Crazy Good Apple Fritter Cake (gluten-free)

This Apple Fritter Cake is the ultimate gluten-free apple cake that tastes like one giant apple fritter filled with caramelized apples and topped with a delicious glaze on top.

This apple fritter cake is a soft apple filled cake with a dreamy sugar glaze. Think: your favorite old fashioned doughnut in CAKE form! It is really one of my favorite recipes ever!

Even if you aren’t looking for a gluten-free dessert, you must try this recipe. As my husband say “you wouldn’t even know that this apple fritter cake is gluten” because it is that good. And that compliment has me feeling like a dessert wizard. Turning the impossible possible with this dreamy apple fritter cake recipe.

This apple cake is soft soft and moist and it is loaded with apples and cinnamon and so much flavor. It is incredibly fluffy too.

Tip: you can use any apple variety you want in this cake. I love using granny smith’s or honey crisp apples for something sweeter.

What ingredients are in this apple fritter cake:

• Apples – peeled and diced into smaller pieces. I have used granny smith, honey crisp and fuji here! Any variety really works
• Coconut sugar – I don’t recommend using a maple syrup or honey instead. If you want you can sub 1/2 cane sugar and 1/2 brown sugar though
• Cinnamon – lots and lots of cinnamon!
• Tapioca flour – or use arrowroot flour or a cornstarch. This helps to thicken up the apple filling
• Butter – I haven’t tested a vegan butter but I would think it could work well too!
• Unsweetened applesauce – I love making my own in the fall apple season but store bought works too
• Eggs – I haven’t tested this with flax egg or egg replacer but it should work well
• Gluten-free all purpose flour – or use regular purpose flour if not gluten-free
• Yogurt of choice – I usually use a greek yogurt
• Powdered sugar – we use this to make the glaze on top
• Milk of choice – can be any milk. I have used goat’s milk and also almond milk in this recipe before (it’s for the glaze)

How to make apple fritter cake with a powdered sugar glaze:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan or line with parchment paper
2. In saucepan, add apples, sugar, cinnamon, water and tapioca flour
3. Heat for 5-6 minutes until softened and liquid thickens
4. Next cream together the butter and coconut sugar
5. Add in applesauce, eggs, vanilla and mix again
6. Then add in flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon
7. Finally mix in the yogurt until smooth
8. Spread 1/2 batter into the loaf pan then the 3/4 of the apple mixture then cake mixture and remaining apple mixture
9. Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes
10. Poke about 20 holes in cake then mix together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract and drizzle on top
11. Slice into desired slices and enjoy!

Tips for success:

• This is one of those recipes that will win you, your family or your guests over. I love making it for brunches, Thanksgiving, any fall event of sorts. And of course on just a random day we are craving some apple fritters over here.
• You can use any apples you want in this cake. The apples caramelize a bit with the coconut sugar when you cook it, so they will sweeten up a bit.
• Make sure to poke the holes in the cake when you take it out of the oven. I know it sounds funny but it helps the glaze seep into each and every slice of the cake.
• Sometimes the apple topping will look like it is about to overflow – it shouldn’t if you are using the traditional loaf pan.
• This recipe is amazing fresh out of the oven but it does stay good for about 5 days and you can freeze leftover slices for longer too.

A few other delicious apple recipes to make:

Easy Unsweetened Applesauce

Crazy Good Vegan Apple Cobbler (gluten-free)

OMG Homemade Apple Fritters!

Chocolate Caramel Apple Bark (vegan)