Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake

This Gluten Free Caramel Apple Cake is the perfect autumn cake. A moist, soft, tender crumb with a lovely apple and cinnamon flavor throughout, topped with smooth vanilla buttercream and drizzled with a silky, rich caramel sauce.

This gluten free caramel apple cake is the perfect fall cake, with all the elements of a cozy autumn dessert. It’s easy to make and perfect for taking along to family gatherings throughout the holidays, or simply enjoying as a sweet fall treat with an afternoon coffee.

If you love baking with apples, try these other cozy bakes too, like my gluten free apple cookies, gluten free apple pie, and gluten free apple pie bars.

Recipe Development

Gluten free apple desserts are my all-time favorite things to bake and eat throughout autumn and winter. I have a gluten free apple rose cake that has sliced apples on top, but I wanted to make an apple cake that has all the fall flavors and a more subtle apple flavor and texture by using grated apple, cinnamon, and caramel sauce.

I used my gluten free blueberry crumb cake as a base recipe and just omitted the crumb topping, as I wanted to use buttercream or cream cheese on the caramel apple cake. I also adjusted some of the ingredients to adapt to the change in baking pan and the additional moisture from the grated apples to prevent the cake from becoming dense and ensure that it was soft, tender, and perfectly moist.

I tested this cake with cream cheese frosting and buttercream frosting and to be honest, both were an amazing combination, but the buttercream from my gluten free vanilla cupcakes recipe was a favorite with my family. See my substitutions below if you want to try it with cream cheese frosting.

I used the homemade caramel sauce from my Billy Miner pie recipe. I loved the look of it drizzled over the top of the buttercream, but you could also add it to the buttercream for a caramel buttercream, see substitutions below.

I also tested using various flour blends, and the brands I used are Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag), King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and Doves Farm Freee range plain flour. I omitted xanthan gum when using Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur flour, as they already contain it in their blends.

📋 Ingredients Notes

• Butter - Use room-temperature butter for the buttercream. I used good-quality butter, as it really shines through in the caramel and buttercream.
• Sugar - the gluten free caramel apple cake uses three types of sugar. A combination of granulated and light brown sugar for the cake, the caramel uses light brown sugar and powdered sugar for the buttercream.
• Heavy cream - also known as double cream. This gives the caramel a rich, silky texture while also keeping it soft and pourable, perfect for drizzling on top of the cake.
• Salt - enhances the flavors of the caramel, cake, and buttercream. Omit if using salted butter.
• Oil - The oil helps keep the cake moist and tender, stopping it from drying out quickly. I used vegetable oil, but canola oil will also work well.
• Sour cream - adds to the moisture and tenderness of the cake. Greek yogurt will also work well.
• Eggs room temperature.
• Vanilla extract - adds additional flavor.
• Gluten free flour - I tested this recipe with a pre-made blend of gluten-free flour, Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour (blue bag), King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour, and Doves Farm Freee range plain flour. I omitted xanthan gum when using Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur flour, as they already contain it in their blends.
• Ground cinnamon - the cinnamon adds a lovely warmth to the cake and pairs beautifully with the apple and caramel for the perfect fall cake.
• Baking powder & baking soda - Be sure to use gluten free baking powder, as some brands may contain gluten.
• Apples - I used Gala apples, but Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Pinkladys will also work well. Using grated apples helps the cake have a beautiful, moist, soft, and tender crumb with a lovely apple flavor throughout.

See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.

⚡ Substitutions & Variations

🥣 Step by Step Instructions

Below is a brief step-by-step process with photos of how to make gluten free caramel apple cake.

See the recipe card below for more detailed recipe instructions.

Step 1:In a non-stick pan over low to medium heat, melt the butter and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved and the butter has melted. Add the cream and salt, stirring continuously until it bubbles and the sauce thickens.

Step 2: Remove from the heat and transfer the caramel sauce into a jar or container to cool while you make the cake.

Tip: If making the caramel a day or two ahead of time, store it in the refrigerator. Let the caramel sauce come to room temperature when ready to serve it with the cake.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a large bowl, mix the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and sugar until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt.

Step 4: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet mixture and whisk until smooth and lump free.

Step 5: Set aside to rest for while you peel and grate the apple.

Step 6: Mix the grated apple in until evenly distributed within the cake batter.

Tip: Letting the cake batter rest will allow time for the flour to absorb all the wet ingredients. This results in a softer crumb.

Step 7: In an 8x8 square cake pan lined with parchment paper, pour in the cake batter and spread evenly.

Place the cake pan in the center of the oven for approx 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and when checking the center of the cake with a skewer and it comes out clean.

Step 8: Place the cake pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing the cake to fully cool out of the cake pan.

Step 9: Beat butter until almost white and fluffy. I recommend using electric beater for this but can be done with a wooden spoon with some work.

Add sieved Icing sugar gradually until combined. Then add heavy cream, salt and vanilla extract. Whisk until light and fluffy

Step 10: Once the apple cake has fully cooled, gently spread the buttercream evenly over the top of the cake. Then use the back of a spoon or spatula to create gentle swirls across the top of the cake that will then make little pockets for the caramel to settle into.

Using a spoon, drizzle as much caramel as you like over the top of the cake (I usually use just under half of the caramel). Then use the back of the spoon to gently spread it over the buttercream.