Spiced, golden and sweet with apples, this gluten-free, dairy-free and reduced-sugar coffee cake is a nice treat for fall weekends or holidays. For breakfast or brunch, serve with fresh fruit and eggs. For a snack, enjoy it with a cup of spiced tea or coffee. Please read the notes on sugar, below
1cupall-purpose gluten-free flour blend4 ½ ounces, I use Bob’s Red Mill
½cupalmond flour1 ¾ ounces, Bob’s Red Mill
1 ½teaspoonsbaking powderaluminum free
1 ½teaspoonsbaking soda
1teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspoonsalt
West Ingredients
⅓cupolive oil or coconut oil, meltedor coconut oil, melted
⅓cup sucanat or golden brown sugar
2largeeggs
1teaspoonvanilla extractor vanilla paste
½cupmilk or almond milk
½cupchopped pecans or walnuts2 ¼ ounces
2largeHoneycrisp or Granny Smith apples
Optional Topping
2teaspoonsDemerara or Turbinado sugar
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350º. Cut a parchment round to fit inside springform pan, spray pan with non-stick and add parchment.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all purpose and almond flour, baking powder and soda, spice and salt.
Mix Wet Ingredients
In a large measuring cup or bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond milk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir well until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into the pan.
Slice Apples and Add to Batter
Trim a thin slice off of the top and bottom of the apples. Core and peel apples. Cut into 24 slices. To do this easily, cut the apple into eights, then each piece into equal thirds. Arrange apple slices in a circular overlapping pattern starting at the outside edge of the pan. Slightly overlap apple ends and tip the bottom of the slices (the thinner end) a bit down into the batter. This will allow you to get more apples into the batter. Continue around the pan until you get to the center. For the small center, cut a slice of apple into smaller pieces and fit them in as best you can. You may not need all of the apple slices. If using, sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top to give the cake top a sparkle (optional).
Bake the Cake
Bake cake at 350º for approximately 40-45 minutes. Timing will depend on your ovens. When done a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean but moist. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a thin bladed knife around the inside edge of the pan to free the cake, then pop the spring and remove the cake. Cool on a wire rack or serve warm. If serving later after cooling, wrap well and keep at room temperature.
Notes
Notes on sugar – Demerara and Turbinado sugar are a large crystal, somewhat crunchy, raw light brown sugar. I’ve sprinkled two teaspoons over the top before baking to give the top a sparkle, but this is optional. Sucunat is a natural, unrefined brown sugar, as is raw coconut sugar.