Gluten-Free Apple Butter Cake

Name: Gluten-Free Apple Butter Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 240 g homemade gluten-free flour blend (FTL Blend); 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon allspice; 1/8 teaspoon cloves; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda; ½ teaspoon salt; 170 g unsalted butter; 150 g light brown sugar; 3 eggs; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 220 g apple butter; 85 g icing sugar; 1 tablespoon whole milk; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

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This Gluten-Free Apple Butter Cake is an easy to make moist and flavourful loaf cake drizzled with a simple cinnamon glaze. Homemade deeply rich apple butter is baked into the sponge giving this cosy cake a richly spiced flavour which holds together beautifully with a soft and tender texture. Made with a homemade gluten-free flour blend which can easily be adapted and no xanthan gum.

Apple Butter Cake sliced to show its soft moist tender crumb.

Table of Contents

If you’re someone who makes a lot of apple butter or you’ve been gifted a jar which you don’t know what to do with then can I remind you that apple butter is an incredible baking ingredient. We keep the elements of this loaf cake sweet and simple to allow the flavour of this quintessentially Autumnal spread to shine. Deep with warm cinnamon, cider and tangy apples this year’s apple butter is baked into the sponge to embody its unique personality.

It's more than just the taste as the texture is enticingly moist. If you think gluten-free cakes are dry and crumbly then this cake will be a revelation. We’re using my homemade gluten-free blend which means you won’t be relying on a brand that isn’t available where you live and we have no need for xanthan gum thanks to the perfect blend of wholegrains and starches in the mix.

It's a quick, simple tea time cake that uses just enough apple butter to make sure it makes its mark but not too much that you’ll be depleting your precious stash.

A small dish full of richly glossy thick apple butter.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Apple Butter Cake

Apple butter. Makes the most of this extraordinary ingredient. This recipe will convince you that making a batch is worth it for this cake alone.
Bold flavour. All the spices, cider, brandy and honey that are present in your apple butter enrich the cake here as well. Plus we take the cinnamon through by adding a pinch to our simple glaze.
Quick to make. It really takes no more than 15 minutes to pull this cake together. It needs around an hour in the oven so it’s baked low and slow.
Homemade flour blend. I always advocate using a homemade blend as it gives the best texture to gluten-free cake and can be adapted to what you have available or for individual allergies.
No xanthan gum needed.

Ingredients Needed

Apple Butter Cake ingredients on a table.

Apple butter. This is a unique apple preserve that’s sweet, thick, smooth and baked in the oven with cider, brandy, honey and spices (well, my homemade version is but you can make it with a variation of similar ingredients). In the UK you can buy from specialist producers like Rosebud Preserves. I rely on my homemade stash which is plentiful in the Autumn months since I’m often inundated with apples. I highly recommend this delightful ingredient which has a myriad of uses beyond making this delicious cake.

Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders.

This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution tips ideas if you click on the original post for this homemade flour mix.

Spices. We’re taking the same spices that are present in our apple butter into the cake too so the individual flavours are more pronounced. We’re including cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

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

Brown sugar. Gives lovely gentle molasses flavour and moisture.

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.

Apple cider vinegar. We use a little vinegar here to help with the lift of the cake so it doesn’t sink under the weight of the heavy ingredients. It helps to make it light and fluffy.

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.

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.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

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 Butter Cake

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

Cream the butter and sugar on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy, it should take about two minutes.

Butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, creamed together.

Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar and mix in well. Follow with the vanilla extract and the apple cider vinegar.

Eggs, vanilla and apple cider vinegar added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Sift together the gluten-free flour, spices, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

Dry ingredients whisked together in a large mixing bowl.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the apple butter, adding the flour in three additions and the apple butter in two (begin and end with the flour), scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed and mix until just combined.

Apple butter and flour added to the cake batter in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55-60 minutes. Remove from the oven when an inserted skewer comes out clean then remove from the tin and cool the cake on a wire rack completely before icing with the cinnamon glaze.

Apple Butter Cake batter in a loaf tin with the top smoothed. After baking with a beautifully rounded golden top.

In a small bowl whisk the icing sugar together with the milk and cinnamon until smooth and just about pourable. Pour the cinnamon glaze over the cooled apple butter cake. Allow the glaze to set, which should take about an hour, and then you can serve the cake.

