This is a traditional French apple cake. It is such an easy recipe but the results are amazing. A lightly rum-based batter filled with chunks of crispy apple then baked to a golden glow… Mmmm need I say more. This apple cake is absolutely worth making plus it’s also super easy and quick to make. Personally I think the longest bit is peeling and dicing the apples. 😉
Some tips for baking this delicious French apple cake:
Use a crisp but firm apple variety for this cake. I find that a Honeycrisp, Pink lady, Fuji or even Granny smith apples will work great in this recipe. These are all excellent choices for baking. You’ll want to avoid any apples that are soft or mealy like Red Delicious of Gala varieties.
Use a spring form cake pan, if this is not possible you can use a normal cake pan. But be sure to grease the pan then line with parchment paper and grease again. The cake tend to stick if you do not properly grease your pan.
This is a freezer friendly cake. After your cake has baked allow it to cool completely. Skip the dusting of the cake. Simply wrap your cake in several layers of clingwrap. Make sure to wrap it tightly and definitely more than once. Then cover the cling wrapped cake in aluminium foil. The cake can now be frozen for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to enjoy your delicious French apple cake, simply remove from the freezer and allow to thaw overnight on top of the kitchen counter. Before serving, you can dust the cake with some icing sugar.
Serve this cake with freshly whipped cream, ice cream, a warm vanilla custard or enjoy as is.
French Apple cake
Ingredients
2 Baking apples, peeled, cored & cut into 2cm blocks.
250ml Flour, all purpose
5ml Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Salt
125ml Butter, at room temperature
160ml Sugar, White granulated. Plus more for sprinkling over the cake before baking
2 Large eggs, at room temperature
5ml Vanilla extract
45ml Dark rum
Icing sugar for dusting the cake after baking (Optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 180ËšC
Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan with butter of non-stick cooking spray. And set aside.
Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Using an electric stand or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take around 4 minutes. Once fluffy add the eggs one at a time making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition. Remember to scrape the sides of your bowl every so often. Add the vanilla essence and rum. It is ok if your mixture appears grainy.
Now add the flour mixture and mix on a low speed until just combined.
Use a rubber spatula and fold in the apple chunks.
Now scrape the batter into your prepared cake pan and even out the top. Sprinkle evenly with around 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake is golden. To check if your cake is ready insert a tooth pick into the centre of the cake. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your cake is done.
Allow your cake to cool off in the pan on a cooling rack.
Once cooled use a blunt knife and run it around the edges of the cake, this will help loosen the cake from the pan. Carefully remove the cake and place on a serving dish.
If you are using the icing sugar, lightly dust your cake using a sieve.
This French apple cake can be served warm or at room temperature with freshly whipped cream, ice cream, a warm vanilla custard or enjoy as is.
Enjoy!
Hungry fore more?
