This incredibly moist upside-down paleo apple cake recipe is made with almond flour, sweetened with honey, and flavored with spices, fresh apples, and apple cider. It's a beautifully rustic cake that's SCD, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
While fall is the perfect season to enjoy this paleo apple cake, it can certainly be made anytime!
The cake is moist, sweet, and spiced to perfection with a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
Sliced apples are arranged to make the beautiful design on the cake, which means there's no need for a frosting!!
This almond flour apple cake makes for a lovely and mouthwatering dessert but can also be enjoyed as an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Almond Flour - I highly suggest using blanched finely ground almond flour. I've had the best results using the Kirkland brand of almond flour that can be found at Costco or Amazon.
Honey - A lighter, sweeter honey such as clover or sourwood works well.
Apple Cider - The only ingredient for the cider should be apples! Do NOT use apple cider vinegar!!!
Apples - I used Granny Smith apples since their tartness helps balance the sweetness of the cake, but if you want to lean into the sweetness, then Honeycrisp or Fuji apples are good choices.
Directions
Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Peel and cut the apples into thin slices.
In a small bowl, stir together the honey, cinnamon, and allspice. Pour the sauce into the cake pan and evenly spread it along the bottom.
Arrange the apple slices along the bottom of the cake pan in whatever design you'd like.
Remember that this is going to end up being the top of your cake, so take your time and make it pretty!
Whisk the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls (photos 1 and 2).
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until well combined. The batter will be thick!
Scrape the batter into the cake pan and gently spread the batter evenly over the apples (photos 3 and 4).
Give the pan a few taps on the counter to help settle the batter.
Place the pan on the center rack of a preheated oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Almond flour tends to brown quickly, so if you notice the top of the cake getting too dark, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking until cooked through.
Allow the apple cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before inverting the cake onto a plate.
Serving suggestions
Feel free to serve the cake warm or you can wait until it has cooled.
This upside-down apple cake recipe is delicious on its own, but a scoop of Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream on a slice of cake is never a bad thing!!
A dollop of Sweet Cashew Cream on each slice is also a tasty option!
How to store the apple cake
Store the upside-down paleo apple cake covered on the kitchen counter for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can enjoy a slice straight from the fridge, but I like to warm mine up for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave before eating.
More easy, healthy apple recipes you'll love!
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below! This is the best way you can help support me and my blog!
Follow me on facebook and instagram . Tag @thehealthierbite and #thehealthierbite so I can see your yummy creations!
Did you know I have a YouTube channel? SUBSCRIBE to watch all of my recipe videos!
NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Recipe
Upside-Down Paleo Apple Cake
Ingredients
Honey Cinnamon Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
Apple Cake
- 2 large Granny Smith Apples peeled and cut into ⅛-inch slices
- 3 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup apple cider at room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil not hot plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey cinnamon sauce ingredients and pour into the prepared cake pan. Use the back of a spoon to gently spread the sauce so it covers the majority of the pan.
- Arrange the apple slices in the pan in whatever design you'd like. Remember that this will end up being the top of your cake, so take your time and make it pretty! Set aside.
- Whisk the dry and wet cake ingredients in separate bowls, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until well combined. The batter will be pretty thick.
- Scrape the batter into the cake pan. Gently and evenly spread the batter over the apples. Tap the pan a few times on your kitchen counter.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- If the cake starts browning too much, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil and continue baking until cooked through.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before gently running a knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a plate over the pan and quickly flip it over. The cake should slide right out.
- Slice and serve the cake either warm or wait until cool. Enjoy!
Lara Randall
Looks so yummy!! Can’t wait to try it! We love all of your recipes. ❤️ I will add though that your website is a little bit harder to navigate with all the pop up ads on it now.