A tender, buttery, rum-flavored crumb nestled with big chunks of apples makes the Classic French Apple Cake a delicious staple. Right before baking, the cake gets dusted with sugar to create a signature crackly top that makes it even more unique, all while letting the apples shine beautifully. It is a simple and timeless cake recipe, just sweet enough and with a delightful more-apple-than-crumb-ratio. A must for your French baking repertoire.
So what makes it a French Apple Cake?
Unlike in US/Canada, a French Apple Cake doesn’t call for any spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, nor a crumble top, nuts or glaze. The fame of this French cake rather relies on its simple crumb made from a generous amount of butter and flavored with dark rum, making it incredibly fragrant. In texture, it is reminiscent of the German Versunkener Apfelken or the Russian Sharlotka, both made in similar ways, with more fruit than actual cake dough – but really, I think the buttery crumb and dark rum truly makes the difference here.
Choose the Right Apples
The recipe begins by choosing the right apples. And for this Classic French Apple Cake, or most apple cakes really, choose baking apples . Compared to eating apples, baking apples aren’t as juicy and won’t turn mushy once baked. Good baking varieties I recommend are (in US/Canada):
This cake requires 2 large or 3 small apples. The recipe is pretty forgiving and the result won’t be impacted if you use a little less or more apple. You can opt for one single variety or a mix. For instance, you can combine tart and tangy Granny Smith apples with sweet Honey Crisp apples for a nice balance of textures and flavors.
A key step : Ribboning the eggs and sugar
For the batter, you must start by ribboning together the eggs and sugar. This is a key step in making this recipe, so I want to emphasize a bit on this technique here.
“Ribboning” is achieved by beating the eggs and sugar together (by hand or with a hand mixer) for a long period (usually 5 to 10 minutes) until the sugar crystals dissolve and the mixture becomes pale, thick and forms a ribbon when falling from the whisk. The mixture should be smooth and hold its shape, but not dry. You can watch this video for more instructions. This process is important as it incorporates air into the mixture, which is essential to achieve the tender, airy cake crumb that makes this Classic French Apple Cake so unique.
My Cooking tips:
- Choose baking apples, such as Fiji, Honeycrisp, Mutsu, Jonagold or Braeburn. You can opt for one variety, or mix it up so you can have different textures (soft or crunchy) and tastes (sweet and tart).
- I like to peel the apples, but you can certainly leave them unpeeled if you wish.
- If you don’t have dark rum on hand, you can substitute for Cognac. For a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute the rum for apple juice; although I really recommend you use rum or Cognac – it truly makes the cake!
- The cake is rather delicate in texture, so I recommend using a well-greased springform pan so it is easier to remove it from the pan (flipping it onto a plate may break it). This recipe works in a 8″ or 9″ circular pan.
How to store this French Apple Cake?
This cake can keep for up to three days in the fridge, covered. Note that the sugar crackly top will soften after a day, and may get wet/stuck if covered with plastic film. Instead, I recommend covering the cake with a cake dome or any large bowl that won’t touch the top of the cake.
I hope you’ll love this Classic French Apple Cake as much as I do! It is simple, quite elegant and truly a delicious French staple. Serve it warm or cooled down, with a big dollop of crème fraiche on top in true French fashion. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.
More recipes to enjoy apple season:
- Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Classic French Tarte Tatin
- Apple Cinnamon Galette
- Spelt French Apple Cake
- Apple Breton Pound Cake
- Skillet Caramelized Apple Cake
169 comments
Would there be a difference to using salted butter and not add salt instead? Thanks
Yes, this is fine! In baking, I personally like to use unsalted butter, so I can control exactly how much salt I add into the batter after. But using salted butter (with no salt after) is okay. Happy baking!
I made the recipe just as you directed—- and it’s only about half the height as the picture! Did you double the recipe for the picture?…..
Valerie
Hi Valerie – that’s a great question. No I did not double the recipe, but I used a 8-inch circular pan. If you used a 9-inch or bigger pan, the cake will be flatter (although just as delicious in my opinion). Also, make sure you ribbon the eggs + sugar together very well: this allows air into the mixture and makes for an airier cake. I hope this helps!
Un délice!! I am also French, living in Canada and I am so grateful for your blog!! I discovered it while looking for something to do with apricots and ended up making the flaugnarde. This time I had apples on hand and this apple cake recipe came at the right timing!! I’ve just made it and it’s absolutely perfect, so yummy!! Thank you so much Audrey!!
