A small Apple Maple Upside down cake -- vegan, gluten free, grain free, delicious

For some people, apples might always make them think of forbidden fruit and the Garden of Eden. For me, apples are comfort. Apples are ordinary. Apples are accessible, available, friendly, and always just what I want. There is a reason why some of our favourite dishes involve apples. Apples, fresh and just cut into slices. Apples cut into cubes and baked in a dutch oven with vanilla and cinnamon. Apples baked into upside down cake. This upside down cake is so pretty, and tasty in that 'person next door' way. Not flashy. Comforting.

This recipe uses a  mix of flours because yes I'm crazy.  It's a great mix of flours that is really good for you, and also makes a beautiful cake. It's moist, gluten free, grain free, and really really good.  If you are looking for nut free, I recommend swapping out the raw almond flour for sunflower seed flour. That's one of our go-tos and is just great. I make my own raw sunflower seed flour by grinding raw sunflower seeds in my small seed/coffee grinder. Makes a delicate, lovely flour. Just right for baking.

This is from the bigger cake I made back in November, but you get the idea of  how it works!!

equipment needed:

mixing bowls

mixing spoons

measuring cups

measuring spoons

grinder for chia seeds and sunflower seeds (if you are using sunflower seeds)

kettle to heat the water

baking parchment

small round baking pan (8 inches)

knife and cutting board for apples

ingredients:

A.
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
(1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)

B.
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 cup raw almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup ground chia seed
2 tbsp coconut sugar

C.
1/4 tsp sea salt (1/2 tsp sea salt)
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean


D.
1 apple diced -- (2 apples diced if small! -- depends on the size! Don't skimp on the apples for this cake)




----
E.
1 tbsp coconut sugar
2 apples, sliced
1 tbsp coconut sugar



directions:

preheat the oven to 345

1. combine dry ingredients (B and C)
2. combine water, maple syrup, and coconut oil, and let melt. Add vanilla extract and lemon juice/apple cider vinegar (A)
3. cut 1 apple into small dices (D)
4. slice 2 apples into slices -- don't go paper thin. Make 'em generous. This will be the crowning glory for your cake. (E)
5. line a small round pan with parchment and oil generously with coconut oil
6. sprinkle the parchment with 1 tbsp coconut sugar
7. line the parchment with spirals of apple slices
8. sprinkle the apple slices with 1 tbsp coconut sugar
9. combine the  dry and wet ingredients, and stir thoroughly
10. stir in the apple chunks
11. pour the batter over the apple spirals in the bottom of the pan
12. tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter into the apples and smooth the top a little
13. bake at 345 for 45 minutes
14. cool
15. invert onto a plate
16. remove the parchment