We hosted a pre-Thanksgiving brunch at our house a few weeks ago with some of our dear friends and my parents. It was such a great time of fellowship for the adults, and play time for all of the kiddos Having a brunch is a nice change to the usual dinner party, and truth be told, breakfast is one of my favorite meals! The brunch spread was delicious that day. Everyone brought a little something to share, but since myself and my neighbor are both on a modified version of SCD, I decided to make a few SCD friendly items to make sure we had something to eat. I made an oven-baked omelet with Gruyere and ham and this Apple Spice Coffee Cake.
The cake is both Paleo and SCD legal. The first time I made it I was in a hurry and reverted to the old glaze recipe we used growing up of powdered sugar and water, but now that I've made it a few more times I decided to come up with a refined sugar free glaze.
It's really easy to make, and pretty difficult to screw up. If you find it's too runny, add a little more coconut cream or simply stick in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to help the oil solidify. If it's too thick, run the bottom of the blender under some hot water for a few minutes to make the oil liquify a little more. Also – make sure your cake is completely cooled before drizzling the glaze on. If you don't, the oil in the glaze will melt and the cake will just absorb the glaze instead of it hardening on top. You can even chill the cake first if you'd like to make the glaze really harden.
Kristen Maier
Yum! I am not gluten-free, but I still want to try it!
Chris
Definitely going to try this on the weekend! The SCD version with the warm honey in lieu of frosting.
Against All Grain
It’s just as good! I’ve made it both ways, but 3/4 of my guests are wheat and sugar eating folks, so I decided not to completely deprive them. 🙂
Erin
I just discovered your blog thanks to another blog that linked you. My brother has been diagnosed with IDB and it was recommended that he follow the SCD Diet. Thank you sooooo much for your recipes! They look like real food that he will enjoy eating… rather than the plain chicken breast and romaine lettuce he’s been eating.
Against All Grain
Hi Erin- I’m glad you found me! Feeling like I was going to have to eat cardboard for the rest of my life was the hardest part for me making the change. That’s why I’ve started this blog and dedicated my time to making recipes that will make people feel alive and not deprived of their favorite foods.
stacy
My son is gluten free and I am grain free – loving your site with such wonderful recipes. I had a question on this recipe. Can you substitute stevia for the honey? Might not work at all since the honey is sticky and adds liquid, but we are trying to cut down our sugar in even the accepted Paleo forms like honey. Thank you so much – he is going to love this recipe.
Against All Grain
Thanks Stacy – I haven’t ever baked with stevia as I only use honey and maple syrup, so I’m not sure how it would substitute. I’m sure the liquid would be a factor, so maybe try adding a little almond milk or even water to moisten the dough a bit. Please come back and let us know how it turned out!
Against All Grain
Just another thought too- maybe try date paste?
Jami
Wow! This cake is absolutely amazing. I am on SCD, so I did not use the frosting, but it really doesn’t need it. Simply amazing! 🙂
Against All Grain
thanks Jami! I actually just came up with an SCD legal glaze/frosting for it, so stay tuned!
Di
I found this mixture quite dry, was not able to ‘pour’ it. Is it suppose to be more liquid so it can be poured? I actually used unsweetened pie apples in the base and placed mixture on top. Served as a dessert, looked great with the apples on top after inverting pan!!
Against All Grain
It shouldn’t be dry, but it is definitely thick. What kind of almond flour did you use? Did it turn out after you baked it? I love the idea of the inverted apples on top!
Di
When you asked ‘What kind of Almond Flour did I use’ do you mean what brand? It was just Blanched Almond flour/meal from a health food store. Maybe it was not ‘fine’ ground enough! The mixture was thick and dry enough to roll into balls. Should it be that consistency? Otherwise it turned out great!