I did use a bundt cake pan as I don’t have a springform pan and it worked great! Only thing is that I wasn’t able to transfer it to a plate ahah but it’s ok, I’m not entertaining tonight 😉
Thank you again for existing, I’m going to make more recipes of yours because they remind me of France and its simple touch!
Merci Emilie! I am happy to hear you enjoyed this French Apple Cake! Such a nice comment – this is why I share my recipes on this blog: for people to discover French cooking, and for nostalgic French expats (like me and you) to recreate all the French classics in their new home. 🙂
Hi Audrey.
I made the French Apple cake and it turned out fantastic! We had to go to a party at our friends and I was asked to bring the dessert so I thought I would try this cake. Oh my gosh, it turned out just like your pictures and tasted heavenly. All of my friends loved it! I don’t usually try new recipes like that unless I just make a home version to try it out with my husband. (He love it, by the way!)
I was going to put add a picture but can’t figure out how?
Anyway, thanks for a fantastic cake recipe!
Janette Levier
Hi Janette! Thank you so much for this great feedback 🙂 There isn’t a feature to add photos in the comment, but you can always share them on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram, if you’re on social media. Merci 🙂
I made this cake last night and it turned out amazing! Thank you for this great recipe.
Happy you enjoyed it, thank you Lorie for your feedback!
I can’t wait to try this! What brand of rum did you use for the recipe?
Hi Oana. I use any dark/gold rum I have on hand (right now it is Captain Morgan dark rum). Any Dark or Gold rum works (rather than white).
C’est la saison des pommes! Alors je l’ai finalement fait ce délicieux gateau😋 Je dois avouer que j’ai ajouté ma touche personnelle, un peu de cannelle, des noix (les enfants adorent) mais l’appareil est top! Juste ce qu’il faut, tendre, aéré, un vrai délice ☀️ Merci pr ces recettes extraordinaires ❤️
Merci! Avec de la cannelle et des noix, il doit etre tres bon aussi!
I just recently discovered your blog. This was my first recipe. My husband and I loved this cake. I made it exactly as written. The rum adds a wonderful flavor. While my cake didn’t rise as much as yours appears to, it looked very professional and tasted great.
Thanks!
Thank you for your feedback Aileen, very happy you enjoyed this cake!
When you say two large apples… How many cups of diced apples would you say you get? I have homegrown apples and they vary dramatically in size. Maybe 3 cups of diced apples would work?
That’s a great question – 2 large apples equals 3-1/2-4 cups of chopped apples. If you only end up with 3 cups, that is perfect fine – your cake will only be slightly less high.
Made this cake many times now and my family and friends just absolutely love it.
Fantastic! Thanks!
I have lots of home grown apples and am always looking for new recipes and this is a winner. I made it the first time with cognac and tried it the second time with Calvados. Both worked well.
Thank you.
Amazing, thank you Lynda!
I’ve made this cake twice using Honeycrisp apples, once with rum, once with cognac (like the rum version better). It’s a fantastic recipe. I have two Granny Smith apples – is there a reason not to use at least one of them in this cake? Thanks!
Hi Susan, thank you for your feedback! You can use one Granny Smith apple! Having different varieties of apples in an apple cake (or pie) provides a nice mix of sweetness, tartness, etc.
An easy recipe and delicious treat! We enjoyed this apple cake with morning coffee and afternoon tea, It was eaten before we could post a photo!?! mille grazie
Amazing! Thank you for this great feedback Doreen!
I am thinking of making this cake today but I don’t have any rum. Could I use apple juice with rum extract. If so how much extract should I use?
Hi Arlene! Yes you could use 3 tbsp of apple juice instead (with 1/2 tsp rum extract). Although I really think that the rum makes the signature taste of this cake! I hope this helps, happy baking!
Thankyou, I tried it with the apple juice and one tsp of rum extract it was very good. I will be making another this weekend with the real thing. I used a 9″ spring form . We loved so much I even bought a 8″ springform this week to try.
Amazing, thank you!
I have made this 3 times now, I added half the ingredients again to make a bigger cake, and it is superb. I used Bundaberg spiced rum and Granny Smith apples from my tree. Easy and delicious.
Amazing, thanks for your feedback Shelley!
Just baked the cake! LOVE IT! thanks for the recipe, will definitely make it again,
Thank you so much for your feedback!
