Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (gluten-free, whole grain options and dairy-free)

Amazingly moist and flavorful apple upside down cake with honey! Can be made gluten-free, whole grain and dairy-free.

Today’s upside down apple honey cake isn’t exactly international but it is maybe a little multicultural! I’ve seen a few recipes for Jewish apple cakes and was intrigued. They seem to be traditionally made in a tube pan, which I don’t have, and I just made an apple bundt cake, so I thought I’d go with something smaller.

Jewish apple cakes also don’t usually seem to involve honey, so I added a delicious honey sauce and turned my cake into an apple upside down cake. The original was made with all-purpose flour, but I used a mix of gluten-free flours and made another version with white whole wheat flour.

These whole wheat apple muffins also have honey in them and are a bit easier to make than this apple cake!

Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (dairy-free with gluten-free and whole grain options)

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and dipping apple slices into honey is one of the food customs associated with it (you can read more about that here). I thought it’d be nice to make an apple and honey cake for Rosh Hashanah, but I got the date wrong and thought about keeping this recipe for next year.

Then some lovely people on Instagram informed me that Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people and involves fasting for nearly 26 hours, is this week and that this cake would be great for breaking the fast.

Thanks so much to those people! I was seriously so bummed about having missed Rosh Hashanah by a few days.

This idea I had of making an apple cake every Monday (like this French apple cake or this Swedish apple pie) was a little birdbrained on my part.

Rarely do cakes ever work out on the first or second tries for me. I’m rocking an average of four attempts per cake before nailing the recipe. :D But this apple upside down cake was totally worth it! It absolutely doesn’t taste gluten-free (at least it doesn’t with the mix of flours I used) and is honestly one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten.

By the way, if you’re gluten-free, be sure to read my post on Is Honey Gluten-free?

I found the cake recipe on Smitten Kitchen but the source is unknown. Several commenters said their mom made the exact same recipe and one commenter thinks it came from The New York Times Heritage Cookbook. Wherever it came from, it’s magical.

Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (dairy-free with gluten-free and 100% whole grain options)

Let’s see where I went wrong.

Attempt 1: Delicious but a little too dense. I looked at my calculations again (I only made a fourth of the recipe) and I used 10x (seriously) the amount of tapioca starch I should have. Whoops.

Attempt 2: Perfect! Time for a full-sized cake.

Attempt 3: I wanted to make the cake in a 9″ pan but I only had a springform pan of that size. Who knew that the honey sauce would leak and create a huge mess in the oven? I guess most people? ;) I sure didn’t. I took that cake and flipped it into a 10″ pan. I swirled it all together and it was delicious.

Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (dairy-free, gluten-free and whole grain options)

Attempt 4: This is the version you see here. I used a 10″ closed cake pan and I lined just the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. Everything was going well until I checked it after it had cooled for about 20 minutes. Apparently the toothpick test doesn’t work with this cake! It was still not cooked all the way through. So back to the oven it went.

When I flipped it out, the nuts around the edges stuck to the pan. They were really easy to put back on the cake and I don’t think you could tell, but I still recommend just placing a piece of parchment paper in the pan. Not lining just the bottom, but having a full sheet that goes over the bottom and up the sides. That’s how I did the first two and fifth cakes and it worked beautifully! That way nothing will leak and there won’t be any issue with nuts sticking.

Attempt 5:One last time (with peanuts instead of walnuts!) to get the correct baking time and feeling very relieved it’s over with. :)

To my Jewish readers – have an easy fast. To everyone else – you HAVE to make this apple upside down cake! Either that or these apple brownies with caramel frosting. Because they, too, are super delicious. :)

Not really into apples? Try this strawberry rhubarb upside down cake or this easy blueberry upside down cake!

This Gluten-free Pineapple Upside Down Cake from Noshtastic also looks awesome!

