This Apple Tea Cake is an apple lovers dream come true! The cake is soft, moist and naturally eggless thanks to the use of applesauce! Cinnamon is added into the batter itself, in the cinnamon sugar that coats the apples and then more cinnamon sugar is added to the apple cake after baking! It's a cozy snack; perfect for breakfast, lunch, dessert and of course...tea time! If being eggless wasn't enough, this is a gluten free apple cake that's also nut free and can easily be vegan!
If you're looking for a recipe for an apple cake, look no further! This Apple Tea Cake recipe is an easy autumn treat that is so perfect for small gatherings! My kids are not fans of chunks of apples, hence I like to make my cakes with applesauce! It makes for a smoother texture that remains light and fluffy yet still is packed with apple flavor! What's great about this applesauce cake is that the applesauce acts as an egg replacer, so no cornstarch slurry is needed!
For more apple recipes, check out my Applesauce Crumb Cake, Baked Apple Cider Donuts, my Apple Cinnamon Cookies, my no-churn Apple Pie Ice Cream and my Apple Muffins!
Reasons to Love This Apple Tea Cake
- Allergy Friendly- This apple cake recipe is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Fluffy- The cake is so super soft, moist and delicious.
- Covered in Cinnamon Sugar- The cinnamon sugar coating gives a nice woodsy sweetness to the baked apple topping! If you love cinnamon without the apple, check out my Cinnamon Tea Cake!
- Autumn Flavor- The apple cinnamon combo gives us the cozy vibes of fall like in my Applesauce Cookies!
- Simple 1-Layer Cake- I love how easy this cake is to make! If you love tea cakes, check out my Irish Tea Cake and my Chocolate Tea Cake!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s nut safe but it does contain dairy. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and helps them stay together.
- Light Brown Sugar- I like to use this with the granulated sugar to add more moisture into the cake.
- Granulated Sugar- We use this in the cake and also in the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- Only use room temperature. Don’t use melted or softened; we want to cream it together with the sugar. We do need 2 tablespoons of melted butter for the coating on the apples and for the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a non-dairy milk of your choosing.
- Cinnamon- Adds to the apple to bring out the flavors of fall!
- Apples- I love to use Honeycrip apples (I also use them in my Apple Pie Cookies) because they're juicy yet don't turn into mush while cooking. I don't peel them so they keep their color.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this a Vegan Apple Cake
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
How to Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 1 ¾ packed cups of regular flour (294 grams).
- Only use ½ cup of milk.
This recipe has not been tested with all of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Apple Tea Cake
Here are the step by step instructions to make this light apple cake!
Step 1: Make the Apple Topping
Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter. After that, mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a tiny bowl. Pour everything over thinly sliced apples and set aside.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until it is all soft and creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Add in the Applesauce and Vanilla
Slowly beat the applesauce and vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat until combined. It will look chunky.
Step 5: Add in the Dry Ingredients and Milk
Starting and ending with the gluten free flour mixture, mix in some flour then some milk then some flour. Beat until just combined.
Step 6: Scoop the Batter into the Pan
Using a spatula, scoop the batter into the springform pan; smooth the top with an icing spatula or the back of a spoon. The batter will be super thick and sticky.
Step 7: Arrange the Apples and Bake
Fan the apple slices out, in a circle, on the top of the cake. You can have them overlap a little.
Bake the cake in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes.
Step 8: Brush on The Butter and Cinnamon Sugar
Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter and once again, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Bush the butter on top of the apples and sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. For this recipe use packed cups or the gram amount:(294 grams).
- Use Room Temperature Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- Do not use melted butter. We want to cream the butter and sugar together. If using vegan butter, I would have it be more on the colder side vs room temperature.
- Microwave the Butter a Few Seconds at a Time- This might take longer but if you microwave the butter for more than a few seconds at a time, it might explode all over your microwave into a giant mess. I like to place a paper towel over the top of the bowl so if it does explode, the mess is avoided. You can always melt the butter carefully on the stove top as well. This tip is only for the melted butter for the apples and for the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Use a Springform Pan- Using a springform pan ensures the cake will not fall apart when taking it out. If you do not have a spring form pan, use a 9 inch cake pan and line the entire pan with parchment paper with a 1 inch overhang on the sides so you can easily lift the cake out once it has cooled. If not using a springform, make sure the cake is almost completely cool before trying to lift it out of the pan, otherwise the cake will break apart into a giant mess.
- Use a Skewer- Make sure to use a skewer to check if the cake is done. You want it to come out clean from the center. Depending on the applesauce you use and the apples, you may need to cook your cake longer than 60 minutes if your apples have extra moisture.
- Brush on the Melted Butter- Do not pour it onto the top of the cake. The whole reason for the melted butter is so that the cinnamon sugar has something to stick to. If you don’t have a little silicone brush, use a paper towel. Dip a paper towel into the melted butter and gently brush it onto the apples.
- Sprinkle the Cinnamon Sugar Right After Brushing on the Butter- This ensures it sticks to the melted butter.
Recipe FAQs
Other Fall Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Apple Tea Cake
Ingredients
For the Apple Topping
- 2 medium apples , cored and thinly sliced (I used Honeycrisp)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted
For the Cake
- 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup applesauce (homemade or one with no sugar added)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted
Instructions
For the Apple Topping
- Wash and dry the 2 medium apples. Core them and slice them into thin pieces. Place the slices in a medium size bowl and set aside.
- Place the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Put the 1 tablespoon of butter in a tiny heat safe bowl. Microwave in 7 second increments, stirring after each time, until the butter is melted.
- Pour the melted butter over the apple slices and use a spatula or spoon to mix.Pour in the cinnamon sugar and use the spatula or clean hands to coat all the apple slices. Set aside.
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch springform pan with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper as well. Set aside.I like to cut the parchment paper into a square, place then place and lock the springform pan over the paper. Then I cut the parchment into a circle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour, 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, the ½ cup granulated sugar and the ½ cup light brown sugar until it is all soft and creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly beat the ½ cup applesauce and the 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla into the creamed butter and sugar. Beat until combined. It will look chunky.
- Starting and ending with the gluten free flour mixture, with the mixer on low...pour in some flour then some of the ¾ cup of milk then some flour.Once it is just combined, turn off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl. You don’t want to over mix this. Just make sure everything is fully combined.
- Using a spatula, scoop the batter into the springform pan; smooth the top with an icing spatula or the back of a spoon. The batter will be super thick and sticky.
- Fan the apple slices out, in a circle, on the top of the cake. You can have them overlap a little.Please check the section entitled, "How to Make Apple Tea Cake" above for step by step images. Or, check out the video linked in the post for how to do this if you're having trouble.
- Bake the cake in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 60 minutes until the cake springs back at you when careful touched and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the cake pan. If you try to take it out when it when it's too hot, the entire thing may fall apart.After 10 min, move to a cooling rack. Release the side of the springform pan.
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- Place the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Put the 1 tablespoon of butter or vegan baking stick in a tiny heat safe bowl.Once again, microwave in 7 second increments, stirring after each time, until the butter is melted.
- Using a small silicone brush, brush the melted butter all over the top of the apples.Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the apples and enjoy!
John
What a delicious Tea Cake! I loved it!