This wonderfully moist gluten-free apple cake is made from scratch with fresh apples. The tart apples are balanced with a sweet streusel topping and notes of warm cinnamon.
2 ½cupsGluten-free Baking Flour with Xanthan gum, such as Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
1teaspoonbaking powder
1teaspoonbaking soda
2teaspoonsground cinnamon
¾teaspoonsalt
1cupbutter,softened
1cupgranulated sugar
½cupbrown sugar
3eggs
1cupbuttermilk,see notes for substitution
2cupspeeled, cored, & diced Granny Smith apples,see notes for apple types, do not add extra apples
Streusel Topping
½cupgranulated sugar
¼cupgluten-free flour
2teaspooncinnamon
4tablespoonscold butter,cut into pieces
¾cupchopped pecans or walnuts,optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
Make the Cake
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cream the butter and sugars together with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Then blend in the eggs until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Blend until just combined.
Stir in the diced apples.
Spread the cake batter into the greased pan. Make the streusel topping.
Make the Streusel Topping
Place the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cubed butter and use a pastry knife to combine the topping until the mixture is crumbly and there are no dry bits of flour remaining. Stir in pecans or walnuts.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the cake batter.
Bake at 350°F for 50 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and the top springs back when touched.
Cool in pan on a wire rack.
Notes
Buttermilk substitution: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to a measuring cup, fill up to the 1 cup mark with milk. Let stand 5 minutes.
Don't use more apples than the recipe calls for! Since apples add so much moisture, it's important not to overdo it since gluten-free flours don't absorb moisture as well as regular flour does.
Granny Smith, Cortland, Golden Delicious, or a combination of these apples all work well in this cake. Use a tart apple that is good for baking.
Due to the streusel topping, it is sometimes hard to tell when this cake is finished. It is better to bake the cake a few minutes longer than needed rather than underbaking it. If you're not sure if it's finished, let it go another 5-10 minutes. It's an already very moist cake and the extra bake time doesn't hurt the outcome at all.
This cake will last several days, tightly wrapped, at room temperature.