Against All Grain
Yeah I meant what brand, but more specifically was it blanched with the skins removed? If it was bob’s red mill that may be why it turned out so dry. Their grain is much more coarse than that of Honeyville or DigestiveWellness. You can pulse it a few times in your food processor blender to get it a little finer. I made it this morning actually because I’ve had a couple of people as me the same thing and it definitely wasn’t dry enough to roll into balls, but takes a spatula to get it from the mixing bowl to the baking dish. I took a few more photos this morning to try to show the consistency better so I’ll be posting those tomorrow. My eggs were on the smaller side today so I did 3 eggs instead of 2. I’ll make a note in there that it should be 2 large eggs or 3 small. That could have something to do with it too. I’m glad it baked ok though and tasted good for you! I created an SCD legal glaze for the top this morning, so stay tuned for that as well!
Di
Thanks for getting back to me. Not Bob’s Red Mill, kind of a ‘generic’ brand here in Australia. Did not have the skins in. Looking forward to the new photo’s on the recipe when you get them up. I’m going to try it again next week and see how it goes. Might try it with another egg as I think my eggs may have been on the smaller side too. Thanks!
Sarah Jane @ The Fit Cookie
This looks really good! I need to try this recipe out. I can’t have eggs, so I may have to use chia meal instead.
Against All Grain
Please let us know how it turns out with the chia! I use flax in a lot of my recipes as an egg sub but haven’t tried it with this one yet.
Leah
I tried this and like Di had no luck – consistency was all wrong taking eggs and fine flour into account….it fell apart and i was unable to serve it….a bit disappointing as it just looks so delicious….I may need to try again with different almond flour.
Against All Grain
Hi Leah – I’m so confused why this has happened to two people now. I’ve made this cake dozens of time following the exact recipe and have never had a problem! What kind of flour did you use? I know if you Bob’s red mill you would probably need to use more because the Honeyville or Digestive Wellness is very fine and packs down harder. I’m so sorry you were unable to serve it! Was it too dry and that’s why it fell apart or too moist?
Leah
It was food lovers brand which is a brand we get down here in Tasmania, Australia. Its designed for cooking and Ive made lots of cakes (from paleo to french macarons) with it and never had a problem. It was moist in the middle but just seemed to fall apart, yet it was dry on the outside and the skewer came out clean. I will try again with another brand, as I said it looks so nice I would love to be able to get this right!
Against All Grain
Hmm I can’t find info on google about Food Lovers. Is it blanched and really finely ground? The kind I often use here is called Honeyville and it’s from blanched almonds with the skins removed and is almost like powder. If yours is a little coarse, try running it through a food processor then measuring it out from there. I’ll try to make it again soon just so I can see if there’s anywhere it could have gone wrong.
tammy
how much apples is half a pound?
Danielle
Four medium apples are about one pound – half a pound would be two.
Di
I just saw Leah’s post about how her cake turned out. I also just realised that I have not posted here again since making this yummy cake twice since my last posting. Much better result second and third time. I used 3x eggs (at room temp), and making sure the coconut oil and honey were quite warm (not hot) when mixed with the egg. So no chance for the oil to solidify before it was completely mixed in. I have used Blanched Almond Meal/flour from a health food store and from our local nut retailer at the market. They are probably not quite as fine as the Honeyville brand but I think using the 3 eggs made a huge difference. Thanks
Debbie
Hi! I’m planning on making this on Sunday… It looks amazing! Can you tell me if you used a 8 or a 9 inch round pan? Thank you!
Against All Grain
I used a 9inch!
Debbie
Thank you! the cake turned out amazing! There was only four if us and we ate it all:)! Great flavor! I think I will try it next week with peaches and use maple syrup instead of the honey. Today for the glaze I used maple syrup and it was awesome…..so much flavor! Haha….I was in a hurry and didn’t let the cake cool long enough….so it fell apart…..but I just put it in a pretty bowl and drizzled the glaze over! No one knew any better!
Chris
Hi,
This looks so delicious…just started paleo and have been looking for “paleo friendly” cakes. I’m also allergic to almonds. Can I use coconut flour in place of the almond flour? Thanks!