Upside Down Apple Honey Cake (gluten-free, whole grain options and dairy-free)

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Rated 4.9 by 14 readers
Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (gluten-free, whole grain options and dairy-free)
  • Prep Time:
  • Cook Time:
  • Ready in:
  • Yield: 9 slices

Ingredients

    For the honey sauce:

  • 1/2 cup (160 grams) honey
  • 5 tablespoons (70 grams) coconut oil, room temperature1
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) chopped roasted walnuts2
  • For the cake:

  • 1 cup + 6 tablespoons gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose mix,3 white whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) melted coconut oil
  • 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated or raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • For the apples:

  • 4 small baking apples (about 630 grams of apples, or 400 grams / 3.25 cups of chopped apples)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons granulated or raw sugar

Directions

    For the honey sauce:

  1. Position the oven rack to the middle position of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and place a piece of parchment paper over a 10" (25.4cm) cake pan (dark and glass pans aren't recommended). Do not line just the bottom of the pan! Place a full piece of paper over the pan so that the entire thing is lined.
  2. Mix together the honey, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the walnuts.
  3. Spread the honey sauce over the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the cake. This makes it easier to spread the cake batter on top.
  4. For the cake:

  5. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted coconut oil, sugar, orange juice, vanilla and eggs. Set aside.
  7. For the apples:

  8. Peel, core and cut the apples into small pieces, about 1/4" in size. You can make larger pieces if you like, but it'll make the cake more difficult to cut.
  9. Place them in a bowl and stir in the cinnamon and sugar.
  10. Add the dry cake mixture to the wet and stir just until combined.
  11. Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator and pour half of the cake batter over the honey sauce. It will be a very thin layer. Sprinkle half of the apples (about 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons) over the batter. Add the remaining cake batter (again, a very thin layer). It's okay if the apple layer and cake layer blend together a little. Then add the remaining apples. Once it's all done, it won't look like much but it will rise a lot. The reason why I didn't just add the apples to the batter is so that they retain their cinnamon sugar coating. I'd also be worried about the apple pieces interfering with the honey sauce layer.
  12. Bake for 50 minutes or until very lightly browned. The toothpick test does not work here! Once it's lightly browned, you'll have to dig in just a little with a fork or knife to see if it's really done.
  13. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto the serving plate. The cake will be quite fluffy and therefore a little difficult to get a clean piece when cutting. It'll be easier after about 6-8 hours. After sitting overnight, the cake is a little denser and almost like a coffee cake and much easier to cut.
  14. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes

  1. I used refined coconut oil, which doesn't have any coconut taste. If you use unrefined coconut oil in this cake, it will likely have some coconut taste to it.
  2. I chopped mine quite small so that the cake would be easier to cut and toasted them at 350 °F (175 °C) for 5-7 minutes.
  3. You can use your favorite gluten-free flour mixture that's a 1:1 substitute for regular all-purpose flour. I made my own, which was:
    • 129 grams white rice flour
    • 47 grams potato starch
    • 18 grams tapioca flour / starch
    • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Adapted from Mom's Apple Cake, which likely came from The New York Times Heritage Cookbook

Recipe by  | www.texanerin.com

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123 comments on “Apple Upside Down Cake with Honey (gluten-free, whole grain options and dairy-free)” — Add one!

19 comments are awaiting moderation!

  • Jen
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    July 21, 2018 @ 7:54 pm

    Hello Erin! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and for not giving up on it (I know I surely would have!). I litterly just flipped this cake out onto a serving plate and it smells sooooo good! It’s for a family gathering tomorrow, wish I didn’t have to wait. But some of the gooey goodness stuck to the parchment so I get to enjoy that! Haha!
    I substituted vegetable margarine for the coconut oil in the base nut mixture. Also used pecans instead since it’s what was on hand. And then used sunflour oil, again instead of coconut oil, in the liquid mix.
    Can’t wait to cut in to it tomorrow!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Jen
      July 22, 2018 @ 9:27 pm

      Haha. Thank goodness for the gooey bits that stick to the pan, right?! I hope that you and your family enjoyed the cake. :) Thanks for letting me know that the other oils work just as well. Thanks a bunch for your feedback! :)

      Reply
  • Tobbe
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    May 23, 2018 @ 8:02 am

    Wow! What I cake. I made this yesterday and I think it might have been the best apple cake I’ve ever had! I served it with generous amounts of crème anglaise (vanilla cream sauce).

    We were five grownups and we finished the whole cake, including almost 8 cups of crème anglaise as dessert after a big taco dinner :D It was just so good, everyone kept coming back for more!

