HEALTHY INDULGENCE
Instead of caving to your sugar cravings entirely, why not try making a healthier version of your favorite dessert. That’s what I had in mind when I decided to bake this nutrient-dense teff, apple, and walnut cake. I made it with healthy and wholesome plant-based ingredients, so this cake is vegan (dairy-free and egg-free) and gluten-free. I used only a small amount of coconut sugar as a sweetener.
This one-bowl apple cake will fill your house with the beautiful aroma of apples and spices. A perfect treat to serve with a cup of tea or coffee!
GLUTEN-FREE BAKING WITH TEFF
This cake is made with wholesome ingredients and it’s the perfect guilt-free afternoon treat. The star ingredient is teff flour. Other ingredients include brown rice flour, tapioca flour, Granny Smith apples, almonds, walnuts, raisins, and spices.
SO, WHAT IS TEFF?
I discovered this amazing grain just a few months ago and it has been my favorite ingredient ever since.
It is a fine, ancient grain that originated in and around Ethiopia. It provides a wide variety of health benefits and is a great addition to a healthy diet.
TEFF NUTRITION INFO
Teff is a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, iron, amino acids, vitamin C, and calcium. The calcium content significantly surpasses that of all other grains, so it is very beneficial for the immune system as well as healthy bones.
It contains 20% to 40% resistant starches and has a low glycemic index (GI) rating, which makes it a great choice for diabetics to help manage blood sugar.
100 g teff flour contains:
- Calories: 375
- Fat: 1.5g
- Carbs: 73g
- Protein: 12.5g
TEFF FLOUR – NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE
Teff flour is naturally gluten-free and therefore is a great option for people with Celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities. It is widely known for its versatility, especially in baked goods.
The earthy, slightly nutty, and sweet taste of teff flour pairs best with chocolate. Also, it works exceptionally well when it comes to making cookies.
It is a bit pricey when compared to other flours but it is certainly well worth the investment.
GRANNY SMITH APPLE – BEST APPLE TO BAKE WITH
Granny Smith apple is my go-to apple for any baked or cooked recipe. But I also love eating them on their own. They are tart and flavorful and last a really long time when stored properly.
Did you know that Granny Smith apples are one of the most nutritious types of apples? With a distinct tart flavor, they’re among the lower-sugar fruits you can eat, and they’re loaded with fiber and phytonutrients.
HOW TO MAKE IT
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 180° C. Line a 16 cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
STEP 2
Mix 10 g of ground chia seeds with 50 ml of water. Stir and let it rest for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
STEP 3
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: teff flour, brown rice flour, ground almonds, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, finely chopped walnuts, raisins, baking powder, gingerbread spice mix or cinnamon, and just a pinch of baking soda.
I love gingerbread spice mix and I usually add it to all my desserts. Well, not to all but many. If you don’t like gingerbread spices, use any spice you like: maybe cinnamon or a touch of cardamom.
STEP 4
Add rice milk, coconut oil, and chia mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix it with a hand mixer for a minute or two until all is combined. Adjust sweetness if needed. Mix grated apples into the cake batter. You need to drain apples really well and squeeze out any excess water before adding them or the cake will be too moist.
STEP 5
Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin. Scatter a handful of fresh blueberries on top of the batter. If you don’t have blueberries, you can skip this step.
STEP 6
Bake for approx. 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.
STEP 7
Serving suggestion – >> You can lightly dust it with powdered sugar (I used powdered xylitol). Sprinkle it with finely chopped walnuts.
TEFF APPLE AND WALNUT CAKE IS:
- Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- Flavorful
Thank you for stopping by! If you try this recipe, please let us know what you think in the comments section below. Your feedback means a lot to us! Also, if you post it on Instagram, please tag us with @alltheworldisgreen because we love to see your remakes.
Teff Apple and Walnut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g teff flour
- 50 g brown rice flour
- 50 g almonds ground
- 30 g tapioca flour
- 50-60 g coconut sugar
- 50 g walnuts finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons raisins optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of baking soda
- 10 g ground chia seeds mix with 50 ml of water
- 2 medium Granny Smith apples approx. 200 g (peeled and shredded)
- 50 ml coconut oil
- approx. 200 ml rice milk at room temperature
- gingerbread spice mix or cinnamon to taste
- a handful of blueberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180° C. Line a 16 cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
- Mix 10 g of ground chia seeds with 50 ml of water. Stir and let it rest for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
- In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: teff flour, brown rice flour, ground almonds, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, finely chopped walnuts, raisins, baking powder, gingerbread spice mix or cinnamon and just a pinch of a baking soda.