Against All Grain
Coconut and Almond Flours can’t be substituted 1:1 but you can try to play around with the amounts. Coconut absorbs a lot of liquid so you’ll need less and may need to add more eggs.
Hilary
Been baking for 25 minutes now. It’s still quite runny in the center (jiggles when the pan is bumped). Why might this be? The almond flour was a fine grind. 🙁
Hilary
Updating, the cake fell in the center after being baked for 30 mins. This is also where most of the cinnamon drizzle was. I think less oil in the drizzle would help a lot next time. Very tasty cake otherwise!
Maria
I make this all the time! It’s my favorite. I have learned to push the batter down to make the center a little lower than the sides. It cooks perfect and levels out. That’s been my trick!
Christina
Hello! First off, I love your blog! I tried this recipe this morning and mine turned out pretty good! Like you said, fool proof. Mine took quite a bit longer to cook though. The edges were a little burnt. I think it’s because I had to bake it in a square glass dish instead of a cake pan. Could that be it? Either way, it was delicious! Thank you!
Against All Grain
Hi Christina – yes, glass bakes unevenly and often burns the edges. Glad it turned out otherwise!
Anne
Made this today. Used honeyville almond flour and room temp eggs.
My did not cook in the middle either so disappointed. Scooped out the
Uncooked middle and put in muffin cups, don’t hold out much hope
But too many expensive ingredients to give up
Anne
They cooked a little more in the muffin cups, etable at least.
The flavors are so good maybe I’ll attempt another day as muffins instead.
Karen Pinco
Made this for visiting non-paleo inlaws this week. They loved it. I loved it.
Wonderful recipe!!!
Thank you
Against All Grain
This is great to hear, I’m so glad it was a hit over at your home!
Johanne
My cake came out wonderful , I only used 2 eggs, and I lines a square glass baking dish with apples and mixed chopped apples into the batter. The batter was moist but thick and spreadable.
The Almond flour bland that i used was JK Gourmet – Very Finely Ground
I baked it at 350 for 40 minutes
Against All Grain
So glad it came out well for you!
Cheryl
Hi there! Just read all of the comments and am planning on making this for Thanksgiving. Just curious, was the size of the baking pan you used 9 inches? I’m thinking if I use the same size/type/shape baking pan, that the directions should produce exactly what you came out with. Also, I’m using Honeyville so I’ve already got the ingredients to match 🙂
Cheryl
Also, I don’t know where I’d find unfiltered apple juice. Could I make the glaze without it, or by substituting something else? Thanks!
Against All Grain
Hey Cheryl – yes I used a 9inch pan. Happy Thanksgiving!
Gloria
I just made this and it turned out really great! Thank you for your amazing recipes 🙂
Denise
This came out so good! In the directions it does not mention adding the cinnamon and cardamon. I almost forgot to add them. Other than that I was extremely happy with this recipe. Thanks for so many great treats. My kids and I are finally eating desserts!
Against All Grain
Thank you! I’ll make sure to edit that
Denise
Thank again 🙂 love this site
Cheryl
Just wanted to come back and say that I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! I used granny smith apples (couldn’t find gala), left out the cardamom which I didn’t have, and it was so delicious that everyone raved about it! I used Honeyville almond flour and a 9-inch cake pan- I had to cook it a little longer than your recipe– about 10 mins. longer or so– but it came out PERFECT! Thank you!
D'Ann
This looks luscious, and I plan t make it for Christmas. I just wish you’d get rid of the gray background and gray text. It is hard to read if I do a copy and paste, and if I print it from your print icon, it takes SIX pages!!!! without the ability to edit. Please consider changing the way you post recipes so they can be printed. I can’t take my desktop computer to the kitchen and I’ll bet others have this issue as well. Thank you.
