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French Apple Cake

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With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the essence of simplicity.

french apple cake

The summer after my junior year in college, what seems like eons ago, I worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook and would frequently enlist my help in the kitchen once the kids were in bed. Her French apple cake, with chunks of tart apples nestled in a tender, buttery rum cake, is a longtime favorite of mine. Similar to many homemade French desserts, like clafoutis, madeleines, or crepes, it is the essence of simplicity.

What you’ll need to make French Apple Cake

Cake ingredients including egg, butter, and baking powder.

When this baking this cake or any any dessert with apples, such as apple crisp, apple pie, or apple cobbler, 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.

How To Make French Apple Cake

Glass bowl of unmixed dry ingredients.

Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. No need to sift; just whisk well.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

Set aside. Then, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Egg added to a bowl of creamed butter and sugar.

Beat in the vanilla extract and rum.

Vanilla and rum in a bowl of creamed butter, sugar, and eggs.

It will look a little grainy at this point; that’s okay.

Bowl of light-yellow creamed mixture.

Add the dry ingredients.

Dry ingredients in a bowl with a creamed mixture.

Mix until just combined.

Bowl of cake batter.

Add the chopped apples.

Apples in a bowl of cake batter.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the apples into the batter.

Apples and cake batter folded in a bowl.

Have a 9-inch springform pan greased or a 9-inch cake pan greased, lined with parchment, and greased again.

Greased cake pan.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top.

Cake pan full of apple batter.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

Cake pan of apple batter topped with sugar.

Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, until golden and crisp on top.

French apple cake in a cake pan.

Serve warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

french apple cake

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Video Tutorial

French Apple Cake

With chunks of sweet apples nestled in a tender and buttery rum cake, this French apple cake is the essence of simplicity.

Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (½ cup) 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 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3½ - 4 cups chopped)
  • Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch 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.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. 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 grainy 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Freezer Friendly Instructions: The cake can 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

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (8 servings)
  • Calories: 279
  • Fat: 13g
  • Saturated fat: 8g
  • Carbohydrates: 35g
  • Sugar: 22g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 3g
  • Sodium: 66mg
  • Cholesterol: 77mg

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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Comments

  • Great, easy to make and exactly as described – buttery, sweet cake with chunks of apple. Loved it and will make again.
    Thank you!

  • Just made this yesterday. I was very skeptical how it was going to turn out because the batter was so thick like cookie dough. However, it turned out delicious.
    I used a Bundt pan and next time I will double the recipe because it kind of fell apart and stuck to the pan even though I greased and floured it. Maybe it was the 2 tablespoons of rum I accidentally dumped in there.

  • I LOVE this cake. It is definitely a keeper. I need to make a birthday cake and would like to use this recipe. Do you have ideas how I can turn this into a festive birthday cake?

    • Glad you like this! You could double this and bake it in a bundt pan (keep in mind that I haven’t tried it but I think it should work). The other thing that comes to mind is frosting. I don’t think the cake needs any frosting, but you top it off with a cream cheese frosting like this one (although you can easily cut the recipe in half). Hope that helps!

      • Thanks so much. I will try doubling the recipe.

  • Loved this recipe!! Wondering if I could double this up amd make in a bundt pan?

    • Yes, I think that would work. Please LMK how it turns out! 🙂

  • Made this cake in a snap. I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the batter and sprinkled with cinnamon and some granulated white sugar before baking.

    • — Rosalba DeBenedictis
    • Reply
  • Made this cake for my husband’s birthday and it was a great success. Several people asked me for the recipe and I was very pleased to find it converted to metric (for my Dutch family and friends here in Holland). It saved me a lot of work. Thank you. I will certainly make the cake again. It was quick and easy, and delicious!

    • — Jenny Rietdijk-Shepherd
    • Reply
  • This cake is so easy so simple so presentable it looks like something in the bakery that you would buy and it taste just as good easy fast and it looks like you took hours to make this A+ plus recipe

  • We have tons of apples from our tree – Harolred is the variety – they were so tasty and don’t get mushy. I agree with some others who mentioned to chop the apple in somewhat smaller pieces. I made it exactly like the recipe says but think it would be smart for recipe to say — eggs at room temperature. It is an awesome cake – we loved it with whipped cream – it went immediately into my Paprika Recipes and it will be a winner for the future.

