Walnut Apple Cake (gluten free)

This post is especially for my friends that have been following my food adventures from the very beginning but have been diagnosed with Celiac disease.

Cooking and baking gluten free often seems very involved for all of us "outsiders" and makes us sweat in advance when a dinner guest waves the gluten free sign. I am just kidding. I have baked and cooked gluten free in the past for friends and didn't find it inconvenient at all.

Yesterday I got approached by a friend who has been on a special diet for several months and she told me that after another consultation with her doctor he advised her to stay of gluten forever. He even mentioned to her scientists have discovered that gluten intolerance appears to be more prevalent among people of Northern European descent. I thought that sounded very interesting.

My family asked me to bake an apple cake today and with my friends in mind and still some gluten free flour in my refrigerator  I made the decision to try to bake a gluten free treat.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous of the cake coming out correctly. Not all gluten free baked goods taste right to me. They often have a very strong almost bitter after taste.

This walnut apple cake was a big hit. A winner recipe!! We couldn't find any difference in taste or texture to my usually baked apple cake in which I use wheat flour. The added sour cream kept it very moist and it got an extra crunch through the toasted walnut topping. Yummy!

Here you go my loyal foodie friends. I really hope you will give this cake a try and enjoy it as much as we did!

Ingredients:

*  1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
*  2 teaspoons cinnamon
*  1 1/2 cups sugar
*  2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices each
*  2 cups (240 g) gluten free flour (Kirsten used Bob's Red Mill)
*  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*  1 teaspoon baking soda
*  3/4 teaspoon xanthum gum
*  1/2 teaspoon salt
*  2 large eggs, at room temperature
*  1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
*  2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*  1/3 cup canola oil


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F Convection. Grease a 9 inch spring pan.

Mix the walnuts, 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking, soda, xanthum gum, and salt. Set aside.

In a kitchen machine set on medium speed beat the eggs and 1 cup of sugar until cream colored and very light. Add the vanilla extract, sour cream and oil. Mix until well combined.

Set your kitchen machine on low speed and add the flour slowly. Don't over mix!

Pour dough into prepared baking pan, place the apples on top, push them into the dough and sprinkle with the walnut sugar mixture.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Adapted from my copy of the book "Gluten-Free Baking Classics".

Oh, before I forget. There is a whole gluten free blogger community out there. Just click on the globe for more info.