This cake is unbelievable with butterscotch schnapps.. OMG best ever..
Thank you for your feedback Sam!
Hi Audrey,
I baked the cake yesterday. Didn’t have rum, could find the cognac and forgot to sprinkle sugar on top.
Inspite of all this the cake turned out delicious! Family loved it.
Thanks!
Shola
Fantastic, thank you Shola!
Hello,
I’m a vegetarian so i don’t eat eggs. Is there a way I can replace them in this recipe? Perhaps with flax egg? The cake looks absolutely delicious!
Hi there! My apologies but I don’t have much knowledge in vegan baking and can’t give any recommendations for making this cake without eggs. If you google “vegan apple cake”, there are lots of recipes out there 🙂
Okay Audrey, thanks anyway!
Je l’ai fait avec 35 g de sucre et mon mari s’est plaint que c’était encore trop sucré. Nous n’aimons pas les gâteaux très sucrés.
J’ai utilisé une pomme et demie et j’ai ajouté 12 pruneaux que j’ai préalablement trempés dans un thé vert chaud. J’ai remplacé la farine avec une farine fraîchement moulue à la maison (soft white, rye berries, hulled barley and oat berries). C’était excellent, surtout le même jour, et l’ajout de pruneaux était délicieux.
Merci pour ce retour Sybil; l’ajout des pruneaux a l’air delicieux!
Delicious!! Served for lunch with a friend yesterday and it’s not too sweet so we had it for breakfast today! I used 3 medium gala apples since I had them in the fridge, and only 2TBS of dark rum and it was great! Also I didn’t have a springform pan but I used my 8in pan with parchment paper and it came out perfectly! Looks exactly like your photos! YUM!
Amazing, thank you for your feedback Nora!
A new cake for my repertoire! It is homey yet special, and utterly delicious. Thank you for your delightful recipes; home-style French cooking at its best.
Thanks so much for your feedback Jennifer!
Dear Audrey, merci beaucoup for this excellent recipe! I made it last evening for the first (but certainly not for the last) time, et c’est très très bon – délicieux! I used two varieties of apples – both organic, as well as the other ingredients (apart from the Rum 😉 , and the result was fantastic. Thank you for sharing and for your tips!
Wonderful Anja, thank you for your feedback!
Audrey,
I am searching for a recipe for a French style lemon tart. Very lemony and creamy, with a shortbread crust. Like one you would get at the famous Angelina’s in Paris. Most American recipes are more the style of a lemon curd.
Merci,
Hi Sharon! I suggest you try my recipe for Classic French Lemon Tart: https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/classic-french-lemon-tart-tarte-au-citron/
It is made with a pâte sucrée and a rich lemon custard. I never had the tarte au citron from Angelina’s, but hope it will satisfy your craving 🙂
Hi, Audrey!
I was wondering, all I have in the house is clear (white) rum. Would that work?
Hi Jackie, yes it will work well too! Happy baking!
My husband really liked the rum flavor, I put some cinnamon in it too, I like lots of flavor, cut the sugar to 1/2 cup because I don’t like real sweet.
Great, thank for your feedback!
Hi Audrey!
I only discovered you last week when looking for recipes to do with apples.
I made this cake for the first time yesterday. My family absolutely loved it! It finished really fast!
Thank you.
I am subscribing to your newsletter now!
Amazing, thank you!
What a wonderful cake – perfect blend of sweet and tart! I used Honeycrisp apples and they were perfect for this very easy cake. Merci!!
Thank you for your feedback!
Hi – can I make this a day in advance? If yes, how would I store it (cling wrap on counter?) Thanks in advance!
This cake can keep for up to three days in the fridge, covered. Note that the sugar crackly top will soften after a day, and may get wet/stuck if covered with cling wrap. Instead, I recommend covering the cake with a cake dome or any large bowl that won’t touch the top of the cake. Happy baking!
Loved this cake! It’s simple and not overly sweet. I used turbinado sugar instead and topped it off with some whipped cream. Will be making this again soon.
Thank you for your feedback Tina!
Just made this cake using one Granny Smith and one Fuji and it’s delicious! Thank you for an easy and tasty recipe.
Thank you for your feedback!
Is it possible to use fresh pears.
Yes, you can – I actually recommend using this recipe, which is the same cake batter, but with pear: https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/classic-french-pear-cake/
I made this cake to give out as gifts to coworkers. I wrapped with press and seal plastic wrap before putting in cake box. Hope it will be okay for 24 hours until I give it to them.
