This moist gluten-free Spiced Applesauce Cake is flavoured with warm spices! Made with a combination of oat flour and gluten-free flour, it's topped with apple slices and has optional additions of dried cranberries and pecans. Serve this as apple cake as a coffee cake for brunch or top with whipped cream or whipped coconut milk and enjoy for dessert.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- This gluten-free Spiced Applesauce Cake is bound to improve your mood and lift your spirits, even if you're perfectly happy! Who doesn't love the smell of warm apples and cinnamon wafting through the house?
- Whether you serve it as an applesauce coffee cake or as an apple dessert cake, you'll love the flavor and texture of this healthy cake. Serve it plain or top slices with whipped cream or whipped coconut milk for a spectacular dessert!
- This gluten-free Spiced Applesauce Cake recipe is a favorite of mine year-round. It's easy to make!
- It's also easy to adapt. You can omit the pecans to make it a nut-free apple cake, or replace them with walnuts. Feel free to add raisins or dried cranberries, too.
I've updated this recipe to give it a fluffier texture. My original recipe called for 2 cups of oat flour. I've replaced one of those cups with a gluten-free flour blend to give this apple cake a lighter texture.
🛒 Ingredients
This Applesauce Spice Cake is made with :
- butter (or melted and cooled coconut oil)
- unsweetened applesauce (homemade or store-bought)
- eggs
- oat flour (certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- gluten-free flour blend: I recommend Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-free Baking Flour
- warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
- sweetener: coconut sugar, brown sugar or keep it sugar-free by using Golden Monkfruit sweetener with erythritol.
- pure vanilla extract
- baking soda and baking powder: to help the cake rise.
🥄 How to make an applesauce spice cake
Here's an overview of what you'll do to make this gluten-free apple cake. You'll find complete instructions in the recipe card below.
- Combine the wet ingredients in one bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in another.
- Combine the two, then add the cranberries and chopped pecans.
- Toss apple slices with lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
- Spread the batter in a lined springform pan, then arrange thin slices of apple in a concentric pattern on top.
- Bake, cool, then enjoy plain or with whipped cream or whipped coconut milk.
🔁 Possible variations
- Keep this spiced applesauce cake nut-free by leaving out the pecans.
- Substitute raisins for the dried cranberries.
- Substitute walnuts for the pecans.
- Replace the spices in the recipes with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
- Keep it dairy-free by using coconut oil instead of butter. Make sure you have cooled the melted coconut oil. It works best when the other ingredients are at room temperature. If the eggs are cold, for example, the coconut oil tends to harden quickly. If this happens, stir vigorously to combine it.
🥶 Storage and freezing instructions
Store leftovers in a covered container on the counter or in the fridge. For longer storage, I like to wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, place them in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.
🗒 More favorite gluten-free apple desserts
- Gluten-free Dutch Apple Pie with Crumble Crust
- Gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Skillet Cranberry Apple Crisp
- Apple Blackberry Crumble
- 20 Gluten-free Apple Recipes That Aren't Pie
- Apple Pecan Crisp with Caramel Sauce
🗒 More gluten-free desserts
- How to Make Paleo Lemon Curd
- Gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Paleo Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Coconut Butter Frosting
- Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie with Almond Flour Crust
See more Gluten-Free Desserts →
🌟 Did you make this recipe?
When you make this applesauce spice cake, please leave a comment and a star rating below. Thanks in advance!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Spiced Applesauce Cake
This gluten-free Spiced Applesauce Cake is tender and moist with warm fall spices. It's topped with apple slices and has optional additions of dried cranberries and pecans. Serve this cake for brunch or top with whipped cream or whipped coconut milk and enjoy for dessert.
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RateServings: 12
Calories: 237kcal
Equipment
springform pan
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, melted or coconut oil, melted and cooled
- ¾ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar or Golden Monkfruit sweetener
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend, Cup4Cup or Bob's Red Mill 1-1 gluten-free baking flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Optional Additions
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced for decorating the top of the cake
- 1 - 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- whipped cream or whipped coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Oil the sides of the pan.
- Peel and core an apple. Slice into very thin slices, about ⅛th inch thick. Toss with a teaspoon or two of lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar together, then add eggs, vanilla and applesauce.
- In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients.
- Combine the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients. Stir in chopped pecans and cranberries until no spots of flour remain.
- Transfer to the prepared springform pan, smoothing the batter to the edges.
- Drain the lemon juice from the apple slices. Arrange them in a concentric pattern on top of the batter.
- Bake at 350°F. for 40 - 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let stand for 15 minutes, then carefully release the spring from the pan. Remove and transfer cake to a wire rack to continue cooling.
- When completely cool, garnish with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar and serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut milk.
Notes
To freeze this cake, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap, place in a covered container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @enessman or tag #flavourandsavour!
Holly
I made this cake and it was so easy and came out perfect! My son and I ate it within a week almost. Definitely will be making it again.
Elaine
Happy to hear you and your son loved this cake! Thanks so much for the 5 stars!
Maddie
Delicious cake. I've made it twice now with perfect results. Thanks.
Elaine
That's great to hear! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Kristen
Loving all the apple recipes lately. This cake sounds delicious. I will be adding to our list to make next week.
Terri
This cake looks stunning and sounds amazing! Cant' wait to make it for my gluten-free friends!
Lisa
This looks so good, Elaine...perfect on a chilly day with a hot cuppa tea. I would definitely want to try this as a cupcake variation!
Leanne
Love your presentation Elaine! This cake is the perfect fall baking project. I bet the kitchen smells amazing as this one bakes up in the oven!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Shailaja! I use Monkfruit as it's a natural sweetener derived from fruit, and it has 0 calories. It tastes very similar to sugar and has no cooling aftertaste like you'll find with Swerve. I substitute it cup for cup with granulated sugar.
Shailaja
This is an amazing gluten free bake Elaine! I usually use truvia as a sweetener for my sugar free baking! I see that you have used Monk fruit..I'm curious how this tastes and will perhaps try some out! Wonderful share!!
nancy
I loving all these apple recipes. This will be another one i'll pin to make later!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks, Nancy! I hope you get a chance soon!
Flavour & Savour
Thanks Laura! I'm sure you'll love this one!
Laura
Gorgeous cake and beautiful presentation. This is perfect for the fall. I’m gluten free so this is right up my alley. Can’t wait to try it😊
Flavour & Savour
Thanks so much for letting me know! So glad you liked this apple cake.
Dierdre
I made this cake yesterday and I was very happy with the way it turned out. I left out the pecans to keep it nut-free. It has just the right amount of spice. Will make it again for sure.
Elise
We LOVED this cake! I subbed raisins for the cranberries because my hubby loves anything with raisins and it was so good. It turned out perfectly. Thanks.
Flavour & Savour
My hubby is a raisin-fan too. I've made this cake with raisins before and we really liked it. Thanks for the 5 stars!