Gluten-Free Apple Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
Calvados, an apple brandy, adds another dimension of apple flavor to the cake and makes for for extra-special whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) chestnut flour
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) almond flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sugar
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) Calvados
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp Calvados
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center
- Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan; line a baking sheet with foil, parchment or a silicone baking mat and place springform pan on it.
- Whist the chestnut and almond flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl; set aside.
- Melt butter and set aside to cool.
- Peel apples, core and cut into roughly 1 inch chunks
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla paste and Calvados until well blended and foamy.
- Whisk in half the flour until incorporated; add half of the melted butter and mix well. Follow with the remainder of the flour and butter, mixing gently after each addition.
- The batter should be smooth and a little thicker (not stiff) than normal cake batter.
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the apple chunks, making sure all the pieces are coated.
- Scream the mixture into the prepared springform pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean — the cake may pull away from the pan.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes; carefully a run a knife around the edges and open the springform slowly before the cake is completely cooked.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before serving with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 440
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Apfel Kuchen: Traditional German Apple Cake
- Sicilian Orange Cake
- Gluten-Free Jam Crostata
- Gluten Free Italian Dunking Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Calvados and can I substitute it?
Calvados is a French apple brandy from Normandy. I use 3 tbsp in the cake batter and 2 tsp in the whipped cream, where it adds another dimension of apple flavor. If you can’t find it, another apple brandy or apple cider work as substitutes, though the apple-on-apple depth will be less pronounced.
What is chestnut flour and can I swap it for something else?
Chestnut flour is a dense, slightly sweet flour ground from dried chestnuts. This recipe pairs it with an equal amount of almond flour (3/4 cup each) to form the gluten-free base. If you can’t source chestnut flour, using all almond flour will produce a slightly lighter cake with less earthy sweetness.
Why does this recipe use a springform pan placed on a baking sheet?
Line a baking sheet with foil, parchment, or a silicone mat and set the 8-inch springform pan on top of it. This catches any batter that might seep through the springform’s base during the 50-minute bake — a standard precaution when baking a wet, fruit-studded batter in a springform.
