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STOP! Before you hit ‘Jump to Recipe’ check ‘Skip to the Good Bit‘ below. I may answer a query you have about this recipe.
Such a simple recipe, you’ll love this Gluten Free Apple Cake. Baked in a brownie tin or a round cake tin, the results are the same.
I used to go to Pilates on a Monday evenings, what the hecky-thump has that got to do with Apple Cake I hear you say! Bramley’s, lots of them! Our teacher had a fab tree in her garden where her studio is and on the way out on at the end of class she’d say to help ourselves. I always grabbed an armful! Now I had oodles of Bramley’s and lots of scrummy ideas as to what I should do with them. Enter this recipe I developed for this gluten and dairy free Apple Cake.
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What size tin should I use?
This Gluten Free Apple Cake is super simple to make and if you double the ingredients (I have on many occasions needed to use up lots of apples) you can create a bake big enough to feed a small army!
I’ve used a roasting tin in the past to bake this cake with double the ingredients; about 25 x 35cm should do it. Otherwise this specific recipe fits a square baking tin 20 x 20cm. Some people have come back to comment they feel a 20×20 tin was too small, this is more of a tray bake than a deep cake. if you wish for a deep cake end result then I recommend you still double the ingredients but stick with a 20×20 tin, be sure to test the bake with a cocktail stick to ensure the batter has cooked before removing from the oven.
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Can I use any apple for this apple cake?
The short answer is yes. Bramley’s obviously have that wonderful sharpness but also add a fluffy baked texture.
If you wanted your final bake to have firmer apples then I’d recommend Granny Smiths or Pink Lady Apples. To be fair, any apple you have will work in this recipe, it’s a great bake to make with wind fall apples too as the autumn months draw closer and so does harvest time.
Can I make this Apple Tray Bake vegan?
I’ve not personally tried as I have other recipes I make with apples that are dairy and egg free as well as gluten free. Take this Vegan One Bowl Apple Cake Recipe for example. A lovely recipe I brought back from France one year after my son Lewis went on a school trip that I accompanied him on.
If you do attempt this recipe without eggs please do come back and let me know how you got on in the comments below.
Like the look of this Apple Cake? We’ll you’ll love these;
Gluten Free Apple Cake Recipe
If you make it and like the recipe I would be eternally grateful if you popped back and commented leaving a star rating as this will tell search engines that this recipe is worth checking out and others will get to find it in searches.
Gluten Free Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 500 g Bramley (cooking) apples cored, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 tbsp caster sugar not necessary if using eating apples
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 lemon rind and juice
- 2 egg(s)
- 125 g caster sugar
- 125 g gluten free self raising flour
- 125 ml oil (I use vegetable or sunflower)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- sugar to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Add the sliced apples to a large bowl and to this add the 4tbsp sugar (if using Bramleys), cinnamon and lemon juice and zest. get your hands in there and toss the slices until they’re covered in the mixture.
- In another large bowl beat the eggs and caster sugar until thick and creamy, add the oil, vanilla and continue to beat until combined.
- Add the flour and beat to combine into a thick silky cake batter.
- Pour half the cake batter into the prepared square baking tin, then using half the apples add a layer to cover the mixture.
- Pour over the remaining cake mixture and repeat the apple pattern with the remaining apple slices. Sprinkle with sugar to taste.
- Bake in oven on 170°C | 150°C Fan | 325°F | Gas 3 for 40 mins
- Loosen from the edges and allow to cool totally before turning out.
Notes
Nutrition
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emma says
Thank you great recipe for some `bramley apples I needed to use up and cooking for GF/DF. Should have looked at the comments first as I thought the same about tin being a little too large for mixture, will make again.
Glutarama says
Thank you Emma, I have taken your feedback on board and added a bit at the top of the post about quantities, tin sizes and expectations for the end result bake. Thank you so much for your support and feedback – happy GF baking xx
M says
Delicious! I made it exactly as the recipe but also added half a teaspoonful of GF baking powder. I will definitely make it again.
Glutarama says
Wonderful Margaret. So pleased you liked the recipe. I have a bowl of apples looking at me begging to make an apple cake. I broke my wrist on New Year’s Day, so they’ll have to wait a bit longer. In the meantime, thrilled you are enjoying baking free from. Rebecca x
Cathy says
It’s a lovely cake but I think the tin i used was to big. The preparing was good but I didn’t seem to have enough cake batter.
It was a 20cm x 20cm deep cake tin and now not sure it was right for this recipe.
It tastes fantastic however and served with soya custard
Glutarama says
Interesting Cathy, it isn’t a deep bake for sure and the batter/apple ratio is pretty much 50/50 with the cake batter there to marry it all together rather than have lots of cake with apple it. But I will make this asap to make sure I got the batter ratios right for the tin size. Thank you, I’m always happy to double check these things so your comment is really useful. Glad you still enjoyed the bake and custard is the perfect way to eat this. Rebecca x
Margaret says
Can I use pears instead of apples as I have IBS & can’t eat apple’s.
Glutarama says
Absolutely Margaret if you want them to keep their shape then I’d use lovely firm (not hard) pears preferably a pear that has a less fluffy texture so a Comice or a Conference rather than a Russet. Let me know how you get on. Rebecca x
Rosemary says
It’s in the oven now. Good job I remembered to add the flour, although I did forget the essence, as you left that bit out of your method!! Looks lovely and can’t wait to try it.
Glutarama says
Blimey! Thanks for the heads up, I’ll amend that. I’ve not used another brown flour or white flour for that matter of fact but I’d be interested to see how it goes, I think the idea was that the brown flour would add to the ‘malty’ taste. When I get a mo, I’ll give it a go myself. Hope it turns out ok for you Rosemary