Gluten Free Nut-Crusted Toffee Apple Cake Recipe

A scattering of crunchy nuts and sweet toffee make this moist apple cake extra special! Serve with custard, ice cream or enjoy on its own!

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Nut-Crusted Toffee Apple Cake Recipe 

This Nut-Crusted Toffee Apple Cake is like eating a toffee apple but without all the hard work! It's laced with sweet toffee, succulent apples and crunchy nuts. It works well as a dessert with custard or ice cream and I even enjoyed the occasional slice for breakfast with a cup of tea.

The thing that I love most about this cake is how moist it is. It's a lip-smacking, bite-savoring delight. It's easy to make and the fanned apple design is impressive and would look right in place as the centerpiece of a dessert table during the holidays. I used Golden Delicious apples for the cake because they are my favorite eating apple, but you can use whatever variety or mix of varieties you prefer for a slightly different taste and texture.

And to help you get in the holiday spirit, I've got a free Thanksgiving printable for you too! These cute mini food flags will be great dotted around your Thanksgiving tablescape or pushed into lovely autumnal desserts. Or glue them to stripey straws and serve them with your Thanksgiving drinks.

Simply print out, cut out and glue around wooden skewers, cocktail sticks or straws. There are five styles to choose from and five different words/phrases.

Update: This freebie is no longer available for download. 

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Ingredients:

For the toffee apple cake
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter + 2tbsp
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
2 cups gluten free all-purpose/plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp toffee + more
3 medium-sized apples, any variety
chopped walnuts and hazelnuts or other nuts

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Instructions:

Nut-Crusted Toffee Apple Cake Recipe

1. Grease an 8x8 square baking tin and line with greaseproof baking paper. Be sure to allow the paper to hang over the edges of the tin so you can easily remove the cooked cake.
2. Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
3. Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.
4. Add the egg and beat to combine.
5. Add the vanilla to the milk.
6. Add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon to the flour.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg and sugar mixture.
8. Add 1/2 of the milk and vanilla and stir to combine with a wooden spoon.
9. Add another 1/3 of the flour and the remaining milk and vanilla.
10. Stir to incorporate, but do not fully combine.
11. Add the remaining flour and stir all until thoroughly combined.
12. Squeeze in about 3 tablespoons of the toffee and stir through.
13. Wash, peel and core the apples, cutting 1 into large-sized chunks.
14. Pour 1/2 of the batter into the tin. (Note: this is a thick batter; you may have to tap the tin to settle it.)
15. Sprinkle the cut apple over the surface along with a handful of chopped mixed nuts.
16. Pour the remaining batter over the top, smoothing it out with the wooden spoon, if necessary.
17. Cut the remaining apples into half and cut a series of slices into each apple halve, being sure not to cut through completely.  
18. Push each apple half into the batter, arranging the apples however you'd like.
19. Drizzle toffee on the top layer of the batter, taking care not to drizzle any on the apples.
20. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the toffee so that no batter or toffee is visible.
21. Bake about 50 minutes to an hour or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Want those mini food flags? Click the image to download them!

Gotta have desserts? Grab a spoon and dig in: 

 White Chocolate Maple Caramel Eclairs with Orange & Star Anise Cream & Chipped Almonds

Blueberry & Fig Tarte Tatin

 Spiced Nut Brownie Cake