This apple cake taste like an apple pie in sponge cake form! Made gluten free and with no added sugars, just some apples and unsweetened applesauce, it's a perfect after school snack for the kids!
It's a beautiful thing when recipes work as planned and written. Not so fun when you expected a recipe to be perfect yet falls short in some way and you're back to the drawing board. This cake is that recipe for me, but today I'm happily sharing the best out of 3 attempts for a moist, spongey, apple flavored cake!
The first attempt was actually for more of a apple bar than a cake and I made it in a 9 by 13 pan, but once I saw how nicely it rose and was fluffy and light in texture, I change my mind. I don't have too many cake recipes on my blog so cake it was going to become! The second and third attempts were on perfecting the moistness in the cake, my pet peeve is anything DRY!
After getting the verdicts of the picky hubby and children, third time was a charm and with the cream cheese frosting, oh my even better!
If you're going apple picking any time in the next few months this recipe is perfect to make some homemade crock pot applesauce to use in the cake and then some chopped apples to add in some texture. I actually would use more chopped apples than I've written in the recipe only because, well, I like the chunks. But if you're not a fan of chunky apple in cake then keep it as written in the recipe for a just a few pieces mixed in throughout the cake.
You need to settle a "discussion" here I had with my hubby about this cake.
I actually wanted to title the recipe Apple Sponge cake, but that hubby of mine thinks it's not quite a sponge cake in his opinion. He just felt it was denser than a typical sponge cake. Well I'd love for you to make it and tell me what you think because I certainly feel it is sponge cake in texture.
See the awesome little holes here and there? That's why I believe it's sponge cake material!
All in all the hubby even went for a second piece so I know he loved it regardless of the "discussion" we had in the naming of the cake. The picky teen, daughter and little man all loved it as well. Although the little man is actually not a fan of cream cheese frosting he preferred it without frosting. You can decide, it's totally optional, but my daughter, hubby and teen loved it with the frosting.
Please note: Nutritional Information is without the vanilla cream cheese frosting.
Gluten Free Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour or oat flour
- 4 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup erythritol I use Swerve
- 6 ounces unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 2%
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or a mixture of cinnamon nutmeg and cloves
- 1 cup chopped apple without skin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix the first 6 dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- In another bowl whisk together the rest of the ingredients, except the chopped apple until combined well.
- Stir in the wet ingredients into the dry until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9 inch spring form pan.
- Drop in the chopped apple into the batter.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Enjoy with my Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Richard Porst
Hi why is the vanilla protein powder included in this recipe?
Can I make the cake without it?
Thanks
Brenda
The vanilla protein powder provides a nice chewy texture similar to what gluten does in recipes. If you leave it out you will need to compensate for the bulk that it also provides, you could try adding some almond flour in its place.
sue
yummy!
Ronda
We just had this for dessert tonight and we're all in love!
I ground my own oat flour which worked great. I used "Splenda for baking" because I have no idea what Swerve is. The result was perfect. I can't wait to have another piece for breakfast!
We skipped the frosting, wondering if your calorie information included the frosting or not?
Brenda
Nutritional Information is without the vanilla cream cheese frosting. Glad you loved it!
Abby
What could be used as a substitute for the vanilla protein powder?
Kathy
Can I substitute powdered stevia for the erythritol?
Brenda
You could but I would only use about 1 tablespoon if it is Sweetleaf brand. If it is pure extract only 1/2 teaspoon.
Janet Monahan
This looks great! I would like to try it, but am curious as to what exactly a "scoop" measures as! I've seen several different protein powder scoops.
Thanks 🙂
Brenda
1 scoop is about 1/4 cup.