    I did make some minor changes to the recipe. I used butter instead of coconut oil in the honey sauce, I used rapeseed oil instead of coconut oil in the cake batter. I used half walnuts, half almonds for the nuts and 1½ tbsp lemon juice + ½ tbsp water instead of 2 tbsp orange juice.

    Reply
    • Tobbe replies to Tobbe
      May 23, 2018 @ 8:06 am

      Ohh, and I also went with 200 g of all purpose flour for the batter.

      Reply
    • Erin replies to Tobbe
      May 24, 2018 @ 8:44 pm

      Hejsan! (just assuming that with that name, you’re Swedish :)) I’m so happy that you and the others liked the cake! 1 2/3 cups of vaniljsås per person seems totally reasonable. :D That’s great that your changes worked out well! It’s good to know that it comes out well with butter. Tusen tack for your comment! Signed a 2x utbytesstudent in Sweden (Hudiksvall + Uppsala)

      Reply
      • Tobbe replies to Erin
        May 25, 2018 @ 10:11 am

        Yes, I’m indeed Swedish! And since you’ve been to Sweden it must come as no surprise that I chose to serve the apple cake with vanilla sauce :) Normally I would just reach for the vanilla sauce powder and mix it with some milk (“Ekströms snabb-marsanpulver”). But a cake this good deserves so much better. That’s why I made a proper Crème Anglaise with two whole vanilla bean pods, and both milk and heavy cream.

        Thanks for a great recipe!

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Tobbe
          May 28, 2018 @ 8:28 pm

          Nothing wrong with Ekströms. :) But I agree, sometimes homemade is needed! You’re welcome for the recipe and thanks again for your comments. :)

  • Melanie
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    December 20, 2017 @ 7:23 am

    Oh man. I wanted to eat this thing all in one sitting it was so darn good. My only sub was using chopped pecans instead of walnuts since my walnuts apparently went rancid (yegh)! I was a little nervous about not having enough batter for it to be cakey, but there was no reason for that. Definitely bookmarked to make so many more times in the future. Thanks for such a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Melanie
      December 20, 2017 @ 8:49 pm

      Right?! That’s how I feel about this cake. I’m so happy that it came out well! I was also nervous about how thin a layer it was. Thanks a ton for your feedback!

      Reply
  • Sarah Parker
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    September 21, 2017 @ 7:35 pm

    I am an avid baker and brought this to a GF friend’s house for erev Rosh Hashannah. It was declared the “best dessert” I have ever made by friends and family, alike! They couldn’t believe it was gluten free and pareve. Thanks for an amazing recipe — it was well worth the effort. I made it in a 9 inch, parchment-lined pan. Took longer to cook, perhaps by about 15 minutes or so.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Sarah Parker
      September 25, 2017 @ 9:53 pm

      That’s awesome! So happy that your friends and family enjoyed it. :) And that’s good to know about the baking time in a 9″ pan. Thanks for your feedback and sorry I just now saw your comment!

      Reply
  • Suzan Carsley says
    September 19, 2017 @ 8:31 pm

    Just made your wonderful cake. I ended up using my 9″ spring form and by putting the parchment completely inside as you said, it came outt beautifully! I baked for 65 minutes and it was so easy to remove the cake from the pan.
    It promises to be a hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Suzan Carsley
      September 21, 2017 @ 9:21 pm

      That’s great! I’m so happy that it came out well and that it was easy to remove. :) Thanks for your feedback!

      Reply
  • Lara says
    September 17, 2017 @ 7:12 pm

    Can the cake be frozen?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Lara
      September 17, 2017 @ 7:38 pm

      I’ve never tried it so I can’t say for sure but I think it’d be okay frozen!

      Reply
  • Suzan Carsley
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    September 2, 2017 @ 11:06 pm

    Hi there, I am going to make your wonderful recipe for this Rosh Hashonah. I am not a baker, but have been asked to bring dessert so am going to give it a go. I am also Celiac and am ecstatic I can do it with your flour blend.
    If I understand correctly, I can use a 9″ springform and completely line it with parchment. ( your original intent was to do it in the 9″ but you switched to a 10″) Can’t wait to make it!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Suzan Carsley
      September 3, 2017 @ 8:42 am

      Hello! I’m guessing the 9″ is okay but since mine leaked when I tried that out, I have no idea of the baking time (which is kind of difficult to figure out with this cake). The cake isn’t very thick in the 10″ so I don’t think it’d be too much batter for a 9″ pan but I can’t guarantee it. I hope you’ll enjoy the cake!

