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This easy recipe for a classic French apple cake brings together tender apples and a hint of rum for a dessert that’s both simple to make and elegant to serve. Practically a cross between a custard, a pie, and a cake, this recipe has a unique texture and rich flavor.
Traditional French Apple Cake
This French apple cake is a classic example of simple French baking at its best—elegant yet unfussy, with a focus on fresh ingredients.
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s book, Around My French Table, we’ve made a few tweaks to the original recipe to fit a larger pan. After all, who can resist a second slice? This apple cake is definitely a favorite in our home.
If you like this recipe, you will also love our Jewish apple cake and our Caramel apple cake. You might also like our applesauce coffee cake.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
Better with Age: Like a fine wine, this cake gets even better after a day in the fridge. The flavors meld together, and the cake becomes even more moist and delicious.
No Mixer Needed: This recipe comes together with just a whisk and a bowl. Your arm gets a little workout, and you save time on cleanup—win-win!
Rum Twist: A splash of rum adds a subtle depth of flavor that takes this apple cake to the next level.
Foolproof and Versatile: This recipe is hard to mess up. Plus, it’s perfect for any occasion—from a casual afternoon snack to an impressive dessert for guests.
What Is French Apple Cake?
French apple cake is a classic French dessert that is more of a custard-like cake. It is filled with apples and blended with just enough binding ingredients to hold this cake together.
Imagine the perfect marriage of a custard, a pie, and a cake all in one dessert – that’s what a this recipe brings to the table. It combines the best of these three worlds with a custardy center and a tender, cake-like texture.
Apples and a Few Pantry Ingredients
The main ingredient is, of course, apples but there isn’t anything complicated in this French apple cake. There are only eight other ingredients and I’m sure you have them all.
- Produce: Apples
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pure vanilla extract
- Fridge: Butter
- Other: Rum
Choose apples that work well for baking. I like to mix tart apples with a sweet apple.
No unusual ingredients here! If you do any baking at all, you should have all these ingredients. Well, maybe the rum, but if you don’t want to add any alcohol then you can use rum extract or just skip it altogether.
How To Make the Recipe
Don’t let French cuisine or from-scratch baking intimidate you. This will be the easiest dessert you will ever bake.
We’ve listed out the basic instructions below to give you an idea of how easy it is to make this buttery traditional French cake recipe!
Note: Make sure not to skip the full printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. There, you’ll find all of the ingredient amounts and details you’ll need.
Before you start cooking anything, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter (alternately line it with parchment paper which will make the apple cake very easy to remove).
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Slice the apples.
- Whisk the eggs until foamy, then add the sugar, rum, and vanilla.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients and melted butter into the wet mixture.
- Fold in the apples, pour the batter into the pan and bake.
Helpful Tips
- Choose a mix of apple varieties to achieve a more complex flavor profile. Combining sweet and tart apples will give the cake a balanced flavor.
- When slicing the apples, cut them to a uniform thickness. This ensures that they cook evenly. I love using the apple peeler and corer pictured in the photos above.
- Whether greasing with butter or using parchment paper, make sure the pan is well-prepped to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Make sure the cake cools completely before refrigerating it. This prevents condensation from forming inside the container and making the apple cake overly moist.
- For the best texture and flavor, choose apples that are crisp and firm. Toss out the soft mealy apples or use them for applesauce.
Which Apples Work Best In this Recipe?
I must say that this is more ‘apple’ than ‘cake’ and your selection of apples will determine the final flavor of the cake more than anything. As the original recipe suggests, I have used a variety of apples.
For this specific recipe, I used Granny Smith apples, Braeburn apples, and Honey Crisp apples. These hold up really well when cooked and don’t turn into a mushy mess. A few other suggestions for baking apples are: Mutsu, Pink Lady, Jonagolds, Winesap, and Cortland apples.
Creative Cake Recipes: Tasty Variations
These variations on our French apple cake recipe are fun and delicious. From adding a nutty streusel to spiced apple and cranberry blends, these cakes will top your list of go-to desserts.
- Nutty Apple Streusel Cake: Add a layer of cinnamon-spiced streusel on top of the cake batter before baking.
- Spiced Apple and Cranberry Cake: Add 1 cup of fresh cranberries and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake batter.
- Apple and Pear Duo Cake: Instead of using all apples, use a mix of apples and ripe pears (about 3 apples and 3 pears).