Hi Jean, 24 hours should be good, enjoy!
Can I substitute applesauce for some of the butter? Or something else? Thank you Audrey.
Unfortunately I never tried substitutes for the butter in this recipe, so I cannot give any guarantees whatsoever about the final product. I hope this helps!
I looks amazing. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you, enjoy!
I love this recipe and have made it many times. I get very many compliments and share the recipe.
Love French cooking. I will have to look at your recipes and try them. Years ago I was in North Carolina and found this great small French restaurant, Vin Rouge. I ordered a chicken entree. It was roasted chicken. It was served on a bowl with mashed potatoes and gravy. I keep looking for a recipe but have not found it. Does it sound familiar?
Marcia
I made it. The instructions and notes were spot on! My husband loves it and so do I!!! Perfect job. Love your website. Now on to the next recipe
Thank you for the kind words. I always try to make the recipes as simple as possible and will continue to try and make them even easier in the future.
Audrey.
I will attempt this cake today as we are housebound here in southwest Florida suffering the aftermath of hurricane Ian. Luckily we have electric. I am unclear re; the step you emphasize, sugar/eggs ribboning. Your video shows whisking eggs and sugar with a liquidy result while instructions indicate a long whisking process to achieve ribbons which I usually do with my stand mixer and whisk attachment. After ribboning the batter is much thicker and lighter than video indicates. Want to get this right, would appreciate a clarification. Thank you.
Hi Den, I hope you and your family are keeping safe and sound! The focus of ribboning is really to form a ribbon when lifting your wisk, after beating the eggs and sugar together for a while. Based on your eggs or how you do it (by hand vs. mixer) the batter can vary in thickness, so I think obtaining a ribbon should really be the focus here. I hope this helps, happy baking!
Thank you
well i certainly enjoyed making this cake and just had to have a good slurp of rum too
So glad to hear this, thank you for your feedback!
Made this yesterday. Absolutely delicious. This recipe is a keeper. Can’t believe how easy it was. Thank you for sharing 😊
I hear that a lot about French cooking… Yes, some dishes are incredibly complex, but in general our dishes are very, very simple and let the ingredients shine. So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! My sister made this recently and it was absolutely delicious! I’m now planning to make it for a party tomorrow, where ideally it would be in individual portions. Do you think I could make it in a muffin tin, or something similar to get 4-8+ smaller cakes? Many thanks for your thoughts!
Hello Meghan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and are thinking of adapting it… In my honest opinion I do think these would work made as “muffins” to make smaller cakes, but I have absolutely no idea what the cooking time would be for them. If you’re adventurous, you can start checking for doneness once you start seeing a golden top, but opening and closing the oven constantly isn’t ideal… But I think you can make it work if you insert a tester when the top looks “done” as it is in my photos.
Good luck and would love to hear back if you do try it!
[…] Obtenez la recette @ pardonyourfrench […]
Thank you for another fabulous recipe Audrey. My family & I LOVED this cake. Your recipes never fail!
Thank you so much for the kind words. This apple cake really is a gem, and seems to please everyone. Hope you continue to enjoy the recipes, Janine!
Do I do anything differently in high altitudes? I live at 5800’ in Colorado. I sometimes need to add extra flour — 2-3 Tablespoons.
To be honest, it’s hard for me to give you accurate information on this, as I’ve never done baking in high altitudes. The absolute best resource I have read on the topic, is courtesy of King Arthur Flour – Click Here. This should give you the best answer to this, and any other questions you may have for high altitude baking.
(But according to this site, yes… 2-3 extra tablespoons of flour seems correct)
Hope this helps!
I made this for dinner party this week. Loved how it turned out! Easy and delicious- not too heavy after a big dinner.
Thank you, Ellen! Glad it turned out and that you enjoyed its simplicity. A great cake for many occasions.
I’ve made it several times in Denver with no modifications, and it’s awesome! Or at least I think so.
Thank you so much, Katya. It’s great to know that no modifications were necessary in the high altitude.
This was delicious! It may not look like much, but the flavour is wonderful. I used a dark, extra flavourful rum and the result was amazing. Easy to make and a real treat. Thank you!
Love to hear that, Samantha! This cake really does pack a punch of flavor, despite its simplicity.
