Easy French Apple Cake

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 40 mins

Total: 55 mins

Servings: 8 servings

Yield: 1 9-inch cake

When we think of French desserts, we usually imagine beautiful flaky pastries and elaborate, layered entremets, but home-cooked French desserts are remarkably dressed down. After all, there’s no need to fuss over desserts when there’s likely a patisserie (or two) just down the street.

When I studied abroad in Angers (pronounced ahn-zhay), the family I lived with didn’t even have an oven. And no wonder! There was a boulangerie so close by that I could smell the bread baking from my third floor room early each morning.

This simple French apple cake proves the point. Made with common, easy to find ingredients, minimal equipment, and with a rustic, homespun appeal, French apple cake is the ideal fall dessert to follow a weeknight dinner or a casual get-together with friends.

Which Apple To Use in French Apple Cake

French apple cake is really all about the apples, with no spices to get in the way. So choose a flavorful apple with a sweet-tart flavor profile that won’t turn to mush upon baking. We recommend Honeycrisp, but Pink Lady and Granny Smith have enough character to feel right at home here.

How To Keep the Apples From Sinking

The key to getting those bright-tasting apples to stay on top of the cake where they belong is a light coating of flour. Otherwise they tend to fall to the bottom, which isn’t all bad, but part of the cake’s appeal is its apple-dimpled top.

How To Serve French Apple Cake

French apple cake needs no adornment, though we recommend a light dusting of powdered sugar. And we can’t resist the American urge to heap some vanilla ice cream on top while it’s still warm. As the ice cream melts it turns into a sort of lazy crème anglaise that pools around the cake.

On the other hand, you could always whip up homemade crème anglaise, or just spoon some whipped cream or crème fraîche on the side.

Tips for Making French Apple Cake

Toss the fruit with flour—I like to toss fresh or dried fruit with some of the flour mixture before adding to any batter to help ensure it doesn’t sink to the bottom.
Make a parchment circle the easy way—No need to trim any parchment for this recipe. You can simply place it on top of the bottom insert of the springform pan, and then secure the sides to the bottom leaving the parchment hanging out of the sides.
No mixer? No problem—If you don’t have a stand mixer, feel free to use a hand mixer or just a whisk and a large bowl.
Loosen the cake before unmolding—Running the sharp knife around the edges of the pan BEFORE removing the sides of the springform is a necessary step to ensure the cake doesn’t stick and expand/break when removing the sides.

Make Ahead

French apple cake can be made up to three days ahead of time and kept tightly covered at room temperature. Do not dust the cake with powdered sugar until right before serving.

«This incredibly moist and tender cake is studded with ever-so-slightly softened apple chunks. The flavor of the rum is faintly present, and adds this depth along with the brown sugar and vanilla. The cake is perfectly balanced and not too sweet.»—The Spruce Eats Test Kitchen

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large (about 20 ounces total) honeycrisp apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup packed (60 grams) light brown sugar
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (147 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup aged dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Powdered sugar for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
Whisk together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a medium bowl.
Measure out 2 tablespoons of the flour mixture and place in a medium bowl. Add 4 cups chopped honeycrisp apples, and toss to coat. Set aside the coated apples and remaining flour mixture.
Beat together 2 large eggs, 1/4 cup packed (60 grams) light brown sugar, and 2/3 cup of the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer or a whisk) on medium-high speed until light in color and ribbony, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup aged dark rum and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat on medium-high until just combined, about 15 seconds. Set aside.
Add half of the remaining flour mixture to the egg mixture in the stand mixer and beat on low until just combined, about 15 seconds.
Add 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, and beat on low until just combined, about 15 seconds.
Add remaining flour and beat on low until just combined, about 15 seconds.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and gently fold flour-coated apples into batter until evenly combined.
Pour batter into the prepared springform pan, spread into an even layer, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the cake. Serve warm or place on a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

How To Store

Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 1 week. The top of the cake will soften, but the flavor of the apples in the cake will further develop as it sits.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

Add nuts for crunch—Add sliced almonds to the top for a pretty, toasty garnish.
Try different apples—Other varieties or combinations of apples lend subtle differences in flavor and texture: try Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, or Jonagold apples.
Use apple brandy—Decrease the rum to 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons of Calvados or another apple brandy to amp up the apple flavor.
Gild the lily—Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and drizzle of caramel sauce to take this simple cake to a new level.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	325
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g	17%
Saturated Fat 8g	38%
Cholesterol 77mg	26%
Sodium 216mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 47g	17%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 3mg	13%
Calcium 57mg	4%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 113mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.