This apple crumb cake is moist, tender, and perfectly sweet with a thick crumb topping and loads of spiced apple flavor. It’s gluten free, grain free and paleo but no one would guess! This will be a new favorite breakfast, snack, dessert and a total crowd pleaser for fall!
With fall here it was definitely time for a new apple crumb cake recipe!
This one is super simple to prepare and is loaded with everything you could possibly want in a good crumb cake.
The texture is spot on – moist but not too moist, tender yet sturdy. The spices are perfectly measured and the topping is out of this world delicious!
And, of course, it’s made without grains or refined sugar.
Let’s get into the details so you can try it out for yourself!
What You Need To Make this Apple Crumb Cake
If you’re familiar with paleo and grain free baking, you likely already have most of the ingredients right in your pantry!
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare this cake. Side note – the icing is completely optional, but gives the cake a nice touch if you’re serving it for dessert.
Crumb Topping:
- blanched almond flour
- ghee or grass fed butter
- maple sugar or coconut sugar
- ground cinnamon
- sea salt
- chopped walnuts (optional)
Cake Batter:
- blanched almond flour
- tapioca flour, or arrowroot
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- sea salt
- eggs
- ghee, grass fed butter, or refined coconut oil
- maple sugar or coconut sugar
- milk of your choice
- pure vanilla extract
- medium apples
Icing:
- powdered sugar or monk fruit sweetener
- milk of your choice
How To Make Apple Crumb Cake
Remember to scroll down for the full printable version of this recipe.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line the bottom and sides of a 9×9” cake pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the crumb topping first. In a medium bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients except for the walnuts (if you intend to use them).
Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter or ghee into the dry ingredients so thick crumbs form.
If using walnuts, stir them in now. Chill this mixture while you prepare the cake batter.
Continued:
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca or arrowroot, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs with the ghee, butter, or oil, the sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined. Make sure the grated apples have been squeezed dry with paper towels.
Stir in both the grated apples and the diced apples.
Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan, then sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes, the carefully lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and continue to cool on the wire rack.
Continued:
Once cooled, prepare the icing by whisking the ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake as desired, allowing about 15 minutes for the icing to set before serving.
Serve and enjoy! Store the leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for the first day, then cover and refrigerate to keep for up to 4 more days.
I know you’ll love this apple crumb cake as much as my family did! Grab your ingredients because it’s time to bake – let’s go!
Apple Crumb Cake {Paleo, Gluten Free}
Apple Crumb Cake {Paleo, Gluten Free}
Ingredients
Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup ghee or grass fed butter cold and cut or broken into pieces
- 1/2 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Large pinch sea salt
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts optional
Cake Batter:
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/4 cup ghee grass fed butter, or refined coconut oil, melted
- 3/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar*
- 1/4 cup dairy free milk of your choice
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples one peeled and grated**, the other peeled and finely diced
Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar or powdered monk fruit sweetener
- 1 tablespoon dairy free milk
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line the bottom and sides of a 9x9” cake pan with parchment paper.
-
Prepare the crumb topping first. In a medium bowl, combine all crumb topping ingredients except for the walnuts (if you intend to use them).
-
Using a fork, pastry blender or your hands, cut the butter or ghee into the dry ingredients so thick crumbs form. If using walnuts, stir them in now. Chill this mixture while you prepare the cake batter.
-
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca or arrowroot, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, set aside.
-
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs with the ghee, butter, or oil, the sugar, milk, and vanilla.
-
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until fully combined. Then stir in the grated apples (they should be squeezed to remove moisture) and finally the diced apples.
-
Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan, then sprinkle the chilled crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter.
-
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
-
Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes, the carefully lift the cake out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper and continue to cool on the wire rack.
-
Once cooled, prepare the icing by whisking the ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over the cake as desired, allowing about 15 minutes for the icing to set before serving.
-
Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for the first day, then cover and refrigerate to keep for up to 4 more days.
Recipe Notes
*coconut sugar will darken the color of the cake. any granulated sugar will work here!
**squeeze out excess water using paper towels
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