Gluten-Free Apple & Blackberry Sponge Pudding

Just before September sneaks into Autumn I am inundated in our kitchen with a bounty of apples and blackberries. Apples from kindly neighbours who are lucky enough to have trees heavy with fruit and blackberries from the plethora of bushes in our leafy part of North London.

If you would normally turn to an apple and blackberry crumble at this time of year then let me tempt you with this soft and moist apple and blackberry sponge pudding as a lovely alternative. It's just as easy, you can also drench in custard and it tastes just as perfect after a Sunday lunch.

I developed this sponge pudding without even writing down the recipe first. This is how easy it is. A classic British pudding along the lines of Eve’s Pudding. Just with blackberries as well as apples.

Tumble your fruit with sugar and a little cornflour to capture those juices, then make a very simple equal ratio sponge of sugar, butter, eggs and gluten-free flour. Rather than using a generic gluten-free flour I have chosen almond flour (ground almonds), buckwheat flour and a touch of cornflour (cornstarch) – all of which are very easy to find now in supermarkets. No xanthan gum needed. This flour mix will give your sponge a lot more flavour and a softly moist texture and stronger structure than anything pre-mixed in a bag.

Serve with a jug of hot homemade custard or a scoop of really good vanilla ice cream. Heavenly.

If you love a cosy fruit pudding, you might also like my Gluten-Free Apple Crumble, which is another easy way to make the most of apples this season.

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Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your recipe.

Ingredients Needed

Blackberries. You can use fresh or frozen blackberries. If using frozen then thaw before beginning the recipe.

You can even use foraged blackberries but make sure to thoroughly check and wash and discard any damaged fruit and pick through for insects. For hidden bugs you can soak in a bowl of water for 10 minutes, and they will escape the fruit and float to the surface. Avoid using blackberries picked from the side of the road as they are not great for eating.

Blackberries are one of my favourite fruits to bake with, and they work so well in these cosy Autumnal recipes. If you’ve picked more blackberries than you need for this recipe then next you can try my Easy Blackberry Lemon Pudding.

Bramley apples. You can use any cooking apple but Bramleys give a lovely soft texture and gentle tartness. I prefer using these softer apples than granny smiths which are a little too firm or a sweeter dessert apple as I do like that tang. However, you can use sweeter apples and if do choose Pink Ladies or Braeburns then you may want to reduce the brown sugar you coat them with.

Don’t worry if your two Bramley apples garner more or fewer apple chunks. If it’s significantly less then add another apple to make up to the right amount. However, if it’s a bit more then your sponge can easily take it. Anywhere between 250-350g apple chunks are just fine.

If you’re looking for more ways to use Bramley Apples then take a look at my Bramley Apple Fruit Cake, Bramley Apple Flapjacks or my Apple Cranberry Oat Bars.

Brown sugar. Gives sweetness to the bed of fruit as both apples and blackberries can be a little tangy. We also use brown sugar in the sponge to give a lovely gentle molasses flavour and moisture.

Cornflour (cornstarch). We are using a little of this thickening flour just to coat the fruit and capture the juices so the whole sponge pudding doesn’t get too soggy. We add a touch of cornflour in the sponge batter as well for binding and to add a little soft lightness.

Buckwheat flour. We choose this gluten-free flour for its hearty texture whilst its distinct nutty and earthy flavour is a great backdrop to the sponge cake. It doesn’t have the same binding power of gluten though so we need to blend it with other flours to ensure a balanced mix.

Almond flour. This is a great flour to help with the structure and texture of the sponge so due to its protein and fat content so perfect for blending with the buckwheat flour. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds. This cake can be made with finely ground almond meal too. The almonds add stability and moistness to the recipe.

Nut allergy? If you are allergic then use my Homemade Flour Blend for the whole amount of the almond flour + buckwheat flour + cornflour – but not any other gluten-free flour, my mix is specifically developed as a stable blend which doesn’t need xanthan gum.

Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.

Ground cinnamon. Adding this warming spice simply adds to the autumnal feel and it’s a great flavour pairing.

Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.

How To Make Gluten-Free Apple and Blackberry Sponge Pudding

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Put the prepared bramley apple chunks and blackberries into a large mixing bowl and toss them with the brown sugar and cornflour, making sure the fruit is evenly coated.

Tip the fruit into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

Place the butter and brown sugar into a separate large mixing bowl and beat together until pale, smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.

Add the ground almonds, buckwheat flour, cornflour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into the bowl and mix well.

Spoon the sponge batter evenly over the fruit. Carefully spread it out to cover the fruit completely.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until the sponge is golden brown and set. A skewer inserted into the sponge should come out without any wet batter attached, although it might pick up moisture from the fruit. Dust with icing sugar.

How To Serve Apple & Blackberry Sponge Pudding

Custard. This Apple & Blackberry Sponge Pudding is delicious with an easy Homemade Vanilla Custard and can be made whilst the pudding is cooling after it’s been baked.

Single or double pouring cream is always my mum’s favourite accompaniment.

Vanilla Ice Cream. It’s a classic – especially if the weather hasn’t quite tipped into custard weather. Try my homemade vanilla ice cream, it’s made traditionally with an ice cream machine but is well worth the trouble.