Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake (Dairy Free)

This Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake is super moist and bursting with warm spices and apple flavor. Topped with a luscious dairy free vanilla buttercream frosting and drizzled with caramel sauce, it’s the perfect Fall treat!

Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake Recipe

This soft and tender Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake is inspired by my baked Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts, but in cake form! Like my donuts, this paleo apple cake recipe is grain-free, dairy-free, and free of refined sugars.

I create a gluten-free flour blend using cassava flour, almond flour, and tapioca starch, then add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a warm, cozy Fall flavor. A rich apple cider reduction and applesauce infuse the cake with real apple flavor. Alongside olive oil, they also add lots of moisture.

Coconut sugar adds an almost caramelized sweetness that enhances the warm spice profile, while vanilla and sea salt round out the flavors.

For extra decadence, I frost the cake with my go-to vegan vanilla icing — I use it on everything from my Paleo Carrot Cake to Christmas Sugar Cookies — and then swirl in the homemade caramel sauce from my Salted Caramel Blondies recipe.

This apple cider cake is an irresistible treat everyone will love! Enjoy it with a cup of tea, coffee, or warm apple cider for the coziest Fall dessert.

Looking for more gluten free apple desserts? Try my Apple Spice Cake, Gluten Free Apple Fritters, Paleo Apple Tart, Gluten Free Apple Crumble or Spiced Apple Cupcakes.

Ingredient Notes

See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities.

• Not to be confused with hard cider, apple cider is a non-alcoholic, unfiltered, unsweetened apple beverage with a slightly tart flavor. Though typically gluten-free, it’s always a good practice to check the label.
• I recommend using unsweetened, plain applesauce since we’re adding our own spice blend and unrefined sugar to the cake batter.

‼️ Apple cider is the signature ingredient and the reduction’s flavor and consistency is optimal to create the desired flavor and texture of this cake. I don’t recommend any subs (no apple juice) and no skipping the reduction.
‼️ I don’t recommend substituting any flours in this recipe. This customized gluten-free flour blend is specifically balanced with the liquid ingredients to create the ideal taste and texture, preventing a dense or crumbly gluten-free cake. It’s not interchangeable with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, which often contains yeast, grains, or gums that could affect the end product.

Want to learn more about baking with grain-free flours and making your own blends? I teach you how in The Basics.

Let’s Bake!

Step 1. Prep

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×9 or 8×8 square baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Step 2. Reduce the Apple Cider

Reduce 1 cup of apple cider to 1/2 cup in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Make the Apple Cider Cake Batter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the wet ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the center of the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Step 4. Transfer Cake Batter to Baking Pan

Pour the apple cider cake batter into the prepared pan.

Step 5. Bake

Bake the cake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Step 6. Cool

Once baked, remove from the oven and place the cake pan on top a wire cooling rack to allow the cake to cool completely.

Step 7. Make the Caramel Sauce

While the cake bakes, combine the caramel sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Once ready, remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 8. Make the Vanilla Frosting

While the cake cools, make the vegan frosting.

Step 9. Assemble the Cake

Once cooled, frost with vegan vanilla buttercream and caramel sauce if desired.

Step 10. Serve

Cut the cake into slices. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Use Room Temperature Ingredients

Use room temperature wet ingredients for both the batter and frosting to ensure smooth and even mixing and to prevent curdling. Allow any refrigerated ingredients such as the egg, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup to come to room temperature, or gently warm cold liquids in the microwave before cooling to room temp.

Similarly, make sure the apple cider reduction cools completely before adding it to the batter to avoid curdling the egg. You can pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to help speed up the process– just don’t let it get too cold.

Don’t Skip the Apple Cider Reduction!

You need to reduce the apple cider to concentrate the flavor in a smaller and thickened (reduced) volume of liquid. If you use 1 cup of apple cider, the batter will be too wet, resulting in a denser cake with a bland flavor. Similarly, if you only use 1/2 cup of apple cider, the flavor will be too mild and its thin consistency may affect the texture. The reduced apple cider provides the ideal flavor and moisture balance in this recipe.

Keep an eye on the reduction to make sure you don’t over-reduce it.

You can make the reduction ahead of time and store it in the fridge in a sealed container like a mason jar for up to 2 weeks. If you do so, allow the reduction to come to room temperature or warm it up in the microwave to remove the chill.

Avoid Overmixing the Batter

Mix the batter ingredients until just combined to ensure a light and fluffy cake. Overworking the batter can result in a dense, tough, or rubbery texture.