      Reply
  • ChefJim says
    April 2, 2017 @ 3:18 pm

    Found that it took 2 hours to cook. Gluten-free cakes are done when the internal temp is at 205 degrees. I think less apples would have made it cook faster. I also don’t have a convection oven

    Reply
    • Erin replies to ChefJim
      April 11, 2017 @ 9:19 pm

      I also didn’t use a convection oven (and people shouldn’t use the fan unless called for or they know how to reduce the temp / time). This cake has had nothing but positive reviews so I’m thinking something must have gone wrong for it to take 2 hours to cook. Is your oven maybe running low? Or did you make any subs? So sorry I just now saw your comment!

      Reply
  • Carol says
    March 31, 2017 @ 7:26 am

    Made this cake twice now and WOW it’s a hit. Two things I did differently, I popped the walnut mixture in the freezer while making the cake and I used a silicone square dish with no paper and it came out whole both times.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Carol
      April 1, 2017 @ 8:22 pm

      That’s great that it came out well in the silicone dish! Thanks for the tip. :) I’m so happy that the cake came out well for you!

      Reply
  • Genny says
    March 18, 2017 @ 5:38 pm

    That recipe looks amazing! I only have glass cake pans. If I made this as a non-upside down cake (just put the honey walnut topping on top) do you think this would work fine with the pans I have?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Genny
      March 18, 2017 @ 9:49 pm

      Thanks! If you pour the honey walnut topping over the uncooked batter, I really don’t think that’d work. I think it’d sink and be a mess. If you pour it over the cooked cake, that won’t, either, because it won’t have the caramelization thing going on. I’d recommend using your glass pan, following the recipe, but lowering the temperature 25F and keeping a close eye on it. :) I’d love to hear how it comes out! Good luck. :)

      Reply
      • Genny replies to Erin
        March 19, 2017 @ 5:15 am

        Great thanks I’ll give it a try!

        Reply
  • Sue
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    December 14, 2016 @ 12:57 am

    I just started going gluten free and stumbled upon your recipe because I just bought tow jars of local honey and I was searching for some bakery I could use it in. I’ve made this twice already and it is SO good! Does not have that grainy texture some gluten free can have. I took it to work and got so many compliments. I used butter instead of cocnut oil in the sauce and we decided it reminds us of baklava! I’m going to call it my baklava cake. :)

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Sue
      December 15, 2016 @ 10:31 pm

      Baklava cake! I love that. :) I’m happy to hear that you’ve already made it twice and that your co-workers liked it, too! Thanks a ton for your feedback. :)

      Reply
  • Tina says
    October 28, 2016 @ 8:32 pm

    I was wondering if I could use a gluten free cake mix instead of the “flour mixture”?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Tina
      October 28, 2016 @ 9:39 pm

      I wouldn’t recommend it as it has added sugar and other ingredients. You could use a 1 to 1 GF mixture that’s a sub for all-purpose flour or the GF mixture I have listed at the end of the recipe. Sorry about that!

      Reply
  • Chay says
    October 23, 2016 @ 6:22 am

    This recipe sounds amazing!!!!but I have a nut allergy do u have an idea that would be a good substitute for the walnuts instead?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Chay
      October 23, 2016 @ 5:08 pm

      Thanks! :) Can you do peanuts (since they’re technically legumes?) If so, those are delicious here!

      Reply
      • Chay replies to Erin
        October 23, 2016 @ 6:03 pm

        Oh! Sorry for not specifying my allergy is for peanuts and tree nuts. Would coconut work on it?

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Chay
          October 23, 2016 @ 8:53 pm

          I imagine it would but I haven’t tried it so I honestly have no idea how much you’d need. Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help! If you try it out, I’d love to hear how it goes. :)

  • Debbie says
    October 3, 2016 @ 3:51 pm

    I have the opposite problem – I have a 10″ springform and a 9″ closed… But the 9″ is only an inch tall. Decisions!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Debbie
      October 3, 2016 @ 4:37 pm

      Go with the 10″ springform but put a whole piece of parchment paper down in there, leaving an overhang so that you won’t have the issues I did with it leaking. :) I hope you’ll enjoy it!

