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 Fresh Apple Cake
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 –2 tablespoons 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.
Hello! This recipe looks amazing. Do you think olive oil would work in this?
Or melted butter?
Let me start by saying I HATE GF recipes because most of the products are awful. I wanted a cake that my daughter with a severe gluten allergy would love and this cake was outrageously delicious. Most of the recipes I have made in the past required ingredients I didn’t have and would need use again but this was very straightforward. I used whole fat Greek yoghurt and followed the directions and produced this wonderfully flavorful cake. Everyone raved about it. I think I have finally found my GF website. Thank you for making me a convert.
Hi Raybo, we’re honored! Thanks so much for your review, so glad you enjoyed the cake!
I’ve made this cake a few times. It’s amazing, thank you!! My family has requested I make it for every holiday and special occasion- instant hit. We’re grateful for your wonderful GF Apple Cake recipe. I’m making this again this week for Thanksgiving. 🙂
Hi Margaret, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you for your positive review and enjoy your Thanksgiving!
Made this last night…it so good! The only change I made was date sugar instead of cane sugar, will definitely make again. Thank you!
We’re so glad you loved the apple cake and that the sugar substitution worked well for you, Elisa! Thanks for sharing!
How do you get the cake out of pan without flipping it?
I’m confused
Hi Rhonda, you can gently flip it out of the pan to get it onto the wire rack, but you’ll want it to cool upright on the rack to preserve the topping. Or you can line the pan with parchment paper in a way that helps you lift the cake out of the pan. Whichever works best for you! We hope you enjoy the cake!
Is there a healthier oil substitute that would work?
Hi Melissa, you can use any neutral oil in place of the vegetable oil. We hope you enjoy the cake!
Can you use Greek yogurt instead?
Hi Erica, we haven’t tried the recipe with Greek yogurt, but other readers have used it with success. We hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi there! Do you scoop the flour directly from the bag or do you spoon it in and level it off? I did the latter and the batter wasn’t nearly as dry as your photo. I also baked it a few minutes longer and it’s still underbaked.
Hi Kat, spooning it in and leveling it off is the best way to measure the flour by volume. Weighing the ingredients is the most accurate method. Did you use the recommended flour blend? Using other brands will impact the dry/wet ratio and liquid absorption. We hope this helps!
I am curious if you always let your GF batter rest to soften the grains. I know some batters don’t do well if they rest, just wondering your thoughts on it.
Hi Molly, good question! It can depend on the recipe, but more times than not, gluten-free flour benefits from rest or chill time to give it time to hydrate. Erin is great about noting in each recipe if rest or chill time is necessary. We hope you love the apple cake!
Hi! Wondering if you can use grated apple instead of sliced apples? Thanks!!
Hi Emily, using grated apples will add more moisture to the batter and cause a denser cake unless the wet/dry ratio is rebalanced. It still may be possible with some trial and error. If you decide to try it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
Excellent cake and easy to bring together!! I made this for friends and we all loved it. I used 1 c cassava flour and 1/3 c almond flour. Thank you for a yummy and healthier recipe.
We’re so pleased to hear everyone loved the cake! It’s good to know those substitutions worked well for you too. Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us, Abbey!
Love this recipe! Curious which flour do you actually prefer to use for this recipe? The top of the article lists all of the ingredients and a link to your ‘favorite flour’, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. Lower down in the article under the ‘Ingredient’ section, you list and link to King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour: All-Purpose 1:1. I did a taste test making two cake trying out both flours… Would love to get your feedback on your recommendation. Thanks!
Hi Melissa, thank you for your question! We actually love both and use them interchangeably! The recipe was originally designed with the Bob’s Red Mill which is why it is listed higher in the article. Nowadays, we tend to use King Arthur more often. The recipe card links (ingredients section) sometimes get a little glitchy. Since we so often recommend King Arthur in newer recipes, that link must have swapped out in the recipe card automatically. We hope this helps!
Great I loved using it. It,s apple season in France
Hi Melanie! Thank you for your kind feedback. We’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed the cake!
A great recipe! I did not have any yogurt so substituted using a recipe to make my own with silken tofu, lemon juice and cashew milk! The cake turned out wonderful!
Hi Lisa, we’re so pleased you enjoyed the apple cake! It’s great to know those substitutions worked well for you. Thank you for sharing!
Excellent! Made exactly as written and loved by all. GF and non alike .
Definitely will be making again.
Thanks for another easy delicious recipe.
My family loved this recipe! They had no idea it was gluten free. Have already made it twice.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear everyone loved the cake! Thank you for taking the time to share your positive experience with us, Jackie!