Against All Grain
I’d love to add a better print feature but can’t afford the development fees to do so. Please be gracious for what is given to you for free and make due for now. Maybe if my book sales do well I can add it 🙂
Denise
@ Danielle. You are truly an angel for coming up with these recipes and sharing them. Living on a Paleo diet with a 3 and 5 yr old isn’t easy but it’s much easier than someone who has older kids. trying to get them on a healthier diet than they were previously on. My kids don’t know any other way to eat. I feel so blessed that we found such great desserts now. Thanks again 🙂
D'Ann
Hi, believe me, I LOVE your recipes.
I thought I’d add an update re. printing. I copied and pasted the recipe into Word (don’t know if this will work in other word processors or not). I deleted what wasn’t necessary, reduced the size of the photo by clicking on it (may be a right-click?) and then dragging the corner in. Then I highlighted all the text and set the text color to black (that changed the gray to black) and then changed the background color to “none”, i.e., white. Printed up just fine after these changes, and once I figured out how to do it, it took only a few minutes. Now I had a black printed recipe on one page. 😉
Thanks for all your recipes. Most of them fit into my eating plan.
Denise
Too funny that you mentioned that. I was making this recipe for Thanksgiving and my mom was over. She told me my printer was running low on ink. I told her that was how these recipes print, very light.
Ps…this recipe is luscious! Just don’t forget the cinnamon and cardamom, they aren’t listed in the directions 🙂
Caroline
I made this yesterday for New Year’s Day brunch, along with using your coconut crepe/tortilla recipe to make blintzes… I had to cook this cake more than 10 minutes longer (I have an oven thermometer, it was accurate). Thought others should know. I’m in SF, it is a viking range.
I also think I might like it better with palm sugar, or with apricots chopped up into it instead of apples, more like a sticky toffee pudding cake, in a way. I felt it could have been sweeter and the glaze didn’t help much with that.
ginny
I just made this. Flavors are extraordinary! The problem is not the batter – the cinnamon swirl that you put into the batter makes the center too wet and that’s why it won’t get done. I cooked mine for 45 min. at 350 and it was still not set in the center. So…next time I’m going to use half the cinnamon swirl – drizzle it through the batter and then bake. Then when I take the cake out and flip it – then…I’m going to drizzle with the remaining swirl mixture. I may or may not use the glaze. The flavor is over the moon. By the way – this tastes just like a “Cinnamon Toastie” that Baby Cakes – Erin, makes in NYC. I tried to make it once and it was a big flop. Thrilled to make it myself – your recipe is so cinnamon! LOVE
Anne
I wish I had read this before I made the cake, because it just fell apart! Otherwise it tastes super.
Cyndie
There are two issues that could be causing problems that no one else has mentioned and that is oven temp and the moisture from the apples. Depending on the time of year apples have different moisture content even in the same variety. Early in apple season apples have more juice later when purchasing in the store you may be getting a drier apple as longer cold storage affects the moisture content of the apple. Try cutting your apples in small dice rather than big chunks. Secondly check your oven temp with an oven safe thermometer (very inexpensive) Just because you set the temp at 350 doesn’t mean that is what your oven really heats to. Oven temp can vary greatly. My moms old gas stove was about 25 deg off! Most ovens don’t vary that much but it can happen.
Debi
This is very tasty……love using my cardamon, don’t have a lot of recipes with that in it. I used coconut manna in place of the coconut cream for the icing and it was wonderful. Will definately make again, thanks for the recipe! My husband and I are both on GAPS.
Cathy H
My daughter is allergic to eggs. Does anyone know if chia or flax can be used here? My luck with flax has been… sporadic.
And yes, I am truly enjoying your blog! 🙂
Against All Grain
They will work, but the consistency and rise will be affected.
Daniela
When I substitude for eggs I do 3 tablespoons of applesauce for each egg required and add some baking soda so it will have the chance to rise bettwr
Natalie Fecht
Did anyone have success substituting for the eggs?
Jennifer
Do you think I could substitute strained yogurt for the coconut cream to make the glaze?
Against All Grain
I’ve never tried it, but it’s worth a shot! If you do it, let me know how it works out 🙂
Lisa Whitaker
Do not hesitate, make this right away! It is incredible and by far the best coffee cake you will ever eat!