      Reply
  • Rebekah says
    September 30, 2016 @ 6:10 pm

    I made these as cupcakes, the first batch was quite greasy on the bottom from the honey mixture-so the next batch I layered batter first, then apples, walnuts, and batter again…sprinkling cinnamon on top-they look awesome, no sticking issues and will be easy to share…excellent for Rosh Hoshanah-thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Rebekah
      October 1, 2016 @ 11:36 am

      I’m happy they came out well as cupcakes! Just to be sure, you put the honey mixture in the middle (where you said walnuts)? And how many did it yield? Just in case someone asks about making them as cupcakes. :) Thanks a bunch for the tip!

      Reply
  • Maple says
    September 19, 2016 @ 9:35 pm

    I stumbled upon your recipe on pinterest just at the right time. Next month is Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah) and Yom Kippur, I will give this beauty a try :) One question, can I use Gala apple on this recipe? Or does it require a softer type of apple – sorry, I don’t understand what are baking apples. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maple
      September 19, 2016 @ 10:26 pm

      Gala would be great! There’s some more info about baking apples here if you’re interested. :) I hope you’ll enjoy the cake!

      Reply
      • Sue
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        December 14, 2016 @ 12:53 am

        FYI, I used Gala apples and this was WONderful. I got so many compliments.

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Sue
          December 15, 2016 @ 10:31 pm

          Good to know! Thanks a bunch for the tip. :)

  • Esther says
    September 15, 2016 @ 9:55 pm

    can i make a nut free version? maybe using shredded coconut?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Esther
      September 15, 2016 @ 10:40 pm

      I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure, but I think that could work. I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out!

      Reply
  • Bethany Hickman says
    September 13, 2016 @ 8:17 pm

    I have it in the oven but didn’t have any parchment paper. 😬 Here goes nothing. Any warnings?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Bethany Hickman
      September 13, 2016 @ 8:47 pm

      Yikes! I’m pretty sure it’s going to stick to the pan and I don’t think there’s anything that can be done now. I hope I’m wrong, though. :)

      Reply
  • Raven says
    August 29, 2016 @ 2:09 am

    It looks wonderful and I’d love to try it, but I’m deathly allergic to cinnamon and just a teensy bit of it would end with me in the ER. Do you have a suggestion for a different spice to use, I can only think of nutmeg, but I’m not sure if that would taste right with the apples.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Raven
      August 29, 2016 @ 2:40 pm

      Cardamom would be nice! I’d probably only use half the amount, though. Hope you’ll enjoy it. :)

      Reply
  • Maddy says
    July 13, 2016 @ 3:23 pm

    Does this cake mature nicely? Could i bake it a couple of days in advance? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maddy
      July 13, 2016 @ 8:08 pm

      It does! I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge. Enjoy! :)

      Reply
  • Nancy says
    June 6, 2016 @ 7:31 am

    I would love to try this recipe, but I wonder if you have the gluten-free flour recipe using cups and tablespoons.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Nancy
      June 6, 2016 @ 8:41 pm

      I didn’t include them because the measurements are kind of crazy. 14.75 tablespoons white rice flour, 4.85 tablespoons potato starch, 2.4 tablespoons tapioca flour, 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum. I hope you’ll enjoy it if you try it! :)

      Reply
  • Emily
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    May 27, 2016 @ 5:02 pm

    Hi there the cake looks amazing! I was just wondering whether the recipe can be adapted for vegans (finding a suitable substitute for the eggs)? I don’t suppose you’ve tried it but let me know if you have a similar vegan cake recipe on hand! xx

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Emily
      May 27, 2016 @ 8:38 pm

      Hi Emily! I haven’t tried a vegan version of this recipe and unfortunately don’t have a similar vegan one. I don’t have much experience with chia eggs but I’m guessing they’d add a bit of an odd taste to this cake? Or are they pretty much tasteless? Sorry I don’t have a better solution for you!

