If you loved French pastries before going gluten free, you are going to want to make this Gluten Free French Apple Cake recipe again and again! This easy French Cake recipe is buttery, yet crisp around the edges, and it melts in your mouth!
If you love apples as much as we do, check out ALL of my yummy Gluten Free Apple recipes!
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(This post was updated with new pictures and a video from a 2015 post.)
Who misses French pastries? How about French apple cake?
I do!! How long has it been since you could enjoy such a treat?
Mr. Fearless Dining and I been to France a couple of times over the years, many years ago before we realized we were gluten intolerant. We used to eat a lot of pastries, hang out in French cafes, and we enjoyed every single bite.
If you want to try different amazing gluten-free apple cake recipes, my Gluten Free Fool Proof Apple Cake and my Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake recipes are worth making!
It never occurred to me that I could bake something yummy that would take me back to those days.
A photograph on Pinterest for a French Apple Cake recipe caught my eye. Following the link, I ended up at the most incredible blog, Hungry Rabbit. Check it out and pass it along to all of your friends who can eat gluten. They will thank you for it! The recipes are incredible.
I drooled. This apple cake recipe that Ken created is just that good. When Ken said I could post my gluten free version of this recipe, I was so excited to share this recipe with you. Check out my apple cakes story!
This Gluten Free French Apple Cake recipe is the only apple cake recipe you will ever want to eat again!"
This will be the gluten-free recipe you make to impress your friends, or maybe you should keep all to yourself :-). It truly is the best apple cake recipe EVER!
Which gluten free flour is best for baking?
In this recipe, I used a gluten free multi-purpose flour from Authentic Foods. Authentic Foods Multi-blend flour has a super fine grind, which allows for this cake to be so light. You could use other gluten free flours, but the texture and fineness are really important.
I also love Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour blend and Jules GF flour for this recipe.
- Don't use a heavy rice-based gluten free flour blend unless it is superfine.
- Also, I don't recommend any flour blend with bean flours. They are way too heavy and dense for this recipe.
What are the best apples to use?
Although any apple will work in this cake recipe, it is best with tart apples like:
- Pippin apples
- Granny Smith
- Braeburn
- Honeycrisp
Instructions:
Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend them together.
Pour the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl. Whisk to blend.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to mix.
How thick should the gluten free batter be?
This is what your batter will look like as you stir in the peeled and chopped apples.
How do you prevent the cakes from sticking to the pan?
Line each section of the muffin tin with parchment paper. Spray with coconut oil. This will help prevent sticking.
Add parchment paper circles to the bottom of each deep cake section. Add the gluten free apple cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes until done.
More Delicious French Pastry Recipes to Try:
- These Gluten Free Cream Puffs are as close to the real thing as you can get.
- If you love Danish, this Gluten Free Cheese Danish is really good.
- This recipe takes some time to make, but these Gluten Free Flaky Pastries are so worth it!
- My Italian Gluten Free Tiramisu recipe is another delicious European dessert you should try!
Tools:
- Deep jumbo muffin tray. The depth of each cavity in this muffin pan is perfect for these apple cakes.
- Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Flour. This flour is milled super-fine and is a great flour to make these cakes taste so good.
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📖 Recipe
Gluten Free French Apple Cakes
Ingredients
- 3 large pink lady apples peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 tablespoons dark rum I used Myers Dark Rum
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Gluten Free Flour
- 1 cup organic white sugar plus one tablespoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 9 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup organic whole milk or raw milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray either a 9 inch cake pan or a pan with 6 three inch cake sections with coconut oil.
- Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of the pan(s) and spray bottom with coconut oil.
- In a small sauce pan, cook butter on low heat until slightly browned. (About 5 minutes) Stir often.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a small sauce pan, add two inches of water and apple slices. Cook apple slices on low heat until they soften. Keep an eye on them so they don't get mushy.
- Drain water from apples, toss with 1 tablespoon of the dark rum and lemon juice, and let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and sugar.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, browned butter, vanilla, and remaining three tablespoons of dark rum.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend carefully.
- Gently fold in apples.
- Pour into pan(s).
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of sugar onto each mini cake (or 1 tablespoon of sugar onto a whole cake.)
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on pan size. Less time is needed if you are baking 6 three inch cakes.
- Remove from oven and let cakes cool on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy while warm.
- Reheat if having it later.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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P.S. if you know of a good gluten-free croissant recipe, please let me know.
Sobia Malik
Dear sandi. What is the substitute for rum please.what kind of other liquid I can use the recipe thanks
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Sobia, you can use a rum extract (find it near the vanilla extract in your grocery store). You can also skip it if you can't find it. Thank you.
Susie
If I use Bobs gluten free is there still a need for the Xantham gum?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Susie, it depends which Bobs you mean. The light blue bag 1 to 1 blend already has xanthan gum, so there is no need to add more. The red bag I would not use because it has bean flour which will make baked goods bitter.
Michelle
Can I substitute gluten free flour with almond flour?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Michelle, I haven't tested this recipe with almond flour. My caramel apple cake recipe uses almond flour. I will link it here for you: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-caramel-apple-cake/
Thea Frederick
Delicious recipe, definitely going to share this with my friends!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked it Thea, thank you 🙂
Sandi
Do I need to replace the 4 oz of rum with some other liquid with the gluten free flour?
I have the recipe ready to make...then I thought of taking 4 oz of liquid out.
Gluten free baking is itchy.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Sandi, you could add a tiny bit of liquid, just go by the batter and compare to my pictures.