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. The recipe uses 3 tbsp in the cake batter and 2 tsp in the whipped cream, where the excerpt notes 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?
The recipe instructs you to 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. 