      Reply
      • Lois replies to Erin
        June 23, 2016 @ 2:28 pm

        Flax eggs or chia eggs ( the chia or ground flax with warm water) do not change the flavor at all. I sub them all the time as I have been egg allergic for 59 years. I do believe that subbing egg whites is more problematic….I also use extra baking soda and vinegar to ensure my baked goods rise. And I am also gluten intolerant…. Making baking, good tasting and good looking an art!

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Lois
          June 23, 2016 @ 9:37 pm

          Thanks, Lois! I recently tried chia eggs and liked them very much. I had tried flax eggs in the past and could definitely notice the taste in the final product, though. I just don’t like their taste. So I’m all for chia eggs now. :) Thanks again for your comment!

  • Sue says
    May 3, 2016 @ 5:38 pm

    This looks lovely. I’m allergic to coconut though. Is there anything that can substitute?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Sue
      May 3, 2016 @ 9:35 pm

      Thanks! In the sauce, I’m pretty sure an equal amount of butter would work (but I haven’t tried it so I’m not 100% sure) and in the batter, the same amount of another type of vegetable oil would definitely work. I hope you’ll enjoy it! :)

      Reply
  • Dee says
    April 28, 2016 @ 7:26 am

    Hello
    Maybe a dumb question but how come using a glass baking pan is not recommended?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Dee
      April 28, 2016 @ 11:39 am

      It’s not a dumb question! One person tried using a square glass baking pan and the edges burned. If you use glass, you need to make adjustments to the temperature and possibly baking time, but since I haven’t tried it, I can’t really recommend it. The people in this thread recommend lowering the temperature 25 degrees so you could try that if you’d like. :)

      Reply
  • Kat Davis says
    April 19, 2016 @ 9:56 am

    Would it work in an 8×8 square? Should I adjust anything?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kat Davis
      April 19, 2016 @ 7:33 pm

      The area of a 10″ circular pan is 78.5 and the area of an 8″x8″ is 64, so I think that pan may be a little too small and that it may not bake properly. Do you have a 9″x9″? Because that’s almost the same size!

      Reply
  • Maranda
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    April 11, 2016 @ 4:02 pm

    I can use coconut palm sugar. I haven’t experimented with baking with it, but perhaps I will try. Thank you for your quick response!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maranda
      April 11, 2016 @ 6:15 pm

      I love baking with coconut sugar! I almost always use it in anything non-vanilla flavored (like this cake, which is why I didn’t list it as an option!). It should work here, but it’ll have a deeper, slightly caramel-like taste to it. It doesn’t sound all that bad but since I haven’t tried it, I can’t say how it’d be. Let me know if you try it out! :)

      Reply
  • Maranda says
    April 10, 2016 @ 1:32 am

    I really want to make this cake, it looks and sounds amazing. I have an intolerance to cane sugar. What would you suggest as a substitute instead if using sugar?

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Maranda
      April 11, 2016 @ 3:21 pm

      Hmm. Can you use any kind of non-liquid sweetener? Using a liquid sweetener would require reworking the recipe a little and since I haven’t tried it, I can’t really give you any advice there. Sorry I’m not more of a help!

      Reply
  • Marti
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    September 27, 2015 @ 5:47 pm

    This cake was so good that I made it 2 nights in a row! My co-workers and my family all gave it rave reviews! I used your GF flour blend and even the gluten eaters didn’t know that it was gluten free! The instructions were clear and easy to follow. This is definitely a cake I will make again and again! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Marti
      September 27, 2015 @ 6:29 pm

      Thank you, Marti! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. :) I love your cassava flour idea that we talked about on Instagram and will definitely try a honey apple treat with that for next year’s Rosh Hashanah. Thanks again!

      Reply
  • Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
    September 24, 2015 @ 12:59 pm

    What a beautiful cake! I am so impressed with your determination to get it just right. Also, the photo of the slice makes me want to reach a fork right into the screen — YUM!

