this honey and date-sweetened cake was created with fall weather and Rosh Hashanah in mind, but is still appropriate any time of the year.
Super excited to get this recipe out to you all just in time for Rosh Hashanah festivities (I hope!). This apple cinnamon cake went through quite the testing process as I couldn’t get it just right, but alas, I accomplished my goal – it’s an apple cake loaded with apple bits and heavy on the cinnamon, made with coconut flour, topped with more apples and some crumbly-crunchy nuts, aka everything you (or I) could ask for in a cake!
Not only that, it’s here just in time for fall too, so if you’re not celebrating any Jewish holidays, you can still safely make this cake! I am writing this blog post from a comfy cottage up north, a cold and wet day with the view of a calm lake in front of me, and thus, feeling all the fall vibes. The final days of summer are officially winding down, despite the fact that the fall mood started taking over our collective timelines months (?) ago. That’s one thing I have a hate-love relationship with – as much as I love the fall season (it has always been my favourite!) I’ve always hated how early Halloween-themed things are put on display across stores, and of course now, across the internet. As a recipe creator, I try to hold off a bit before jumping right into fall recipes lol.
That being said, ’tis the time. The weather is getting colder and the treats must get warmer, and more cinnamon-y, for lack of a better description. I do have a smaller apple cake recipe on my site that does share certain similarities with this new one, however, this one is bigger (aka feeds more people) and has the addition of dates to balance out the sweetness factor.
Given the fact that apples and honey are central to any Rosh Hashanah dinner, and apple cake is often a staple dessert, I did make this cake with the specific intention of bringing it to dinner on Sunday. However, I may have already devoured most of it, and will likely have to re-make it. It’s perfect for snacking, for having warmed up with your morning coffee (and perhaps even a slab of butter if you’re feeling frisky, or a bit of yogurt), or add it to your dessert menu. While it’s delicious warm, especially if you heat it up a bit in the oven, you can also serve it cold and it’ll hold together and taste amazing regardless.
Find the full recipe and instructions below. Drop me a comment or review below if you try making this grain free apple cinnamon cake, I’d love to know what you think! Follow me on IG for more daily grain free inspo @grainfreee.
A few more recipes if you’re looking for some more amazing apple-themed dessert ideas:
apple cinnamon cake: ingredients
apple cinnamon cake
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ½ cup pitted & softened dates
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- 6 eggs
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
topping
- 1 apple, sliced
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp honey, divided (1 for nuts, 1 for cake topping)
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
apple cinnamon cake: how to
apple cinnamon cake
- start by throwing all the dry ingredients in the food processor, before adding the softened dates (they should be extremely soft, you can boil them for a few minutes in hot water to do so), honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. mix well on high speed.
- add in the eggs, and continue to mix, until everything is well combined. allow to sit for five minutes.
- remove the blade from the food processor and fold in the apple pieces.
- in a 9×13 (approx) baking tin, lined with parchment paper, place the batter and spread it out in the pan, evenly.
- bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes. while it’s baking, prepare your topping.
topping
- mix the chopped nuts in a small bowl with the cinnamon and honey, until well-coated.
- in a skillet over medium-low heat, add your butter or coconut oil, and place your chopped nuts, cooking until fragrant. remove from pan and set aside and add the sliced apples to the pan.
- cook the apples until soft, feel free to sprinkle with a bit of extra cinnamon as well. once softened, remove from pan and set aside to place on the cake.
- once the cake is out of the oven, warm up the remaining 1 tbsp of honey in the microwave for 10 seconds, until liquid-y.
- using a spatula, spread the liquid honey gently across the cake to allow the apples and nuts to stick better to the top of the cake.
- now, place the apples in even rows across the cake (i was able to do four rows, six columns of apple slices). sprinkle the nuts atop everything.
- allow the cake to cool completely before slicing, using the apple slices as a guide of where to slice (i.e., every two apple slices = one piece of cake!). serve warm or cold.
apple cinnamon cake
Ingredients
apple cinnamon cake
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ½ cup pitted & softened dates
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup coconut oil
- 6 eggs
- 1 + ½ tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
topping
- 1 apple, sliced
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp honey, divided (1 for nuts, 1 for cake topping)
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
Instructions
apple cinnamon cake
- start by throwing all the dry ingredients in the food processor, before adding the softened dates (they should be extremely soft, you can boil them for a few minutes in hot water to do so), honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. mix well on high speed.
- add in the eggs, and continue to mix, until everything is well combined. allow to sit for five minutes.
- remove the blade from the food processor and fold in the apple pieces.
- in a 9×13 (approx) baking tin, lined with parchment paper, place the batter and spread it out in the pan, evenly.
- bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes. while it's baking, prepare your topping.
topping
- mix the chopped nuts in a small bowl with the cinnamon and honey, until well-coated.
- in a skillet over medium-low heat, add your butter or coconut oil, and place your chopped nuts, cooking until fragrant. remove from pan and set aside and add the sliced apples to the pan.
- cook the apples until soft, feel free to sprinkle with a bit of extra cinnamon as well. once softened, remove from pan and set aside to place on the cake.
- once the cake is out of the oven, warm up the remaining 1 tbsp of honey in the microwave for 10 seconds, until liquid-y.
- using a spatula, spread the liquid honey gently across the cake to allow the apples and nuts to stick better to the top of the cake.
- now, place the apples in even rows across the cake (i was able to do four rows, six columns of apple slices). sprinkle the nuts atop everything.
- allow the cake to cool completely before slicing, using the apple slices as a guide of where to slice (i.e., every two apple slices = one piece of cake!). serve warm or cold.