- Add rice milk, coconut oil, and chia mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer for a minute or two until all is well combined. Adjust sweetness if needed.
- Mix grated apples into the cake batter. You need to drain apples really well and squeeze out any excess water before adding them to the better or the cake will be too moist.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
- Scatter a handful of fresh blueberries on top of the batter (optional).
- Bake for approx. 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down.
- Lightly dust it with powdered sugar or powdered xylitol.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.
* The nutritional information provided is calculated automatically and should be used as an estimate.
14 comments
Can other flour be used can an other nut be used
Hi! Yes, sure, you can use a different type of nut instead of walnuts. Last time I added some cashews. As for the flour, gluten-free baking is not like conventional baking. Different flours may or may not produce the same result so I’m really not sure. I would have to test it first. You could experiment though and let me know how it turns out. Have a great weekend!
Just made this cake minus the blueberries as I’d run out and raisins mainly because I don’t enjoy them in cakes. Would you mind posting a photo of what the consistency of the batter should look like before it goes in the oven? While it tastes lovely, it didn’t rise as much as I thought it would (like your photos) and is a little doughy in the middle despite having been in the oven for 45 minutes. I’ll definitely be making this again, but would love to get the texture right. Thank you!
Hi! Very sorry it didn’t turn out as it should. I test my recipes three times before I publish them. Actually, I think I made this recipe 4 times because my husband loved it. Did you use Granny Smith apples and drained them really, really well? Maybe your apples were very juicy and released a lot of liquid. Or could it be the baking powder you were using? I don’t have the picture of the batter but, as I remember, it was a bit thinner than usual cake batter, but it came out from the oven perfectly baked (I baked it for 40 minutes). I don’t have teff flour at the moment, but as soon as I get it, I will test this recipe again. Also, the cake does rise but not as much as the regular cake with eggs in it. What was the size of your pan? Was it 16 cm? Vegan and gluten-free cakes are often quite difficult to make and sometimes changing only one ingredient could end up being the problem. I wish you a great day!
Thank you for your response! Yes to granny smith and yes to super drained. I think if anything the batter was too thick rather than too thin, and I wasn’t sure how much milk to keep adding as thin batters can be just as disappointing as thick batters. It was an 18inch pan, so that definitely would have made a difference, I’ll try it again in a 16. Like I said, I’m definitely making this again and will try your suggestions. Thank you!! Love your site and will try more of your recipes!
18 inch is huge! I meant 18cm. I also wanted to ask – I’m baking in Bogota at altitude (2,640 metres), do you know if I should adjust temperature/baking times for this? Thank you again!!
I’ve only now realized how altitude can make a significant difference in the outcome of baked goods. Here is an article that I’ve found on high-altitude baking: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking. I honestly had no idea so many adjustments needed to be made on high altitudes. I will definitely have to read more about it. Hope this article can help you. As I see it, you might need to slightly increase the oven temperature.
Thank you so much! Looking forward to trying this, and your other recipes, again.
I made this today. It was delicious! Some changes, just FYI. My cake pan was 24 cm in diameter so I made a double recipe and that worked perfectly. To reduce fat content I omitted the coconut oil. I find rice flour can make cakes a bit sticky so I used oat flour instead. Rather than ground almonds I was able to find almond flour in the stores here. I substituted soy milk for rice milk. Finally, I used only 75% of the recommended sugar. Thanks for a great recipe and website.
Hi, Darius! Thank you so much for your feedback, means a lot. I’m so glad you liked the recipe.
I just made this one. Thank You so much for this recipe.
I substituted rice milk with almond milk, and pecans instead of walnuts (I just didn’t have walnuts at home)
It turned out great, and moist. My husband loves it. and that’s the most important.
Greetz, Linda
That’s great, Linda! Thank you so much for your feedback. I am so glad your husband liked the recipe.
This came out wonderful! I followed the recipe as written but used ground flax and soy milk instead of chia and rice milk. Also made sure to squeeze the apples very well to get rid of excess moisture. The cake was light and spongy, with subtle sweetness from the apples (I omitted the sugar altogether). Terrific crumb for gluten free vegan cake. Thanks so much Nensi, look forward to trying your other recipes! And I love that you don’t rely on store bought all purpose gf flour; i much prefer recipes that blend individual flours together. Thanks again!
That is so awesome to hear Emilye, thanks for the amazing feedback! And thank you so much for sharing your adjustments. I truly appreciate your kind words and support! Much love, Nensi!