Kasia
Is it possible to reduce eggs from 3 to 2? Or reduce amount of oil? BTW. I’ve already done it, and it’s delicious. Yummy – in Polish mniam mniam 🙂
Sophia
Thanks for making Paleo so delicious!!
Ginger
I made this cake to take to a morning coffee with a bunch of non-Paleo women yesterday. It was a huge hit and devoured with some going back for seconds! I had to substitute 1/8 cup of coconut flour for the almond flour however, as I only had 2 cups left of almond flour. Also I used Honeycrisp apples as they are my favorite and it’s what I had on hand.
Rhonda Harris
I have made this and it is DELICIOUS! I did add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup cranberries to mine.
Samantha
Great recipe! I subbed grated apple (with skin) because my family doesn’t like chunks, and baked in a springform. Delicious! My picky kids and pickier husband all loved it.
Jannelle
First time to post, but have your book (Against all grain) and enjoy your emails with new recipes. I made this recipe this last weekend, but I made them into large breakfast muffins with no icing to store for the week for breakfast. They did not last past the first day. Between visiting neighbors and family, husband, and myself these were gone before the day set. What was amazing is there was no missing flavor and no one could tell that they were a Paleo style muffin. This will be a go to item for brunches for great taste and easibility. Thank you for the great recipe.
Ruth
I don’t see coffee anywhere in the recipe?
sarah
coffee cake is just what they call this type of cake because it’s traditionally was eaten while drinking coffee. It doesn’t literally have coffee in it.
Elizabethann Roach
I made this cake and It was gone in 24 hours!!
Danielle from Seattle
Danielle you are my hero! I am less than two weeks in to my SCD diet and today was a hard day. I started thinking about all the baked goods I could never eat again (if I want to keep my Crohns at bay that is) and thinking there was no way I could do this for life! I jumped on your blog found this amazing recipe and it satisfied every need for bakery goodness that I was craving! Thank you thank you thank you!
Jill
can i substitute butter for the coconut oil in this recipe? my son hates the taste of coconut.
Derber
Just wondering what size pan you used? In the pic where you are swirling it looks like a square pan but in the finished pic it looks round. I used a 9″ round and it overflowed. It took 45″ to cook. The look and smell are amazing. I can hardly wait for it to cool before i dig in! Thank you for all your hard work on your awesome recipes and for being gracious enough to share them with us! It is much appreciated.
brett
I love this cake! I live at altitude and it came out perfectly. Used applesauce to sweeten..Thanks Danielle! Great talk in Denver!
Rachel Anderson
I’ve made this twice so far with no issues. I use Wellbee’s brand fine almond flour and bake it for 25 minutes. I sub the honey for Splenda since I cannot have honey, add a couple tablespoons of water to compensate for the moisture loss. Thanks for another great recipe!
Danielle
Thanks Rachel 🙂
Kim Rhyne
What can you substitute for the flour if you can’t have almond?
Danielle
Cashew or finely ground Sunflower Seed Flour
Bianca
Is there an almond milk on the market that doesn’t have any additives or gum added? I’m having a real hard time finding it.
Danielle
The brand Malk doesn’t have any additives or gum added
Danielle
Yes!
Annette Kastner
A half pound apples before or after peeling & coring? Thank you!
Danielle
Before!
Eleni
Made this today and it may be the best SCD friendly cake recipe i’ve found to date! I did find that at 25 minutes it was still very wet in the middle and starting to catch on the top, so I put some foil over it and reduced the heat to 160 Celsius (fan oven) and left it in for another 15 minutes or so. But it was absolutely delicious – tastes like cinnamon buns!
Danielle
Thank you so much for this review and baking tip!
Felice
I want to make this! How can I substitute for Baking Soda? I can’t eat baking soda!
Danielle
Hi! You can use baking powder – just multiply the amount by x3 the amount called for baking soda. Enjoy!