Avoid Overbaking

This cake is meant to be really moist and soft. Don’t over-bake the cake to prevent it from drying out.
Stick a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. It’s ready when the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Let the Cake Cool Fully

As with all gluten-free baked goods, allow the cake to cool completely before frosting or slicing, so it sets fully and doesn’t crumble. However, reheating it slightly before serving enhances the texture and brings out the flavor, especially after storing in the fridge.

Tips on the Toppings

To make really thick frosting, keep adding more tapioca starch until it gets to your preferred consistency.

If the caramel sauce is too thick once cooled, run the squeeze bottle or piping bag under hot water to loosen it a bit.

Experiment with Toppings

This cake is delicious on its own so feel free to enjoy it without the toppings. You can also try it with a powdered sugar glaze, a generous sprinkle of cinnamon-sugar, or the apple spice-sugar topping from my original apple cider donuts recipe.

Cutting the Cake

Ensure the cake is fully cooled before cutting. Use a sharp, serrated knife, run it under hot water, and then dry it; the warmth allows it to slice through the cake and frosting more easily. Use a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing down too hard to maintain the cake’s structure so it doesn’t crumble. Wipe the knife between slices for clean cuts. Use a cake server or spatula to help serve individual pieces, especially if the cake is frosted.

Looking for an AIP or egg-free/vegan version? Try my apple cider donuts! They can be made vegan, Modified AIP or Core AIP compliant, and they’re nut-free, too!

✨ Want to learn more about baking with grain-free flours and making your own blends? I teach you how in The Basics.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

• Fridge: Store the cake in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: If iced, refrigerate the cake for a few hours to allow the frosting to harden a bit. Tightly wrap the entire cake or individual pieces in plastic wrap then store in a freezer-safe bag or container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before reheating.
• Reheating: Allow to come to room temperature or for the best texture, warm in the microwave or toaster oven before serving.

Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake Recipe (Dairy Free)

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• Author: Nicole Charles
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 1 8×8 cake 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Enjoy this moist Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake, filled with warm spices and real apple flavor. Topped with a luscious dairy free vanilla buttercream frosting and caramel sauce, this paleo apple cake is the perfect Fall treat!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake

• 1 cup apple cider reduced to 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup cassava flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 3 TBSP coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1 egg

Dairy Free Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup palm shortening
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Caramel Sauce

• 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Instructions

Gluten Free Apple Cider Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with oil and line it with parchment paper.* If you’d like, you can leave some extra paper hanging over the sides to help with easy removal later on.
2. In a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat, bring 1 cup of apple cider to boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and allow the apple cider to simmer gently, uncovered, while stirring occasionally. This might take about 5-10 minutes.
   When the apple cider thickens and reduces to 1/2 cup, remove from the heat and set aside to cool before adding to the cake batter. 
3. In a large bowl, combine cassava flour, tapioca starch, almond flour, sea salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and coconut sugar. Then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. 
4. In a medium-sized bowl, add olive oil, applesauce, vanilla, apple cider vinegar, reduced apple cider, and the egg. Whisk to combine. 
5. Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the center of the dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to help scrape it out, and evenly spread and smooth the top. 
7. Bake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. 
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack.

Dairy Free Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1. In a stand mixer, food processor, or in a deep bowl with a handheld mixer, wire whisk, or spatula, combine palm shortening, tapioca starch, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pinch of sea salt. Whisk or pulse until combined.**

Caramel Sauce

1. To a small saucepan over medium heat, add coconut cream, coconut sugar, and sea salt, and stir until combined.
2. Once mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer 20 – 25 minutes, stirring intermittently.*** 
3. The sauce is ready once it has reached a dark amber color and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Assembly

1. Once the cake is completely cooled, use the parchment paper to remove it from the pan and place it on a flat work surface. 
2. Use an offset spatula to frost the top of the cake with the dairy-free vanilla frosting. 
3. Transfer the caramel sauce into a squeeze bottle or piping bag, and drizzle over the frosting. 
4. Use the back of a spoon to swirl the caramel into the frosting.
5. Serve and enjoy!****

Notes

*I used a 8×8 baking pan for a bit of height.

**If making the frosting in advance, store in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature and whisk once more before icing the cake.

***If using full fat coconut milk the process will take closer to 35 minutes. 

****Slice the cake into desired size/number of pieces. I cut 16 squares. 

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: American

As the creator of an online dairy-free and gluten-free baking school, I understand how challenging it is to find dairy and gluten-free desserts that taste as delicious as their conventional counterparts. That’s why you’ll love my Gluten-Free Apple Cider Cake with its real apple flavor and moist, rich texture, made completely without gluten, grains, or dairy! If you do, I would appreciate it if you would give the recipe a rating and review. Be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious and using the hashtag #healmedelicious.