Storage Tips
You can store this French apple cake for 3-5 days if it stays covered properly in the fridge and stored in an airtight container. The cake will taste even better the next day after the flavors have time to intensify!
Make certain to let the cake cool off completely before you store it. If it is still warm when you cover it, then the condensation will build up and make the cake pretty wet.
Can I freeze this apple cake? Since this is more of a custard-based cake, I don’t recommend freezing it.
Technically, you can freeze the cake but, once it is thawed, you will notice a change in the texture. It is much better eaten within a few days of baking. And let’s be honest, that won’t be a problem.
This French apple rum cake is an extraordinary dessert brings together the comfort of home-baking with the elegance of French cuisine, reminiscent of the charming cafes in Paris. Bursting with apple goodness, this is one cake that improves with time.
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Pin ItEasy French Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, (120 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large apples, about 2 pounds (Use a variety of apples for the best result)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar, (200 grams)
- 3-½ tablespoons rum, (49 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, (5 ounces or 142 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter (alternately line it with parchment paper which will make the cake very easy to remove from the pan)
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt then set aside.
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for 1-2 minutes until they are foamy. Pour in the sugar, rum, and vanilla and whisk for another minute.
- Whisk in half of the flour mixture until well-blended then blend in half of the melted butter. Repeat with the remaining flour and butter and blend until smooth.
- Fold in the sliced apples, coating them completely with the batter then pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Smooth the batter out then place in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle comes out without batter stuck to it.
- Let the cake cool for 5 to 10 minutes then run a blunt knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any cake that may be stuck to the sides.
- If the bottom of the pan is lined with parchment paper, the cake will slide out quite easily once the sides of the springform pan is removed. If the pan is not lined with parchment paper you will need to slide a long knife under the bottom of the cake to loosen it from the pan then invert it onto a plate that is lined with parchment paper then invert it again onto a serving platter (this will be accomplished easier if you allow the cake to cool completely)
Video
Notes
- This cake stores well for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and actually is better on the second day.
- This is a very moist cake. Be sure to cool it completely before loosely covering it and placing it in the fridge, if it is still warm before covering it then condensation will build up and make the cake wet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Why no Baking time?
The baking time is actually listed in step 7 of the instructions on the recipe card. It’s possible you might have missed it if you didn’t scroll all the way to the recipe card. I hope that helps, but let me know if you have any other questions!
Can you make this in a different pan? I don’t own a springform pan…
Yes, you can. It’s a pretty moist cake.I would recommend placing a parchment paper liner on the bottom of the pan so it comes out easily if you invert the pan.
What can I replace 1 cup of sugar with?
I haven’t tested this recipe with sugar replacements. You might try monkfruit baking sugar.
I made the ATK version twice and although it was delicious, it seemed oily.I was going to try the applesauce substitution the next time. I’m a frantic cook who tends to miss steps and skip ingredients w/o intending to. When I saw “Easy” in the title of this recipe, I thought hmmpf, but gee whiz, it’s spectacular, and easy and I didn’t forget anything. My only change was starting w/2# apples that turned into 1# peeled and cored was plenty. Loved it loved it loved it. Thank you so much.
Oh thanks for the comment Terry, I’m so glad it worked out for you. This is one of my favorites
Please advise what is the correct baking time!
Hi JoAnn, it’s in step 7… bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Set the oven to 350°F and make sure it is hot before you put it in the oven. Hope you enjoy this
Yes, it does read 60 to 70 minutes in step 7, however in the beginning description it reads cooking time is 30 minutes, thus the confusion
Thank you so much for telling me about that discrepancy, I will fix that to reflect the 60 to 70 minutes that it takes.
Thanks for your comment
Dahn, , what a gorgeous cake! Your directions make this seem like such an easy approach, too. I would love to make this soon!
Thank you Alyssa, it really is an easy recipe. I hope you do try it. Thanks for the kind comment.
I adore custard pies and apple pies – this looks like the best of both worlds! What a lovely texture!
It really is the best of both worlds and so easy to make!
Thanks Tina, I really like the einkorn flour too and this is a great recipe to start if you have not tried it yet
you had me at CUSTARD. this looks and sounds so SO good, and the photos are stunning!
thanks Kristina, It’s addictive!
That looks wonderful. I am now craving apple cake. Pinning this for later. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Jacqueline, you can’t go wrong with this recipe