  • A keeper of a recipe. Made exactly as written and served with whipped cream. By day 2 it had mellowed & was so moist that it didn’t require the whipped cream. Lovely recipe.

  • Delicious and moist! Didn’t have rum, so omitted and used half brown sugar and half white sugar. Chopped apples in smaller pieces and mixed them with sugar/cinnamon and squeeze of lime as had no lemons. Baked in a glass pie dish coated with butter. Mmmmm. Hubby said it’s very tasty! I’m a crappy baker but proud of this. Thank you. 😃 PS I took photo, but don’t use instagram.

  • Very successful.
    I soaked the apple pieces in lemon juice and added the rum too.
    Topped the mixture with a layer of thinly sliced apples with a sprinkle of golden caster sugar and some slivers of unsalted butter.
    Added some ground almonds to the flower mixture.
    Will definitely make again. Very moist and tasty cake.
    .

  • This cake was simply delicious! Can it be done as individual cakes in a muffin tin and what would change?

    • Glad you liked it! You can bake the batter in a muffin pan; just reduce the cooking time. I’d start checking for doneness around 20 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!

  • I made this yesterday and it’s delicious. I only thing I don’t care for is the the apple chunks still are a little crunchy. Is that how it’s supposed to be?

    • Hi Teresa, the apples should be pretty tender after the cake is baked. Next time, try dicing them a bit smaller.

  • Delicious and easy to make. I love all your recipes .

  • Wow!! Delicious, easy dessert cake. Light sponge and sharp apples. A keeper!

    • So good!! Baked these in a muffin tin & they were done in 20minutes. The cake is gorgeously tender and the flavour of the rum and butter is magic. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • I made this recipe today . I love how.easy to fallow . I didn’t have dark rum . So used spicy rum and still was so delish. This recipe is definitely a keeper. All make sure to get the dark rum for next time .

  • I made the cake yesterday, and it is a beautiful creation. The batter alone is like silk. I didn’t have dark rum, but used a good quality golden rum and it was fine. I am going to make it again tomorrow, but I am going to use the dark rum, because I like the rum flavor.
    I did share it with a good friend, and she loved it. Not too sweet, but a great balance of apples and sweetness.

    • — Sally Townsend
    • Reply
  • Apparently I am the only one that had a problem with this recipe so I need to figure out what went wrong. Since the apples I was using were very small, I used the 3 1/2 to 4 cup measurement for the apples; everything else was exactly as directed. The cake was delicious but quite moist on day one. By the next morning what was left was soggy and I considered putting it in the bin but decided to rebake it. I placed the cake on a little baking rack in the toaster oven at 375 for 20 minutes. It was not only edible, but it was also delicious! So, is 3 1/2 to 4 cups of apple just too much?

    • Hi Linda, Did you use baking apples (like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith)? If so, the amount of apples shouldn’t have been a problem. It sounds like it was a bit underbaked, so if you make this again, I’d leave it in the oven for a few extra minutes.

      • Rave reviews! We actually poured some rum over the warm desert And ice cream.. we all had seconds! Would definitely make this again and again!!

  • This was such an easy cake to make plus it tasted literally AMAZING!!! 11/10 would recommend as a fun fall recipe to make even on short notice. The pictures along with the recipe made it super easy to follow and know exactly what to do!

  • I made this yesterday and it’s great! My husband loved it. It’s not overly sweet but has great flavor.
    Thanks!

    • — Mary Lee Butterworth
    • Reply
  • I’ve made this cake twice, once with the rum as directed and once with apple cider instead of rum. It came out AMAZING both times. I loved it both ways, the recipe with the cider came out just slightly more apple-y. It’s a beautiful cake, so simple and so so delicious. Thank you Jenn!

  • This was AMAZING! I used apple bourbon instead of dark rum (personal preference) and didn’t change anything else. It’s a keeper!

