if the beating of the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl was supposed to be by hand or with a hand mixer. Could you please let me know?
Thanks so much😊
Happy holidays.
Hi Carol, I’m so glad you loved this recipe!!! I use a hand mixer or stand mixer for mixing the wet ingredients, but you could use a whisk and do it briskly if needed. So smart of you to test it out before the holidays, and you got the added benefit of getting to enjoy the cake in advance!!! Shanah Tovah!
~jules
Jules, would it be better to make the batter ahead of time and refrigerate over night before baking or to bake it the day before it is eaten?
Hi Kim, using my gfJules Flour, you should be fine to bake the cake the day before, especially if you glaze the cake and don’t cut it. Enjoy!
~jules
Jules, would ginger ale substitute for apple juice in this recipe? Sounds delish! Thanks for always giving alternatives with your recipes. It helps to adjust recipes to our needs and tastes. ~ kd
Oh I think that would be a lovely substitute, KD! I’m glad the substitutes I offer work for your family. It’s no good sharing recipes if people can’t make them! 🙂
Happy baking!!
~jules
If using loaf pan(s) how long should it bake? Thank you.
Hi Lynne, as with anything, it all depends on the pan size and material (metal v. glass, etc). You’re going to have to keep a close eye on it and keep testing, but I’d suspect it’ll take at least an hour. I’m sorry I can’t tell you for sure, but you’re also going to have to use more than one loaf pan, I’d think, so if you divide the batter equally between two loaf pans, it would be less than an hour — perhaps more like 45 minutes. I always try to check my loaf pans at around 30 minutes and rotate them. At that point you might have a good idea at that time how far into the bake they are and be able to set a timer for another 15 or 20 to check with a toothpick then. I hope that helps! Your kitchen is going to smell so good!!!
~jules
I just made the GF honey apple cake and the house smells amazing.
I know – it’s an amazing aroma! So glad you made it! ENJOY!!
~jules
This cake is so beautiful. I love the way the glaze runs down the ridges. This makes me think I need to start investing in more bakeware!
It’s is a beautiful pan, for sure! Glad it’s inspiring you to want to bake more!
~jules
Oh My Gosh! This cake is so delicious! I made it last night and had 3 pieces (please don’t judge!). My husband (a non-celiac) took one bite and his eyes rolled into the back of his head and then a big smile came across his face! Now I have to hide it for myself (a celiac). I use your flour exclusively (no other reason to buy other flours). It is the best flour by far. Thank you for all your research and experimenting and delivering these delicious recipes to us.
Aw, thank you so much, Lois! I’m thrilled that you tried the recipe and even more thrilled that you both loved it so much! May all your baking be happy from here on out!
~jules
I just finished making the cake and it is in the oven baking. I found the batter hard to pour as it was thick and hard to spread. Is suppose to be a thick batter?
It is a thick batter, Brenda. How did it turn out for you once baked?
~jules
It is delicious! Thanks for responding. I love your products.
That’s fantastic to hear, Brenda! Thanks for letting me know. Enjoy that cake!
~jules
This sounds so perfectly flavorful & fall-like! Yum!
If I bake it on Friday before I leave instead of Thursday, should I refrigerate it until i is ready to serve Sunday night? Is that better than freezing?
Hi Sher, I wouldn’t refrigerate it at all — that will just dry it out. If you bake it on Friday, with my gfJules Flour it will still be yummy on Sunday if it’s wrapped tightly. Wait to ice it on Sunday so it’s prettier! Hope you have a sweet new year!
~jules
This is a delicious looking cake. It will be perfect for our fall harvest party.
OH yes – all those autumn flavors and so pretty too! Enjoy!
~jules
Not sure if I did something wrong. I normally love your recipes!! This cake took forever to cook, the apples made the middle so gooey I had to cover the cake with foil and continue to cook for another 40 minutes and I don’t live at a high altitude. The flavor of the cake when done, although still moist, was just lacking. Not sure what I missed.
Hi Rebecca, so sorry about the wet apple issue! Anytime fruit is in a recipe, it’s a variable for sure. Perhaps you had extra juicy apples or something — so sorry that happened! Next time try adding a couple tablespoons of gfJules Flour to the sliced apples/sugar mixture to help them stay put in the batter and also help to absorb some of the juiciness. You did the right thing to cover the cake with foil and then just keep baking! Did you by chance use an egg substitute as well?
As for the flavor of the cake, not sure what might have happened there, although I can imagine the rest of the cake might have gotten a bit dry from having to bake it so long. Maybe whip up extra icing for it so that you can still serve it? Extra icing is always a good idea for any cake in my house! 🙂
A couple flavor variables could be the applesauce, oil and also the apple cider. Maybe try spiced cider next time and you can also add more sugar (like 1/4 cup) if you want it to be sweeter.
Those are just a couple ideas. I’m hoping that with some extra icing you can still enjoy the cake you’ve baked this time!!!
~jules
Sounds like the perfect welcoming dessert for fall 🙂 I’ve been wanting to use my bundt pan, this’ll be great!
It’s certainly gorgeous in a bundt!
~jules
Does this cake freeze well? I’m traveling to my daughter’s in DC and will have to bake the cake on Thursday to take with me and our RH dinner is on Sunday. Any suggestions?
Hmmmm. I don’t know any reason why it wouldn’t freeze well, Sher. It won’t be quite as moist after freezing, but it should still be yummy! Wishing you a sweet holiday!
~jules