Apple Cake Recipe (A French Classic)
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With tart apples baked into a buttery cake with just a hint of rum, this might be the best apple cake you’ll ever taste. It’s simple yet so satisfying—perfect for dessert, a cozy afternoon snack, or even breakfast (yes, it’s that good!).
The summer after my junior year of college, I worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook and often enlisted my help in the kitchen. Her apple cake recipe, with chunks of tart apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, quickly became one of my all-time favorite desserts. Like many French desserts—think clafoutis, madeleines, or crepes—it’s incredibly simple to prepare.
Pair it with a cup of coffee in the afternoon or serve it for dessert topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s the kind of cake that works for almost any occasion. It’s especially lovely for fall holidays, when apples are at their peak—think Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving, or a cozy weekend gathering. But since apples are available year-round, it’s just as fitting for Easter brunch, Mother’s Day, or anytime you need a dessert that feels special without being fussy.
“Last year I won first place in a state fair with this recipe…This year I won division champion in our county fair. It’s a total winner of a recipe!”
What You’ll Need to Make French Apple Cake
- All-purpose flour – Spooned and leveled for accuracy; provides structure without making the cake heavy.
- Baking powder & salt – The baking powder gives the cake lift, while the salt enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – At room temperature for proper creaming; creates richness and a tender crumb.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps create a light texture when creamed with the butter; a little extra sprinkled on top adds a delicate crackly crust.
- Eggs – Add structure, moisture, and richness; best at room temperature so they incorporate smoothly.
- Vanilla extract & dark rum – Add warmth and depth of flavor; the rum subtly enhances the apples without overpowering them.
- Baking apples – Peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes; choose firm, slightly tart varieties that hold their shape in the oven, such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
- Confectioners’ sugar (optional) – For a simple, elegant finish just before serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Pro Tip: Using a whisk to thoroughly combine the dry ingredients ensures the baking powder is evenly distributed and the cake rises evenly.
Step 2: Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Step 3: Add the flavoring. Beat in the vanilla extract and rum. The mixture may look a little curdled at this stage, which is fine.
Step 4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
Step 5: Add the apples. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the peeled and chopped apples. Folding in the apples by hand prevents the flour from over-developing gluten, ensuring a tender crumb while also helping the apple chunks stay intact.
Step 6: Fill the pan. Scrape the batter into a greased 9-inch springform pan (or a greased and lined 9-inch cake pan) and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Step 6: Bake and serve. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 40 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream—a dash of cinnamon would be a nice addition, too. The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Freeze for longer storage.
Pro Tip: Use a toothpick or cake tester for doneness. Because this cake is so apple-heavy, it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs; if you hit a piece of fruit, try a different spot to ensure the batter itself is fully set.
Video Tutorial
More Apple Recipes You May Like
French Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 2 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2½ cups; see note)
- Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don't worry if the batter looks curdled at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- When this baking this cake, it's important to use apples suitable for baking. Baking apples hold their shape when cooked, so the chunks of fruit won't turn into applesauce in the oven. Tart-sweet varietals such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonagold are all great options. Feel free to combine different varieties for a more nuanced flavor.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake is best enjoyed fresh but for up to 2 days. Store at room temperature in a cake dome or covered with foil. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have used spiced rum in this recipe.
The recipe for the French Apple Cake is exceptional. This recipe can accommodate different varieties of apples which bake consistently in a 325 degree oven in a springform pan. This is an easy recipe for beginner bakers and for those more advanced. The recipe includes rum but one can substitute other liquors such as a French brandy or cognac if one of those is found to be more pleasing to the palette. The French Apple Cake is visually appealing and while baking fills the kitchen with a mouth watering aroma. I make the French Apple Cake just before the guests arrive which adds a extra topic for the conversation before dinner. Most guest will ask for seconds and some want the recipe. While traveling in France, I found simple desserts to be a standard on the menus. When I make the French apple Cake it brings back fond memories of those treasured travels.
Hi Roy, I had the same impressions as you about French cakes and bakes. Very simple, with very few ingredients and seasonal fruit. Basically butter, eggs, flower and you end up with far breton, apple cake, tarte, you name it. If you are a fan of yeast cakes, I highly recommend making kouign-amann. Perhaps Jenn will make her version of this delicious Breton cake?
We LOVE this cake!!! Can never make just one – has to always be two pans 🙂 We omit the rum but it tastes just as good. It’s such a simple recipe that I make it often and it’s a great company dessert to pull together last minute with ingredients you prob already have on hand. We prefer honey crisp apples as they are sweeter. The first time I made it, I didn’t go by the cup measurement for the apples and it turned out to be too much apple in the cake. Went back to read the recipe again and noticed Jenn had a cup measurement for the apples 🙂 Because honey crisps are so big, that measurement helped. I’ve learned to “follow the recipe” lol.
Thanks, Jenn, for making us novices look good, even though some of us have been cooking for years. I truly trust your recipes and anytime I’m looking for one, I go to your site first. I love your pictures and detailed instructions, which helps me decide if I’m going to tackle something new. Our daughters also are familiar with your recipes as they’ve seen me use it and are now using it themselves 🙂 We’ve tried quite a few of your recipes but have never left a comment. Thanks for the incentive! Blessings to you and your family!
I have made this French Apple Cake several times and everyone raves about them, from my children to her friends and so on. I swap out the rum and add apple juice to the recipe and I swap out the all purpose flour for our gluten free all purpose flour. I typically use Fuji apples but any apple will do. It is an authentic French recipe. When I eat it, I feel like I am dining at a local patisserie or cafe in France. I highly recommend this recipe. It will become one of your go-to cake recipes just as it has become one of mine.
I have made this cake twice. Oh my gosh! It is so good and moist. I was happy to use my new springform pan. One of the cakes was topped with whipped cream. Still slightly warm. The second cake was served with homemade vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious!
Great cake, I’ve made it a few times. I used 1/2 C sugar in the batter, cognac instead of rum and 3 small apples and 1 small pear.
The second time I made it I did exactly the same but used all apples and we all preferred the version with 1 pear. It added another subtle flavor which was really nice! Will make using apple/pear combo from now on, though the apple only version was still very good.
This is the recipe that started my fiance and I on a journey with Once Upon a Chef. He made it one day and I was incredibly impressed, especially for someone who doesn’t consider himself a baker.
We have used honeycrisp apples every time we’ve made this. I could also see how Pink Lady apples would give a nice sweetness as well. Honeycrisp did the trick for us. Over time, we have used more/less apples to make it how we want it depending on our feelings that day. I would suggest to anyone to make this recipe verbatim first and then adjust the apples and rum as you see fit.
Since my kids were little, they have only ever liked ONE apple cake, so I was nervous to see what they would think of this one! They love it!!!! The addition of the rum is a must, we tried one cake without as we didn’t have any and it just wasn’t the same! I find that if you follow all the instructions it will turn out perfectly moist and delicious every time!
Absolutely a winner, so gorgeously delicious !
I tweaked the recipe a wee bit & used whole grade spelt flour and as a substitute for half the sugar I added a very ripe mashed banana & date purée
The rum is a super addition, thank you x
The addition of rum takes it to the top! Serve it with rum flavored whipped cream or ice cream and it’s…Perfection!