    Reply
  • Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness says
    September 24, 2015 @ 2:39 am

    I love a good upside down cake! I can’t believe you made this cake so many times!!
    By the way, whenever I use a springform pan, I put a baking sheet below it so that what happened in attempt #3 doesn’t happen :p But I’m glad you perfected it in the end! This looks amazing!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Cathleen @ A Taste Of Madness
      September 25, 2015 @ 6:55 pm

      Haha. That would have been clever! But it still would have leaked all over the pan. From now on, I’m parchment papering the whole thing. :D

      Reply
  • Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet says
    September 23, 2015 @ 2:25 pm

    See now that is my problem, I never line my cake pans with parchment paper, which is probably why they stick and I have a huge mess! I love this cake. Now to get the ingredients!

    Reply
  • Kim Beaulieu says
    September 23, 2015 @ 4:06 am

    This is one seriously gorgeous cake. I love that you kept at it and are so transparent about it. I love honesty, that way real folks know they aren’t alone in baking fails. So kudos to you.

    I have some recipes like that where I have no idea the origin of them. I just know my sis gave it to me, or my mom made it. I have a fudge one I use that I want to figure out it’s origin. I’ll have to delve into google. I know my mom didn’t come up with it so I’m curious where it came from. I know her Banana Bread one is likely from Betty Crocker or something similar.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kim Beaulieu
      September 25, 2015 @ 6:51 pm

      Aww, thanks. What a nice comment. :) What’s funny about this recipe is so many of the commenters said something like, “Hey, that’s my mom’s recipe!” Made me laugh. It must have been in a very popular magazine!

      Reply
  • Cookin Canuck says
    September 22, 2015 @ 4:59 pm

    It certainly looks as though your determination to make the perfect apple cake paid off in spades. This is one I need to try!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Cookin Canuck
      September 22, 2015 @ 9:27 pm

      I hope you will! It’d be great with white whole wheat. :)

      Reply
  • Justine | Cooking and Beer says
    September 22, 2015 @ 4:17 pm

    Oh my goodness. I am so terrible with recipe fails. If I fail once, I normally don’t even try it again. It’s horrible. I admire you, and this cake looks INCREDIBLE! Pinned!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Justine | Cooking and Beer
      September 22, 2015 @ 9:26 pm

      Thanks for pinning! And if you had tasted that first version, I’m sure you would have kept trying, too. ;)

      Reply
  • Martha @ A Family Feast says
    September 22, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

    I am so impressed by your recipe development process! I’ve heard that it is very difficult to adapt a standard recipe to gluten-free and I know your readers will appreciate this! Definitely passing this along…it looks amazing Erin!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Martha @ A Family Feast
      September 22, 2015 @ 9:26 pm

      Thanks, Martha! The GF thing was actually not that difficult here. It was mostly a problem of me not thinking and paying attention. ;) Ah well. It was worth it!

      Reply
  • Meg @ With Salt and Wit
    ♥♥♥♥♥
    says
    September 22, 2015 @ 3:12 pm

    Girl you have way more ambition than me! I would have said see ya to this recipe idea after the 2 or 3rd failed attempt! ha. I just don’t have the patience and ability to solve an unsolvable riddle ;) If you have any tips…I am all ears! Until then I am gonna bake this cake and dive in!

    Reply
  • June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
    September 22, 2015 @ 12:39 pm

    Looks like this was totally worth all that testing! The honey-apple topping looks delicious :)

    Reply
  • Lora @cakeduchess says
    September 22, 2015 @ 12:12 pm

    4 attempts to get it just right…yes, that is perseverance in the name of a great apple cake! You know I’m a huge apple desert fan, so what are you waiting for? Pass me a slice! ;)

    Reply
  • Laura | Petite Allergy Treats says
    September 22, 2015 @ 6:15 am

    Lol, I can SO relate to baking fails, attempted thwarted by being undercooked and just plain oops with measurements. That feeling of satisfaction and relief makes all the time and effort is worth it, right? :D This cake turned out perfect!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Laura | Petite Allergy Treats
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:23 pm

      Haha. Well. Not all the time. ;) I sometimes just get fed up with it and give up. But here?! So, so worth it. Thanks so much for your comment, Laura!

