Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: About 50 minutes
🍎 Apples: Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith, though any variety works
🌾 Flour Used: Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour
💡 Helpful Tip: A mandoline makes it easy to slice the apples very thinly and evenly
🎉 Best For: Fall baking, apple season, brunch, or a simple dessert
This is one of my favorite gluten-free fall recipes, when apples are at their peak and I’m ready to warm my home with tasty, comforting treats.
Best of all, you can make this with any type of apple. Go apple picking as a family or simply head to the grocery store and choose the very best apples you can find. Then head home to make this easy gluten free apple spice cake!
The cinnamon crumble is one of my favorite parts of this cake! I use a similar buttery crumble topping on my gluten-free apple crumble too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make this gluten-free apple cake. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Oil: A neutral oil, like vegetable oil, adds richness and tenderness without weighing down the crumb of this gluten-free apple cake.
- Yogurt: Whole milk yogurt works with the oil to create a soft, tender apple cake. When I need a dairy-free option, I like to use Kite Hill Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt.
- Apple: Any kind of apple will work for this cake! My favorites are Pink Lady, Honeycrisp or Granny Smith. I also love using Granny Smith apples to make gluten-free baked apples. It’s such an easy fall recipe!
How to Make Gluten-Free Apple Cake
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Slice the Apples: How you cut the apples really matters in this cake! Big chunks of apple will cause the crumb to clump up, while grated apples will disappear into the cake. Very thinly sliced is best!
Add the Apples: I add them to the dry mixture and give everything a quick stir. I like doing this before adding the wet ingredients so the apple slices end up spread throughout the batter.
Add the Wet Ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients in one bowl, then gently stir them into the dry mixture until the batter is evenly mixed and ready for the cake pan.
Add the Crumble: Sprinkle the cinnamon crumble over the top of the batter in the pan. I try to spread it so every bite ends up with the buttery, cinnamon topping.
Do I Need a Mandoline to Slice the Apples?
No. A mandoline makes it quick and easy to get very thin, even slices, but you can absolutely use a sharp knife.
Why Doesn’t This Recipe Call For Butter?
I use a combination of oil and yogurt or sour cream in many of my gluten-free cake recipes because I find it gives gluten-free cakes a lighter, more tender crumb. In my experience, butterfat tends to make gluten-free cake clump up.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: I’ll typically make this cake up to 1 day ahead for the best texture when serving. I wait to add the glaze until just before serving.
To Store: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: This cake freezes well without the glaze. Make sure it’s completely cool, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature while still wrapped, then unwrap and add the glaze before serving.
More Gluten-Free Apple Recipes
Gluten-Free Apple Cake (BEST EVER!)
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ⅓ cups (200g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Other:
- 1 large apple (160g), very thinly sliced, then chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup (120g) whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup (120ml) neutral oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon Topping:
- ⅓ cup (71g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- pinch of kosher salt
Glaze:
- ⅓ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Add the sliced apple to the dry ingredients and stir briefly to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
- FOR THE CINNAMON TOPPING: Make the topping by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and salt. Gently mix with a fork, keeping the mixture crumbly. Do not over-mix. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake batter
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- FOR THE GLAZE: Once the cake is fully cooled, make the glaze. In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk. Drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2022. It was updated with new photos and instructions in August 2026.
Can I use Greek yogurt?
Thank you!
Hi Kavita! We haven’t tried the recipe with Greek yogurt, but other readers have used it with success. We hope you enjoy the cake!