Easy French Apple Cake
An incredibly delicious apple cake with a custard-like consistency. It is almost a cross between a custard, a pie and a cake.
Servings: 10 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 pounds apples Use a variety of apples
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 3 ½ tablespoons rum (49 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled; 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, making sure every piece is coated. It will look like a lot of apples compared to the amount of batter, that’s exactly how this cake should look.
- Pour everything 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 you’ve lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, the cake will slide out easily once you remove the sides of the springform pan. If you didn’t use parchment, slide a long knife under the cake to loosen it from the bottom of the pan, then invert it onto a parchment-lined plate and invert it again onto a serving platter. This step is much easier if the cake has cooled completely.
Video
Notes
Storage: This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days and the flavor deepens by the next day. Let it cool completely before covering it. If it’s even slightly warm, condensation will form and the top of the cake will turn damp.
Serving Temperature: This cake tastes great chilled, but for a softer texture you can let it sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before serving.
Apple Prep: Use a mix of apple varieties (something sweet and something tart) to give the cake more depth. Slice them thinly so they soften fully and blend into the custardy batter.
Pan Notes: A parchment-lined springform pan makes removal much easier. If you skip the parchment, be sure the cake is fully cooled before loosening the bottom.
Doneness: Because this cake is naturally very moist, rely on visual cues as well as a toothpick test. It should be deep golden brown on top, and a toothpick should come out without raw batter (moist crumbs are fine).
Alcohol Swap: The rum adds flavor, but you can replace it with an equal amount of apple juice, cider, or milk if needed.
Make-Ahead Tip: This is a good cake to bake the day before since the texture improves after it rests.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 325kcal | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7.8g | Sodium: 163mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 34g