      Reply
  • Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says
    September 22, 2015 @ 5:48 am

    I would take this cake any old time of year. Looks luscious!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Valerie | From Valerie’s Kitchen
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:19 pm

      Same here! And I can’t wait to try other combinations. I actually started last night when I made it for a fifth time. Haha. I really love this cake. :D

      Reply
      • Maja replies to Erin
        September 29, 2019 @ 12:33 am

        I’m excited to make this recipe for tomorrow. Thank you for including it it looks yummy. Since you seem interested in multiculturalism and for your interest I thought I would let you know that it is a tradition not to eat nuts on Rosh Hashanah. The tradition I heard is that you don’t want to have a hard year. Below is some information I gathered for you. Thanks again.

        https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/746604/jewish/Is-it-true-we-dont-eat-nuts-on-Rosh-Hashanah.htm

        Reply
        • Erin replies to Maja
          September 30, 2019 @ 12:07 pm

          Well gosh. I messed that up! Sorry. So many people said that they wanted to make this recipe for the holiday so I thought it was appropriate. Thank you for sharing the link! I hope you’ll enjoy the cake. :)

  • Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
    September 22, 2015 @ 1:59 am

    I appreciate how you’ve posted about all your attempts to get this recipe just right. I looks delicious, and that color of the top (I mean bottom, no top) is amazing!!!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Renee – Kudos Kitchen
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:18 pm

      Haha. Thanks! Hopefully it didn’t sound whiny. I just wanted other people to know that they’re not alone in the baking failure department. ;)

      Reply
  • The Food Hunter says
    September 21, 2015 @ 11:05 pm

    this looks yummy and I love how it came about

    Reply
  • Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
    September 21, 2015 @ 9:05 pm

    I had to come running over when you said it was the best cake you ever had. It looks AWESOME!

    Reply
  • Kelly says
    September 21, 2015 @ 8:16 pm

    This looks awesome! I am SO ready to make some kind of apple dessert and I have been enjoying your posts recently and this will be what I make. This looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Kelly
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:16 pm

      Yes! Out of all the apple cakes I’ve made, this is by far my favorite. That sauce is just irresistible! I really didn’t expect it to be this delicious. I hope you’ll enjoy the cake. :) Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  • Ginny McMeans says
    September 21, 2015 @ 6:31 pm

    I absolutely love your nut top/bottom. This looks perfect and I think would be wonderful with a cup of coffee.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Ginny McMeans
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:14 pm

      That first sentence made me giggle. ;) And thank you! It would be wonderful with a cup of coffee.

      Reply
  • Charlotte Moore
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    says
    September 21, 2015 @ 5:28 pm

    Oh my goodness this looks so wonderful. This is a good recipe to make for the people that are GF in the family. They can’t have chocolate so this is great. Thanks for all your hard work.

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Charlotte Moore
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:14 pm

      My GF treats often involve chocolate so you’re right – this would be great! I hope you’ll try it out for them one day. :) If you want to make it for yourself, white whole wheat works, too!

      Reply
  • Katerina @ Diethood says
    September 21, 2015 @ 4:03 pm

    Yeah, this would definitely be the way I’d want to break my Fast! The cake looks so sweet and moist and amazing!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Katerina @ Diethood
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:12 pm

      Thank you! If I ever fasted, this would definitely be at the top of my list to break the fast with. :D

      Reply
  • Medeja says
    September 21, 2015 @ 3:57 pm

    Apple upside down cake is on my list! And yours looks just fantastic!

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Medeja
      September 22, 2015 @ 2:12 pm

      Thanks! I hope you’ll get a chance to try this one. :)

      Reply
  • Kacey @ The Cookie Writer says
    September 21, 2015 @ 2:55 pm

    I am in love!! I love how it is gluten-free, but seriously, anything that has apples and honey is a win in my books!

    Reply
  • Dustlily
    ♥♥♥♥♥
    says
    September 21, 2015 @ 2:21 pm

    SQUEAL!!!!!!! I can’t wait to make this. I think I have all of the ingredients to get it done today!!! Thanks so much for your hard work so that we can enjoy the fruits (in this case apples) of your labor!!! -Missy

    Reply
    • Erin replies to Dustlily
      September 21, 2015 @ 2:48 pm

      What a nice comment! Thank you. :) I hope you’ll love it as much as we do! And thanks again for all your enthusiasm for this cake! Could you please do me a favor and tell me how long you bake yours for? Just so I can make sure my baking range estimate is correct. I’d really appreciate it!

      Reply

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