This Gooey Apple Cake is gluten and refined sugar free. It gets most of its sweetness and gooeyness from the fruit. It’s a sweet and delicious cake that serves a crowd.
Years ago when I first started to learn how to cook; I made what Paula Dean called gooey cake. This was so long ago that Paula Dean had just started her cooking show, facebook wasn’t a household name and iphone’s hadn’t been invented yet. It was super sweet and amazingly good. However, true to Paula Dean, it contained about a pound of sugar and another pound of butter. I haven’t made it since then because it was just too addicting. I know it’s bad for me but I still crave it. It’s been over a decade and I still think about that cake. That cake was the inspiration for this recipe.
I originally posted this recipe a few years ago, before I had my son, which, was also before I became acutely ill and ultimately started the AIP diet. My original version was lighter on the sugar and dairy/egg free but it was full gluten. I’ve been thinking about gooey cake again and in a botched AIP ‘corn bread’ recipe found my AIP version.
This recipe does use eggs. Eggs are a reintroduction; so please make sure to reintroduce them before you try this dessert.
The true test of an AIP recipe is if your non-AIP peeps love it. After I made this recipe, I handed it out to friends and neighbors. Only one was AIP and everyone was unanimous. It’s delicious!
This cake would taste great served with a glass of my Apple Cider Kombucha (click here for the recipe)!
Gooey Apple Sheet Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup Coconut Flour
- 1 cup Cassava Flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Cream of Tarter
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
- pinch Ground Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 3 Eggs AIP Reintroduction
- 1 cup Coconut Oil or Avocado Oil
- 1 cup Maple Syrup
- 2 cups Applesauce
- 1/2 cup Banana mashed
- 3 Apples 1 peeled and sliced and the other 2 peeled and diced 9 (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl and then stir to combine.
- Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl and ten stir to combine.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Stir to combine.
- Fold the diced apples into the batter.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 glass baking dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.
Nutrition
Hi! Can I add more apple sauce if I can’t do bananas?
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure it would work. Let me know if it works for you. I’m curious and it would be helpful for others to know substitutes. Thanks for commenting.
What size pan is used for this cake?
It’s a 9×13 glass baking dish. I just updated the recipe. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
The ingredients list says vanilla powder (which all seems to contain corn sugar), the link goes to vanilla bean powder which is ridiculously expensive. Any thoughts for what I can use there that is more moderately priced? Maybe reduce the liquid and use vanilla extract instead? I feel a lot more comfortable with the alcohol than the corn sugar…
Yes, the vanilla powder I recommend is expensive but it’s AIP compliant. Other powders like you mention are not. Vanilla extract is not AIP compliant. If you’d like omit the vanilla, you can do so. It may change the flavor slightly but I think it will still taste good. If you’ve been able to reintroduce vanilla extract then it won’t be a problem.
I made this with coconut oil and LOVED it. Then I made it with avocado oil and HATED it. FYI – coconut oil for the win! It was my first time using avocado oil – blech. Right in the garbage. But I’ll definitely make again with coconut. It was divine.
Good to know! Coconut oil for the win!
Is there something to substitute for eggs? I haven’t reintroduced them yet
I haven’t tried the recipe with anything but eggs. I think you could try gelatin eggs but I’m not sure you’d get the same texture. If you try it, please let me know how it goes by leaving another comment. I think other people would appreciate substitution suggestions.
Hello 🙂 is it possible to omit maple syrup, or substitute it somehow? I would like to sweeten it just with the fruits.
Thank you very much!
I haven’t tried it without maple syrup. However, if I were then I’d try adding 1/2 cup more banana and another 1/2 cup of applesauce. Let me know if you try this version. I’m curious to see if it would work out.
Let’s eat is right! Loving this gooey apple cake and the fact that you’ve lightened it up. Trying it very soon 🙂
Let me know how you like it!
Looks super moist and gooey – the perfect cake combination!
It’s not your average cake but it’s delicious!
From the time Beth could reach the stove, she wanted to “cook something different.” This delicious cake is proof of her successful endeavors.
Thanks mom.