  • Honestly this cake never lasts longer than a day in our house it is snapped up as soon as it’s out of the oven. Perfect

  • I made this recipe exactly as written except for adding a pinch of cloves. I cooked it in a 12-inch iron skillet and it turned out absolutely gorgeous. It was delicious.

  • This was a delightful and a delicious dessert! Normally apple recipes I make for the fall can be so spice-heavy. This was so refreshing- the perfect end to a European-themed dinner last night!! Thank you! This is a keeper for throughout the year!

  • Excellent and easy recipe to follow. I’ve made this several times over the past few weeks and add a bit of ground cinnamon and some flaked almonds on the top before baking.

  • Great recipe! Easy instructions to follow. I love the photos and helpful suggestions.
    The cake was wonderful…simple and elegant.

  • Baked in 4″ springform pans for ~25 mins. Definitely YUM! I will be making this again, and again.

  • is there a substitute for the dark rum?

    • Hi Alaina, you can use spiced rum, light rum, apple juice, or apple cider. Hope you enjoy!

    • I’ve made this a few times and today I had no dark rum left, so I used some Barcardi rum (found a opened bottle in the back of the cupboard – no idea how old it is), and that worked just fine.

    • So yummy! I made this tonight to take to friends tomorrow. Do I store it in the refrigerator overnight?

      • Hi Karen, Glad you like it! You can store it on the countertop covered with foil.

  • I’m so glad I found this recipe. It’s so easy to make and it’s so tasty!
    I subbed apple juice for the rum since I don’t like rum-flavored cakes and it worked well. I’m definitely making this all fall.

  • Hi. I made this recipe a few weeks ago with a tweak.
    I added 2 Tablespoons hung curd. The result was a more airy cake and it was delicious. I’m planning on using a bundt tin or perhaps my tart try. I’m sure everyone at home will love them as much as the previous time. Thank you so much for your recipe.

  • Excellent!!! 👍

  • Wow! I wear the “I hate to bake’ crown,
    because I just don’t enjoy baking. After enjoying your chai spiced banana bread and this recipe, I feel there’s hope for me.
    This cake was absolutely delicious. I’m not sure if the quality of rum had something to do with it, but I ended up using some Appleton Reserve Blend. Didn’t want to, but realized too late that was the only dark rum I had on hand. The rum flavor was…I can’t describe it…. absolutely delish! I can go on and on. I never prepare apples in anything. I usually eat apples raw. That’s right, don’t like apple juice, apple sauce, apple pie – none of that! But this cake was perfect! Jen – THANK YOU!!!

    • — Simone Richards
    • Reply
  • Absolutely incredible. This is the third apple cake recipe I’ve tried in the last month and it’s the winner by a long shot. This cake is stunning, amazing, delicious, perfect. And I’m super picky so I wouldn’t say it was good if it wasn’t! I couldn’t find a small enough bottle of dark rum (didn’t want a huge jug!) so I substituted with milk, a little extra vanilla, and a bit of brown sugar to make up for the molasses flavor I was missing out on from the dark rum. I topped with powdered sugar because I think it’s pretty, but I will skip next time just to maintain more of the crunch from baking with the granulated sugar. I also made a classic vanilla bean créme anglaise (custard sauce) to top this with. Out of this world combination. My husband and daughter were licking their plates. Can’t wait to make this again very soon!

  • Made it for the first time this Thanksgiving (Canadian), turned out so good. Everybody loved it and also got the request to make it again at Christmas. I doubled the recipe and just omit the Rum. The most fluffy, moist and tasty cake. Thanks for this great recipe.

  • I made this with GF flour (Bob’s 1:1) and Butter substitute, as well as subbed the rum for apple juice. It was delicious! My children are gf/df due to allergies and are limited in truly tasty dessert options, this was perfect and a great and easy way for me to use fresh picked apples!

    • — Elizabeth Mathew
    • Reply
  • I absolutely love this recipe!! I make it all the time. So easy, such nice flavour. Eat it slightly warm with ice cream, cream or custard. Or just with a cup of coffee.

