Since going Gluten Free, I’m just not motivated to bake as much. I’m worried it will be a disaster and/or taste funky. I know. I overthink. However, it just seems to be a learning curve that for me will take time and as with anything worth doing, it will take patience.
But not this apple cake. I found it on Pinterest and planned to make it for a Pinterest Party hosted by my MOPS group. When you go to parties like this, everyone brings an appetizer or dessert they pinned and hadn’t had the chance to make or just loved and had to make again. I usually bring a cheesy dip with crackers. Or cake. 
Who doesn’t love cake?! Of course, on the day of the party, I was in a hurry and hadn’t checked the ingredients in my cabinets so changes had to be made.
To be fair, I have made this cake in the original form and with my own changes and both ways it is delightful. It should be mentioned that the cake is not light and fluffy. All those apples compact down and make for a dense product that is actually great with bacon and eggs in the morning. Ahem. One other note, IF you have leftovers, don’t leave them sitting out on the counter. Keep it cold, but feel free to warm it up and add a scoop of ice cream when you’re ready for a snack!
Gluten Free French Apple Cake ( Adapted from A Girl Defloured)
- 5-6 golden delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 3/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose gf flour blend
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 cup, plus 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg (whole) and 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place a 9-inch springform pan on a baking sheet. Grease the springform well, making sure to get into the little creases and grooves where the sides meet the bottom.
Once your apples are sliced, place them in a sauce pan and heat them through so that they are soft, but not mushy. I added a little bit of water to help keep the apples from burning while they were cooking. Remove the apples from the heat, pour the rum and lemon juice over and toss. Set aside while they cool and work on the rest of the cake.
In a large bowl, mix the gf flour, almond flour, 1 cup of brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (When scooping out the gf flour, don’t pack it down like you do with traditional flour, instead scoop and then shake the excess off to as close of a level as you can get.) Whisk well to combine and make sure there are no lumps. Add the whole egg, butter, milk and vanilla and mix well. Remove one cup of the batter and place in a separate bowl. mix into the larger portion the egg yolks and the apple slices. Pour this into the springform pan.
Add the last two Tablespoons of gf flour into the reserved cup of batter and mix well. Then, pour that over the apple batter and smooth over. Mix the remaining brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together and sprinkle over the cake. Bake until the cake is set… 1 hour 15-20 minutes.
When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the cake and release the springform. If you want to remove the cake from the springform bottom, it’s tricky so make sure you have help! Serve with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!