Ok, latest version I baked in Santa Fe (7200 feet) for Thanksgiving and subbed 1:1 coconut oil for butter to accommodate a friend with a dairy allergy. Still turned out great, but has a fairly strong coconut flavor, that our guests loved, but might not be for everyone.
Oh, FYI, I’ve been using convection bake at same temperature (350 F) for high altitude. Otherwise ingredients are the same.
Great to know, Katya! I assume the coconut oil, as you mentioned, would alter the taste of the cake in a non-traditional way… But would taste delicious nonetheless!
i used light spelt flour and added two tsp of baking powder. worked a treat. heres to my second attempt which will take to friends. thank you. it was yummy
Love spelt flour! So glad to hear that worked out for you. Here’s to hoping your friends enjoy it just as much! Thanks, Lee.
[…] elegant but straightforward Basic French Apple Cake is a straightforward mixture of rum-flavored cake nestled with huge chunks of apples. Good from […]
How do you print your recipes
Hello Donna. Once you scroll down to the recipe (list of ingredients/instructions) there is a button on the top right that says “PRINT RECIPE”, in red. Hope this works for you!
I have made French Apple Cake several times before, but not this recipe. It was always good, but seemed something was missing in the texture. This is exactly the recipe I was looking for. Made a batch and a half to accommodate a larger spring form pan. It turned out perfectly and everyone said it was the best cake they ever ate. It is so simple yet seems like something complicated, it tastes so good. I do believe the technique, especially the egg and sugar ribbon method, makes all the difference in the height, texture. taste and presentation. I used 5 Golden Delicious Apples and they were perfect. My only French Apple Cake recipe from now on, no others needed. Thank you, for such a lovely recipe.
Wow, Arlene! Such kind words. I am so glad you’ve now found “the one”. And you’re absolutely right… This cake, despite its simplicity, seems to be so much more than that. So happy it was enjoyed by all!
Hi,
Thank you for this French Apple Cake recipe. I’ve made it twice in 2 days. My family nearly ate their hands! This is now a staple. Checking out the rest of your blog.
Lovely to hear, Ava. Just make sure they keep those hands so they can continue eating! Enjoy!
Great recipe, great outcome….tried with pears, just as lovely. Reheated left overs restoring original crunchiness…new family favourite. Thank you!
Irene
Thank you so much, Irene! Absolutely this cake would go just as good with pears. I’m glad you gave that a try and even happier this has become a favorite in your home.
This is one of my favourite cakes to bake now – very easy and tastes sooooo good!
So kind, Bernadeta. I never get tired of hearing how simple and delicious this cake is, because it really is true.
[…] élégant mais facile Gâteau aux pommes français classique est une combinaison easy de gâteau aromatisé au rhum niché avec de gros morceaux de pommes. […]
I loved this cake! I actually couldn’t decide between pear or apple, so I used one large of each. You don’t really need to spend a lot of time whisking until it “forms a ribbon” – I just whisked it thoroughly till really smooth, a couple of minutes. The recipe is delish and has a nice minor “crust” on top. Will for sure make again!
Thank you for the feedback! I actually love the idea of mixing apple and pear, they compliment eachother perfectly, don’t they? I often make (or buy) an apple and pear compote blend to add to my yogurt. I think I’ll need to try this mix in a cake!
Fabulous recipes – thank you for sharing!
My pleasure, Liz! Hope you enjoy your stay!
This is an excellent cake. There are so few ingredients but the end result is delicious. I like a simple cake, not too sweet with some sort of fruit or nuts and the added touch of adding rum and vanilla just through this recipe to the top of my list of favorite cakes. I’ve made it twice but the last time I just halved it and made it in one of my 6 inch cake pans. I use USA pans and there was no sticking – either time.
Thank you for sharing this amazing cake!!
What a wonderful review, Anita. Thank you so much for the kind words! Sometimes, simple truly is best. This cake somehow makes magic with so few ingredients, it’s really something special. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Hello Audrey, does the liquor taste of the rum “burn” off just like wine does in cooking?
There is a definite hint of the rum in this dish – but it is not overwhelming, in my opinion. The flavours that come from the rum will be there, but it doesn’t taste like “taking a shot”. If you’re not a big fan of that, I don’t suggest removing the rum, but maybe lower the amount. It’s a vital part of the taste of the cake for me.
Can I freeze this cake?
Hello, Helena. While I find this cake can last in the fridge for a couple of days, I unfortunately did not find that it froze very well. I would personally suggest against it.
