Fresh Apples caramelized with brown sugar and butter make this Gluten Free Apple Upside-Down Cake an irresistible dessert!
This post contains affiliate links for products and ingredients I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting What The Fork Food Blog so I can continue to provide you with free gluten free recipes ♥
Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe
This Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake is THE fall cake recipe you need to make this year! It’s a simple, one-layer cake baked in a 9-inch cake pan that isn’t fancy but is anything but basic.
I kept the flavor of the cake fairly “plain” if you want to call it that. It’s flavored with brown sugar and it’s fantastic. I purposely chose not to add cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice to the cake (just the apples) because I wanted the brown sugar flavor to shine.
Too many spices would have completely overshadowed that and I wasn’t going for a spice cake here. There are plenty of other times for a spiced gluten free apple cake, just not with this one!
However, if you’re thinking this cake is going to be too bland or boring, think again. I did add a little cinnamon to the apples.
Personally, I think apples are really bland when baked. Without any spice, baked apples don’t really taste like anything but warm, mushy apples. They kind of remind me of baby food.
The little bit of cinnamon dusting on the apples for this apple upside-down cake goes a looong way. It brings out the sweet apple flavor without completely taking over.
In my opinion, it’s just perfect.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Key Ingredients for Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake
- Gluten Free Flour and Xanthan Gum. I use my Nightshade-Free Gluten Free Flour blend for this recipe and add xanthan gum. If you use a gluten free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, omit the amount called for in the recipe.
- Fresh Apples – I used Golden Delicious in this recipe but any baking apple would work great. Read this article on picking the best apples for baking.
- Brown Sugar – I use light brown sugar but if you have dark, that’ll work too. The brown sugar mixes with melted butter and creates a caramelized apple topping once the cake is flipped. Top it with a drizzle of caramel sauce to make this a caramel apple upside down cake!
- Buttermilk – buttermilk makes a really tender cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, mix 3/4 cups milk with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.
Can I Make a Dairy Free Apple Upside Down Cake?
To make this cake dairy free, use a plant-based butter in place of the butter in the topping and in the cake. Replace the buttermilk with 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.
You could also use melted refined coconut oil in place of the butter. Make sure it’s refined so it doesn’t make your cake taste like coconut. Measure your coconut oil before melting it.
Equipment Needed to Make an Upside Down Cake
- Apple Peeler – nobody has time to peel an apple with a paring knife!
- 9×3 Inch Round Pan or a deep dish pie plate – you want a 9 inch pan with tall sides here so your hot, buttery brown sugar doesn’t bubble over the edge. If you only have a 2-inch deep pan, just place a baking sheet under your cake while baking – just in case. Don’t use a springform pan!
- Parchment Paper – I spray my pan generously with non-stick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper. The extra step of using parchment paper will help your cake come out cleanly when it’s flipped.
How to Make Upside Down Cake with Apples
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×3 inch round cake pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples in the cinnamon. Line the bottom of the cake pan with the apples, arranging them decoratively. They can be over lapping some.
Step 3. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar. Dollop the brown sugar mixture over the apples, distributing it evenly throughout the pan. Gently spread the sugar mixture over the apples the best you can. It’s ok if the apples aren’t all quite covered, the sugar will melt and spread out as the cake bakes. Set aside.
Step 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar then set aside.
Step 5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, melted butter, egg, buttermilk, apple cider, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Step 6. Transfer the batter to the cake pan and spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife along the edge of the pan. Place a flat cake plate over the top of the cake pan. Flip the plate and cake pan together to invert the cake onto the plate. Keep the cake pan over the plate for about 5 minutes before carefully removing. Remove the parchment paper and discard. Serve the cake warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Tips for Making Upside Down Cake
- Use the right apples for baking. I wrote a whole post detailing what the best apples for baking are. The key is using firm apples. For this recipe, I use Golden Delicious Apples, a firm-sweet apple.Don’t use soft apples like Macintosh in this recipe. They don’t hold up when baking and will become mushy. They won’t hold their shape for a beautiful presentation like you see in the photos.
- Use a cake pan with high enough sides. When you bake this cake, use a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate or a 9×3 inch round cake pan. You want the high sides so the cake batter and butter/sugar mixture don’t over-flow the sides.If you use a glass Pyrex pie dish, you may want to put a sheet pan under the dish in case anything bubbles over the sides.
- Don’t use a springform pan. The butter/brown sugar will leak out the bottom of the pan and cause a huge mess in your oven.
- Use parchment paper. A round of parchment paper on the bottom of your pan will ensure your cake comes out cleanly. It also leave a nice, smooth finished look to the top of the apples.
- Invert it onto a cake plate about 20 minutes after it comes out of the oven. A trick I do is leave the cake pan over the top of the cake for about 10 minutes after flipping. Gravity does wonders in helping the cake come out cleanly and beautifully. If you wait too long before flipping your your cake it may stick and not come out perfectly.
Other Gluten Free Apple Recipes To Try
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and hashtag #whattheforkfoodblog or tag @whattheforkfoodblog – I love seeing what you make!
If you love this Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake recipe, be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post:
| Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Youtube | Newsletter |
This Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake recipe can also be found on Food Fanatic where I am a regular contributor.
Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
For the Apple Layer:
- 1 large Golden Delicious Apple peeled and sliced (about 160 grams)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (115 g)
For the Cake:
- 1 2/3 cups gluten free flour blend see notes
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 3 g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder 2g
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 g
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3 g
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 51g
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed (174g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (4 oz)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ¼ cup apple cider room temperature (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×3 inch round cake pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples in the cinnamon. Line the bottom of the cake pan with the apples, arranging them decoratively. They can be over lapping some.
- Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar. Dollop the brown sugar mixture over the apples, distributing it evenly throughout the pan. Gently spread the sugar mixture over the apples the best
you can. It’s ok if the apples aren’t all quite covered, the sugar will melt and spread out as the cake bakes. Set aside. - In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, melted butter, egg, buttermilk, apple cider, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the cake pan and spread the batter evenly over the apples.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a knife along the edge of the pan. Place a flat cake plate over the top of the cake pan. Flip the plate and cake pan together to invert the cake
onto the plate. Keep the cake pan over the plate for about 5 minutes before carefully removing. - Remove the parchment paper and discard.
- Serve the cake warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Notes
- I use my NightshadeFree Gluten Free Flour Blend in this recipe. Omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe if the flour blend you use already contains it.
- If you don’t have apple cider, you sub it for ¼ cup
buttermilk or ¼ cup apple juice. - To make this cake dairy free, use a plant-based butter in place of the butter in the topping and in the cake. Replace the buttermilk with 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage plus 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information
Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren’t always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
I developed this recipe and first published it on my website What the Fork Food Blog; this Gluten Free Apple Upside Down Cake can also be found on Food Fanatic.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Leave a comment