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.
I used cup4cup, and had to make it dairy free for a friend so used olive oil instead of butter in the crumb, and DF yogurt and milk in the cake and glaze. Delicious! Even the gluten eaters enjoyed it, and I got to use my mandolin which is always fun. š
Using the mandolin is so fun! (And a little scary ha!) I’m glad you enjoyed the cake. Great to know you made it dairy-free!
Could coconut sugar be substituted for the sugar.
The color of the cake will be a little darker but I think that should work!
Hi, just a PSA, I think Cup 4 Cup brand contains milk powder.
Followed directions and āhelpful hintsā, the cake turned out amazing! So moist!!! My company, one of whom is gluten sensitive inspired me to try GF desserts. AWESOME!
Hooray! I’m so glad you and your company enjoyed it š
Used your recipe but made a few changes. 1 cup 1:1 gf flour and 1/3 cup almond flour. 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 brown sugar. I also grated a small apple to stir in along with the sliced ones. Plus I’m a big fan of cinnamon so upped it a bit. It was so delicious and very moist. Thank you for your recipes. I plan on trying more
No one other than myself has celiac disease, so baking and having people eat stuff is hard because once i mention its gluten free, they automatically assume its nasty. I’ve surprised them several times with desserts i’ve made, and I must say, your Apple Cake recipe is definitely one I am going to use all the time. It is thee softest, most moist, super flavorful, and yet uses simple ingredients. Slicing the apples super thin was a great idea. Thank you for taking the time to do trial and error recipes so celiacs like me can have delicious foods to share. I love baking but hate wasting ingredients when items don’t turn out, and so many people on the internet share recipes that are down right gross lol. So thank you again. It is truly appreciated š
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! I truly think gluten-free baked goods can be just as delicious as any. Thanks for the comment!
Aloha from Hawaii!
I am always looking for good gluten free recipes. My oldest daughter has celiac disease and I have a friend in my ladies group at church that is gluten sensitive. I do a huge amount of baking in general, and, I’m almost embarrassed to admit that, I don’t have an 8″ pan! Will this work in a loaf pan? Has anyone tried this?
Mahalo!
Hi Teresa, we haven’t tried a loaf pan, but it should work! You’ll need to watch the bake time as the change in pans may impact how long it needs in the oven. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can this cake be frozen to use in 3-5 days?
Yes that should work great. I would let it cool completely then wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil.
Thank you so much for this, what a success! Weāre new to gluten free and I have always loved to bake, so finding gem recipes like that is amazing. No weird ingredients (we live in a country where option for those is limited) and according to hubby (whose favourite cake is apple cake) said itās one of the best apple cakes heās ever had. Have done it twice now and wanted to share my appreciation
What a compliment! I’m so happy to hear that! Glad it turned out well for you š
“That is the best cake ever” said my 10-year-old (GF, DF, allergies) son. “I want that for my school birthday”. So excited to find this. Thank you xx
So cute! š I’m so glad it turned out for you!
A great big YES to this cake!! Came out amazing. My only change was doubling the cinnamon in exchange for the nutmeg. So delicious, thank you!!
Those sound like delicious additions! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I used sour cream in my recipe instead of yogurt (simply because thatās what I had), and I added some pecans and walnuts to the crumble topping. I made a double recipe for a dinner with a couple friends – a full 9×13 in. cake pan – and three quarters of it were gone because people went back for thirds! Definitely holding on to this one!
Hooray! I’m so glad it turned out for you. Great to know the cake worked well doubled in a 9×13 pan. Thanks for the comment!
My first GF cake and itās a success! I used the Bobās Red Milled 1-for-1 flour, and doubled-up on the nutmeg and cinnamon. Also used Chobani less sugar Greek yogurt (vanilla & cinnamon). Delicious!
Can I use greek yogurt?
I think that should work! If you try it let me know how it turns out!
I made that cake, and my husband and I absolutely loved it!! It’s nice and moist, definitely more Apples next time, cause when the cake has risen, the sliced apples disappeared love this recipe!!
What pan did everyone use for this recipe? Did you use a springform pan? I made this very recently and when I transferred it to the wire rack, it completely fell apart!
I use a simple 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan for this recipe. I highly recommend this pan: https://amzn.to/3TQ1QU3
Absolutely amazing! I made this and I honestly can’t believe it’s gluten free! If I hadn’t made it and just tasted it, I would’ve never guessed that it’s gluten free. It has a light and fluffy crumb and it’s not too sweet. I will definitely make it again! Thank you!
I’m so happy the apple cake turned out for you! Thanks for the comment! š
This cake was devoured by my husband. The only thing I would do next time, is to add more apples. I definitely recommend this receipe!
The texture of this cake is AMAZING! You’d never know it was gluten free!
Can I use coconut or olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Yes that will work great!