Ingredients for icing in a small bowl then whisked together until smooth and spooned over apple butter cake on a wire rack.

Tips and Troubleshooting

Flour choice. Apple butter cake has some moisture rich ingredients and as such if you are using the wrong flour blend the texture of the cake can be overly dense and can sink. I highly recommend not swapping my homemade flour blend for another gluten-free flour. I tried this cake using almond flour and it added to much fat and moisture to the proceedings. If my flour blend has some flours in it that are not suitable for you then check the original post on how to substitute correctly.

Low and slow. This cake needs to be baked low and slow so that it is hydrated properly. I do like baking gluten-free cakes in the fan oven as it gives an even bake.

Check for doneness. Use an inserted skewer (or cocktail stick) in the baked apple cake to check that it’s baked all the way through, it should come out with no wet crumb. The cake will have risen well with a slightly domed top (this will deflate slightly as it cools) but it signals an even well-hydrated bake.

Slice of apple butter cake on a plate with forkful showing soft crumb.

FAQs

Do I need to make my own apple butter?

If you can get hold of a good jar of apple butter from a specialist supplier then you don’t have to make your own. However, making your own is a fun project and very satisfying if you have a huge apple windfall you need to make the most of. Plus it’s a much more economical way to source your apple butter.

Where can I buy apple butter in the UK?

You can buy artisan jars from specialised preserve suppliers like Rosebud Preserves or Happy Hedgehog Foods which can be ordered online.

What cake tin should I use?

This cake was tested in a 21 x 11cm loaf tin (900g/2lb). You could also swap for a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin but then do check after 40 minutes as it won’t take as long to bake as the loaf tin.

Why does my gluten-free apple cake sink?

There is a lot of moisture in an apple butter cake and I have found that using a different gluten-free flour blend can cause this cake to sink. You need enough starch or binder to hold everything up as apple butter is a heavy moist ingredient. The flour blend can be adapted to switch out the wholegrain flours or the starchy flours for others in the same category but don’t mess around with the ratios which are carefully balanced.

Why is my apple cake dense?

Apple butter cake has some heavy ingredients and 3 eggs to give this cake a good moist texture which holds together. You must include the apple cider vinegar in the ingredients list to help lift the cake and make it lighter without compromising on structure.

How can I stop my gluten-free cake from drying out?

This apple butter cake is highly moist so it won’t really dry out if stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place at room temperature.

Why is my apple butter cake so sweet?

Store bought apple butters will have more sugar and be sweeter as that’s the nature of commercial preserves. Be wary of reducing the sugar in the cake too much to compensate as the sugar helps with the structure of the cake. In the UK most suppliers of apple butter are small batch producers though so it may not be a problem. You can try a homemade apple butter next time if commercial apple butter is too sugary.

Can you make it in advance?

Yes, this cake keeps well for up to 5 days when you follow the storage instructions below.

How should you store Apple Butter Cake?

You can store this cake in an airtight container (but preferably tin rather than plastic as it plastic will keep the cake too moist). Then store the cake in a cool dark place. I don’t recommend storing in the fridge as it will dry out too much.

Can you freeze Apple Butter Cake?

You can freeze Apple Butter Cake successfully for up to 3 months but I do recommend if you are freezing the whole cake then to freeze without icing it first, otherwise the icing might smudge a bit. First wrap the cooled cake tightly in cling film (plastic wrap) and double wrap in aluminium foil. Then place in an airtight container. Don’t forget to label including the date. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature overnight, unwrap once thawed and then ice your cake with the cinnamon glaze as in the instructions.

More Gluten-Free Apple Cakes You’ll Love

This Gluten-Free Apple Cake is studded with caramelised cinnamon apple chunks for a comforting homely bake.

This Bramley Apple Fruit Cake is a softer, lighter version of your regular fruit cake. Packed with apples, dates, sultanas and cranberries and flavoured with a touch of citrus and spice. This naturally gluten-free cake is beautifully moist and delicious with a cup of tea or a good pour of custard.

This beautiful layered Cinnamon Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Buttercream is wonderfully flavourful and the depth of buckwheat rounds out the warmth of the spices. The luxurious cream cheese buttercream spiked with homemade salted caramel turns this cake into a real celebration.