    • — Samantha Brown
    • Reply
  • Hi, I absolutely LOVE this cake! I find myself in Maine, with some wild blueberries left over from mid-summer calling me from the freezer. Considering using them in place of the apple? Maybe 1 1/2 cups? Do you think that might work?

    • Glad you liked it! I wouldn’t suggest blueberries here as they can be tart when baked, which means you’d need to add sugar to the recipe, which would throw things off a bit. I have a blueberry cake you may want to check out.

      • Thanks Jenn; I went ahead and tried it, and while still tasty, you were right on the money with your advice: not quite sweet enough, and this cake is so good at not being too sweet that apple is the way to go! Still have more blueberries, so on to your cake recipe…

        • Good to know. 🙂
          Hope you enjoy the blueberry recipe!

  • Wonderful recipe. Have made several times and it has come out perfectly every time. For a non-alcoholic version I used apple juice instead of the rum. Thank you very much; I will make this time and time again.

  • One of my favourite cakes. I’ve replaced vanilla extract with almond extract and added almond slices on top for variety.

  • Made it. It was just great. Delicious. Measurements exact, cooking time, prep. Perfect to the letter. Don’t have a beater. Manual blending was hard as usual but results were great. Making another tomorrow.

    • — Cynthia Colligan
    • Reply
  • This is the best Apple Cake I have ever made or tasted! My family wants me to make this again and again! Thank you so much Jenn!

    • Would love to make this but could cups and sticks be converted to grams please. I have never used these types of measurements. Thankyou.

      • — Sheila Curoopen
      • Reply
      • Hi Sheila, the majority of my recipes have conversions to weights/metric. 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!

  • Such an amazing recipe! This was the first time baking from scratch and I had so much fun! I would definitely recommend this recipe to my friends!

    • This is now my go-to cake recipe, everyone I’ve made it for has been absolutely floored. Every time I eat it I’m blown away. So simple, Apple is very subtle. I’m a fan of dicing the apples so they completely disintegrate in the cake.

  • Hi! Can this be made with gluten free flour? It’s all I have in the pantry and not sure if you’ve heard any feedback about it being made gluten free. Thanks so much!

    • Hi Ann, a lot of people have commented that they’ve made it with gluten-free flour and have been happy with the results. Enjoy!

  • Wonderful recipe! I used granny smith and added some sultanas. Loved it. Next time will use less sugar.

  • Hello I am going to try this recipe, but don’t have rum, we don’t keep that in the house. Would it be fine without it?

    • Sure – I’d replace it with either apple juice or apple cider. Hope you enjoy!

      • Oh this is good to know as a substitute for the rum, thank you! In the UK apple cider is sparkling.. will that work?

        • Hi Carolyn, I’m not sure if the carbonation would be a problem so instead of using that, I’d use apple juice. (Milk will also work here.) Enjoy!

  • One of my favourite recipes. I was house-sitting in Germany, and the garden was full of apple trees. So I made this for some new local friends, and used a random liquor that I found in a cupboard, that smelt nice. It may have been an apple or almond flavoured spirit. All the adults and children loved it. It’s a really simple and elegant cake where the apple flavour shines. I served it with whipped cream.

  • Probably the best apple cake I have ever made. Light with just a hint of sweetness. I used honey crisp apples and after spreading the batter, pushed (using a toothpick) a 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries into half of the pan. Both versions were very tasty.
    Will definitely be making this again.
    Thanks for sharing your talents.

  • This was absolutely lovely! I used earth balance as I am dairy free and found the texture to be really good, sometimes using earth balance completely makes a sponge stodgy, so I was weary about using it but it turned out lovely (my dairy loving family really enjoyed it!). I didn’t sprinkle the icing sugar on top as I felt it would be sweet enough without it, and to those wondering – it is perfectly lovely without the icing sugar, I found that with the sugar in the batter and the sweetness from the apples it was plenty sweet. Will definitely make a million times again!

  • I made the cake exactly as instructed; it turned out fine, moist and tasty. I think if I make it again, I would sprinkle the cubed apples with cinnamon before mixing them into the cake.

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