Apple Cake (GF + DF)
After making this apple cake five times in the last few months, I thought it was finally time to share the recipe with you all. This is a Norwegian-style apple cake (eplekake). I have made this cake gluten-less and dairy-less (a rarity in Norwegian baking), making this cake perfect for those who can not tolerate either.
This cake is soft, tender, and moist thanks to the apples and almond flour. It is also incredibly simple to put together and will impress everyone you bake it for. Try it out, and let me know what you think!
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 10
Ingredients:
3 Granny Smith apples
1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter, softened (I like Earth Balance sticks)
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
(I highly recommend using Trader Joe’s gluten-free all-purpose flour because it uses millet and sorghum in the mix. I tend to find that this creates a cake with a better crumb. Any all-purpose flour will work, but results may vary.)
1/2 cup almond flour, packed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup cane sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup full-fat oat milk (needs to be full-fat!)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
dairy-free whipped cream or ice cream for serving
Method:
Peel, core, and slice your apples into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Set aside.
Grease your 9-inch springform cake pan with 1 tbsp of vegan butter. Lightly dust with some of the gluten-free all-purpose flour. This will ensure that your cake does not stick.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk your gluten-free all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder together in a bowl. Set this aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the cane sugar and 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of vegan butter for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed with a spatula.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat the batter for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Alternate adding the flour mixture and the oat milk. Add 1/3 of the flour, let it combine, and then 1/3 of the oat milk, letting it combine as well. Repeat this until all of your flour and oat milk are incorporated. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter in a tight, overlapping circular design, working from the outside of the cake to the inside. It will seem like you are adding too many apples to the cake, but please use all your slices!
Scatter the sliced almonds on top and evenly dust with brown sugar and cinnamon. Slice the remaining vegan butter into pats and place them on top of the cake as evenly as possible.
Bake for 1 hour until firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean in the center. It should be perfectly golden.
Allow to cool in the pan until it is just warm. Do not let it cool completely in the pan otherwise, you will not be able to transfer it to a serving tray. Remove the sides of the pan, transfer to a serving tray, and slice into ten equal pieces. Serve with dairy-free whipped cream or ice cream, and enjoy! This will stay at room temperature for a day or two, or it can be refrigerated for a few days as well.