On a positive note, it never usually lasts more than a day or two before disappearing!
This apple cake was wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
So kind of you, Camilla. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this delicious Apple Cake.
Looking forward to trying it!
Thanks, Connie! Would love to know what you think of it!
I want to make this delicious looking cake but I’m keto! What would be the conversion of regular flour to almond flour and coconut flour? I know how to convert the sugar to something more keto friendly; just need help with the flour. Thanks!
Hello, Alice and thank you for reaching out. I prefer to be completely honest with my readers, and let you know that I have absolutely zero experience with Keto. So I wouldn’t be honest if I told you I know something, or have used something that has worked succesfully for me.
That being said, I have on more than one occasion been referred to (and seen referenced) this recipe here. I really hope this helps you on your journey! Would love to hear back if you get a chance to try the cake. 🙂
This was delicious, a lovely finish to our (Canadian) Thanksgiving dinner, with home-made creme fraiche. I made the cake with Mutsu apples, and love the tang of a less sweet apple. Somehow four of us managed to demolish most of the cake despite a big preceding dinner. Thank you, a lovely easy cake that will go in my repertoire.
Great to hear, Michele! Makes me proud to know my cake was worthy of someone’s Thanksgiving meal. I know how important this meal is, as it is my husband’s favourite of the year.
Also, mutsu is a great pick! A cake like this is very forgiving and one should always use the apples they love best for it (so long as they bake well). Glad you enjoyed the meal!
Today I made the second French apple cake. I have not had one piece yet to try but everyone has asked for more and where did I get the recipe? I alway mention your site. I am a 76 years young man and I would like to thank you for the recipe. Thank you J.D.
Thank you so very much, Joe. I am overjoyed that you enjoy my recipes and share the site with friends – it means a lot to me.
But, Joe… I suggest you have a piece of cake before it’s all gone! 🙂
So impressed with your cakes! Thank you. I have tried all three now, and all are superb, the apple rum, plum, and pear almond,
That really means a lot, Deanne. I am so glad you enjoy these recipes, and I hope you’ll enjoy many more! Merci!
French Apple Cake…my husband absolutely LOVES this cake. I could likely make it every couple of days and he would be happy. (He even picks and prepares the apples for the recipe.)
Love it! Picking apples fresh for this cake must make it just that much better. So glad you’re enjoying it and appreciate the feedback.
I followed the recipe exactly and was rewarded with one of the most wonderful cakes ever. It looked just like the photo! I was patient in whisking the butter and sugar, whisking for 5 minutes using my stand mixer, which produced the ribboning that you described, Audrey. Thank you for the excellent recipe and the guidance for success.
Sharon, this makes me so happy! Creating amazingly delicious cakes from your kitchen is always possible with a little guidance and some confidence. I’m so glad this recipe turned out for you and so thrilled you enjoyed every part of it. I hope this will inspire you to try some other recipes on the blog as well. Merci!
I love this cake and I make it as a substitute for the traditional gallette des rois because the kids don’t love the almond flavor. Wondering how this would come out if I doubled the recipe. Would you make any changes? cooking time?
Thank you so much Amanda, I appreciate that. As for doubling the recipe, what kind/size pan were you planning on using?
I have been making this delicious cake for many years and everyone loves it. I use 3 Tablespoons of golden rum and 1 teaspoon plus a little extra of vanilla. I have never heard of ribboning the eggs and sugar, but I will watch the video and try it.
I love a one layer cake with no icing, just whipped cream. And I like to add a few raspberries for accent.
Thank you so much, Patricia! Hard not to love a simple, one layer cake. I love how much flavor this cake provides with such few and modest ingredients. And sprucing it up with a few raspberries… Delicious!
Yes I did make it today and it is absolutely delicious
Excellent, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Cette recette fait un merveilleux gateau! Je l’adore!! I made it for my mother’s 95th birthday dinner and she *raved* about it. Can’t wait to make the pear version next. Merci mille fois!
This warms my heart, Liz! Happy 95th to your mother, what an amazing milestone to reach. I am beyond happy that this cake was part of the celebrations, and more importantly, that she loved it 🙂
Merci and best wishes!
I’m looking forward to making this delicious looking cake
Would love to hear your thoughts when you do, Nancy. It’s such a delicious and simple cake. Perfect for a snack and to serve guests as well!
Could Calvados be used instead of rum or Cognac?
