Tastes of Autumn

Like I said in my recent Facebook post, with apple harvest season in full swing right now, I really have been craving something "apple." Mostly, apple pie! Unfortunately, I have had very little time for cooking recently. With end of summer activities, kids starting school and extra curricular activities, family visits, sick pets and getting back into a part-time work schedule I haven't had much time to relax and enjoy some of the the "tastes of Autumn."

My parents had come down a couple of weeks ago and gotten a few cases of Gravenstien apples to make some fresh applesauce with. I love the taste of fresh applesauce and we usually get a number of pints from them. So, when I saw in our local Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper a recipe for Honey Applesauce Snack Cake from Melissa d'Arabian, I knew it just might be the taste of Fall I was craving!

With a few adjustments to the recipe and making it gluten free, of course, here is my version:
(for those of you with nut allergies, don't be scared off by the almonds, I will have some substitution suggestions for you!)

Honey Almond Applesauce Cake - 

3/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour (I use mine, but a premixed brand would also work)
1/2 cup almond flour *
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I like to use Kosher and so I use just a bit more)
1/2 tsp binder mix (from my book) or xanthan gum
1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer (if you don't have this, add 1/4 tsp more of baking soda)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened or if sweetened adjust amount of honey to taste)
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
2 Tblsps vegetable/canola oil
1 Tblsp ground flax seed (if desired)

Combine all dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour/spoon into greased cake pan (9" round or small square). Bake at 350°F for about 20-30 min. (depending on the size of the pan). Remove from heat and cool for several minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely. Cover with Lemon Glaze (see below) or dust with powdered sugar.

* For those with nut allergies and unable to use almond flour; you could substitute 1/4 coconut flour for the almond flour. As coconut flour absorbs more liquid you might possibly have to increase the amount of applesauce or add an extra egg. Alternatively, you could simply eliminate the almond flour and increase the amount of all purpose flour to 1 cup, adding 1 Tblsp more at a time till desired consistency is reached (batter should not be too thick!)

Lemon Glaze -

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2  - 2 Tblsps milk or water
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Mix well and drizzle over cooled cake. 
 

 

Enjoy!