Honey Apple Cake (Paleo, Gluten-Free)

This healthy apple cake is moist and tender, with the sweet flavor of honey. It’s a simple cake you can enjoy for dessert, snack or breakfast treat. The glaze makes it irresistible. The recipe is gluten-free, refined sugar free, and paleo with a dairy free option.

Even though I’ve been making lots of incredible desserts for the holiday, I really wanted a deliciously moist cake that could be made without too much fuss. This honey apple cake is it!  A warming, fragrant, and cozy basic apple cake, packed with fruit that’s easy to make.

How to Make Apple Cake

You’ll need 2 bowls and an 8″ spring form pan. You can use a 9″ spring form pan but it will be flatter.

The almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt are sifted together in one bowl.

Eggs, honey, almond milk, melted butter and vanilla are mixed in the second bowl. If you’re dairy-free coconut oil can be used in place of the butter.

Once everything is measured, peel and shred the apples.  You’ll need 4 cups. Shred the apples after everything else is done so they don’t sit around too long and get brown.

I like Honeycrisp apples because they have a juicy sweet taste and firm, crisp texture. Granny Smith or Braeburn apples are also good.

Put the grated apples into a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much of the water/juice as you can. Since almond flour contains more moisture than traditional flour, extra moisture from the apples can make the cake soggy.  Squeezing everything out ensures you’ll get a perfectly moist, fluffy texture.

Mix the squeezed apples into the flour mixture. Mixing with the flour enables the apples to be evenly distributed preventing them from clumping together.

Then add the wet ingredients to the apple/flour mix, put into your pan and bake.

While the cake is delicious on its own, it’s elevated with a simple glaze, but it’s optional.

How To Make a Paleo Glaze 

A paleo glaze is a healthier option than confectioners sugar, refined sugar free. But I often use organic powdered sugar.

The first time I made the glaze I thought it was going to be hard but it’s really quite simple.

Start with maple sugar or coconut sugar.  I like maple sugar because the color is lighter but if you only have coconut sugar it will work just fine.

Blend your sugar until it reaches a powdery consistency.  I use my Vitamix, a food processor will also work.

Once the powdered sugar is ready, mix it with a little almond milk and vanilla. That’s it, now you have a paleo friendly glaze.

Use a spoon to drizzle it over the cake and you’re ready to eat!

If you don’t want to make the glaze, I understand it is an extra step. 

If that’s the case top it with sliced almonds before baking, no glaze required, still delicious.

This healthy apple cake is the perfect snack or dessert.  I personally love having a piece for breakfast as a special treat.  It’s the holiday after all.

I hope you love this simple apple cake. It’s tender, moist, packed with fruit, easy to make and incredibly delicious.  Every one who takes a bite will love it.

If you like this recipe you may also enjoy these other healthy holiday desserts:

• Cookie Crumb Apple Pie Bars
• Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake
• Decadent Chocolate Mousse Cake
• Creamy Paleo Pumpkin ‘Cheesecake’ (Vegan, No Bake)

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Honey Apple Cake (Gluten-Free, Paleo)

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This healthy apple cake is moist and tender, sweetened with honey. It’s a simple cake you can enjoy for dessert, snack or breakfast treat.

• Author: Ingrid DeHart
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Dessert, Snack, Breakfast
• Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar, Dairy-Free Option

Ingredients

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Honey Apple Cake

• 3 cups almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 large pastured eggs
• 3/4 cup light honey
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted (use coconut oil for dairy free)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 4 cups peeled and grated apples, about 3 large (Honeycrip) apples
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, slightly chopped (optional instead of the glaze)

Glaze

• ½ cup organic powdered sugar or powdered maple sugar or coconut sugar (coconut sugar will be darker) ** see note for instructions on making the powdered sugar
• 1–2 teaspoons almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Honey Apple Cake

1. Grease an 8” spring form pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together almond flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, almond milk, butter, vanilla and lemon zest.
4. Grate apples.  Place into a kitchen towel and squeeze out the juice/water.
5. Fold grated apples into the dry ingredients and mix evenly.
6. Add wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
7. Pour into prepared pan.
8. Top with sliced almonds if you’re not making the glaze. (OPTIONAL)
9. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean.

Glaze

1. Stir together the powdered maple sugar and vanilla, then add the milk slowly – 1 teaspoon first until you get a drizzly glaze, and only add the 2^nd if it’s still too thick to drizzle on the cake.
2. Generously drizzle the glaze all over the partially cooled or cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired and serve at room temperature – slightly warm is fine too. The glaze will harden as it cools. Enjoy!

 

Notes

**To make your own paleo powdered sugar blend 1/2 cup maple sugar (or coconut sugar) in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until it reaches a powdery consistency. Use just 1/2 cup for this recipe, measure after blending. Save the rest for another use.

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