If you have it on hand, it would absolutely work! Apple on apple! 🙂 Obviously a slightly different flavor profile, but delicious for sure.
I made this beautiful cake today on a whim. I hadn’t any rum or cognac, and no juice but a bag of aging apples. I grated a couple of them on the small side of my box grater and squeezed the pulp for juice to add in lieu of the booze. I also added cinnamon, to please someone in love with the spice. I have already added your luscious recipe to my collection. I predict it will soon be a Sunday night family dinner favorite.
Love to hear it, Kim! Love the improvisation for the alcohol in this recipe, that was a truly perfect move. So glad you enjoyed this enough to be a repeat recipe, I absolutely adore it too 🙂
I’ve made this recipe three times and it is very good. I use Calvados, a great French brandy, instead of rum and I think it works great. On the third time I tried this recipe, I did a few things different. I cut one of the apples very small, about a 1/4” dice. The other apple got cut as the recipe suggests, in a large dice. This way the small pieces of apple get cooked down to make a richer apple flavor. Also, I added a 1/4 cup of apple butter to the batter and that upped the apple flavor of the cake a little bit more. I added about a 1/8 cup of flour and a little more baking powder to the batter to compensate for the extra moisture from the apple butter. Everyone loved it.
Sounds heavenly, Kevin. Those are some great twists on the classic recipe. I absolutely love when a classic is adapted to one’s tastes and used to experiment on how to “up” the flavors. This cake has so much potential for that, and your method still keeps the essense of the original – which is important to me 🙂
Enjoy the cake!
Made the apple cake yesterday with apples from out tree. Simple and delicious.
Simple and delicious – not many more words needed, George! You got it! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, and extra points for using apples from your tree!
This cake is delicious! My family loved it! I have come to fall in love with the simplicity of French cakes. As I get older, as an American, find most American cakes too sweet or even sickly sweet . This cake is the right amount of sweetness that is perfect and satisfying. My kids are also requesting these sorts of cakes for their birthdays than normal American birthday cakes. Thank you so much for sharing.
It was a big change for me when I arrived in Canada to adapt to the sweeteness of desserts there. Not to say we don’t use sugar in France, we absolutely do, but the abundance and layering and icing was a big change for me. Simplicity sometimes is the absolute best and this French apple cake is near perfect for me. So glad you enjoyed it as well, Jen. Have a slice for me, please 🙂
Hello Audrey, Can you provide the preferable internal temperature using an instant thermometer for this cake? I will be using 8in springform pan. If any chance you can respond today as I am planning on making it for a dinner party tomorrow would be greatly appreciated. I have “ruined” cakes before by over or under baking. urgh
Thank you.
I am so sorry, Den… I have never used an internal thermometer for this, or any other type of cake I’ve made. I wish I could give you that information, but you may have inspired me to look into starting that in the future.
I have FULL faith that you can pull this off. After 40min, stick a toothpick or knife in the centre, and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready! This cake really leaves very ittle room for error. You can even start testing after 40min if you think your oven runs a touch hot.
Made this last year for Christmas and the kids want it for Thansgiving,they and I loved it.
What an honor, Janice! Can’t say I blame them, honestly, this cake is absolutely delicious and would be perfect for a holiday treat. Please enjoy!
Audrey: This is such a good recipe. I made it with almond flour instead of regular flour as I am trying to avoid grains. It turned out very well. Trying out different sugars as well. I cannot wait to try some more of your recipes. Thank you. Susan
So glad to have you along, Susan! Thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, and very much appreciate you letting us know it turned out well with almond flour as a substitute. This should help some other readers immensely.
This is a very tasty cake. I made it by substituting the AP flour with the same amount of gluten free flour mix from America’s test kitchen and it worked well. I should have reduced the butter slightly because GF flours don’t behave the same way, but it is still lovely. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you so much, Sidney, and great advice for other readers about the flour substitute and slight reduction of butter required. I appreciate that! And, of course, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Enjoy!
Makes a great apple tart!
Merci!
Another fantastic recipe! Thanks for all the meals you’ve helped me prepare for my family and making me look like a competent cook! 🤣❤️
You’re so very welcome, Sarah! But something tells me that you ARE a very competent cook! Give yourself some credit, take note of your progress, and soon you’ll have more and more confidence (and fun) in the kitchen.
But if the family is enjoying the meals, it’s thanks to the chef – not the instructor!