When it comes to fall baking, apples are a recurring character in many of our favorite recipes. When we’re looking for a simple but impressive cake recipe that couldn’t be easier to make, we turn to this French apple cake. It doesn’t require any baking prowess or special skills, and is perfect for practically any occasion. A special occasion dessert? An afternoon snack? A fall brunch treat? French apple cake is the answer. It truly is one of the easiest cakes we’ve ever made, but don’t let that fool you: It‘s also one of the best cakes we’ve ever had. Here’s everything you need to know:
What is a French apple cake?
This traditional French dessert starts with a simple rum cake batter that’s then filled with chunks of apple, ensuring every bite will be extra flavorful and moist. It’s got an almost custard-like texture, and a sugary, crunchy topping for the cherry on top to this easy dessert.
The best apples for an apple cake:
We’re big fans of baking with tart and sweet apples like Granny Smiths or Honeycrisps, but go with whatever you’ve got on hand (except for maybe Red Delicious, those are always kind of a bummer).
The rum.
Where you will want to be more particular in this recipe is with the dark rum that you choose. Its flavor will be prominent in this cake, so it’s worth it to use the good stuff here. Choose your favorite, or consult our list of our favorite rums!
Variations.
We kept our cake very simple, as is traditional, but feel free to add some warming spices to your version. Cinnamon is always a winner, and we think nutmeg or cardamom could be nice here as well. This cake is lovely all on its own, but if you want to make it extra celebratory (and decadent), try serving with fresh whipped cream or ice cream too.
Have you made this yet? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
- 3/4 c. plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
- 3 tbsp. dark rum
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 medium sweet-tart apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and chopped
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350° with a rack in the middle position; lightly coat an
8” round cake pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together
flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2
In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy. Add melted butter, 3/4
cup sugar, rum, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients
and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until evenly
incorporated. Fold in apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle
top with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
Step 3
Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yields: 8 Servings Prep Time: 15 mins. Total Time: 1 hr. 30 mins. Cal/Serv: 336
Photo: Joel Goldberg; Food Styling: Hadley Sui