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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Delicious, soft, just sweet enough.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is simple, yet the results are always impressive, and the taste is perfection. I feel it’s also on the healthier side for a dessert, since the apple-to-cake ratio is quite high (and on that note, don’t be afraid if the batter looks particularly chunky with apples; the cake really fills in while baking). I do use Calvados in lieu of rum, but that’s just a personal preference. Thanks again, it’s fantastic!
i’m excited to try making your cake. I wonder about the possibility of substituting applesauce for some of the butter, maybe 25% of the butter. Do you think this would be feasible, and still result in a nice texture for the cake?
thank you.
Hi Carolyn, it will make the cake a bit wetter, but you can get away with replacing 25% of the butter with applesauce. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Jenn, I live on a remote island. Ingredients are limited here. So I had to pray that what I had would work. It did ! Cake was moist and delicious .
I had to double the recipe. The only flour available here was “normal flour” from Fiji. Wheat flour. I only had 2 medium apples. But I had those 4 ounce applesauce cups. No rum. I used almond extract 1/2 teaspoon. And I don’t have a hand mixer. Lol I used my rubber spatula to mix all the ingredients. Lol
2 cups flour , salt, baking powder, sugar, 2 sticks butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, 2 cubed apples and one 4 oz cup of applesauce. 10 inch spring pan. Baked gas stove at 350 for 50-55 minutes. I did the toothpick test and it worked. Loved this cake. It lasted 10 minutes out of the oven. Lol
Excellent recipe! The rum flavor in the batter is delicious – I will make this often from now on!
Thank you! 🙂
How many grams is 1 stick of butter?
Hi Debbie, it’s 113 grams. The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope that helps!
Best ever 🥰
I had some old apples sitting in the fridge and literally bits of flour from leftover bakes. Used 3 apples, mixture of plain flour + self raising flour, a couple of too small eggs, subbed rum with orange juice and added mixed spice. The end result was a fabulously light cake filled with apples. Forgiving recipes like this one is a real keeper!
Can I make this in a loaf pan? I don’t have cake tins.
Hi Chantelle, you could try it but I’m concerned that it may be a little gummy in the center. If you want an apple bread/cake in a loaf pan, I’d suggest this — it’s also delish. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Just made this today and it was a big success. I didn’t have any rum so I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract. I also completely forgot to replace the rum with milk, like I had planned to, but cake was perfect anyway. I also sprinkled a little brown sugar and slivered almonds on top before baking. It’s was amazing. It has such a depth of flavor. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
If I’m serving this in 2 days, can I just put it in the refrigerator ?
Thank you !
Hi Kay, It keeps nicely on the counter covered with foil for a few days so you don’t really need to put it in the fridge. That said, it won’t hurt if you want to refrigerate it; just bring it to room temperature before serving.
This recipe is amazing!
Every time I make apple cake I try a different recipe.
This one is a keeper 😋
It’s light and airy, with a little crunch on the edges. Great flavor too
Thank you 💓
Just wow! That cake is delicious. I made it exactly as described with the exception of reducing the sugar in the cake to 2/3 cup and replacing the rum with Grand Marnier (because I didn’t have any rum). The cake was tender, the apples perfect. I don’t believe I have ever written a review online before but this was so good that I felt I had to recommend it!!!