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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All I can say is wow! Very easy and so delicious. Absolutely recommend. I used bourbon because that’s what I had on hand, and honey crisp apples. Baked mine in a ruffled ceramic Emile Henry pie dish (coated lightly with nonstick spray) which was so pretty, made transportation a breeze and I didn’t have to fuss with removing cake from a pan (nor figure out a way to nicely display it). Mine took approx 35 minutes to bake, and I rotated my dish halfway through because my oven is crap, came out perfect. Dusted with powdered sugar after cooling then served straight from the pie dish with ease. Everyone loved it, it’s moist and has great flavor. Not too sweet. Apples were perfectly cooked, not mushy. I love that the apples were well distributed, stayed in place and didn’t sink to the bottom. I probably wouldn’t call it a cake because there isn’t a lot of cake-ness, in a good way. I baked and served mine same day, ate it approx 3 hours after removing it from the oven, room temp was delish. I kept one slice refrigerated overnight to have with coffee the next morning and even cold it was incredible!! Not only great for dessert but also an easy brunch item!! I’m already planning to bring this to events over the holidays and try other fruit, too. Thrilled it’s easy to cook & serve out of ceramic bakeware (could use a round dish, or oval, square, rectangle, as long as it’s roughly the same capacity as a 9-inch cake pan). You could easily serve it warm from ceramic bakeware since they retain heat thus take longer to cool. I bet baking in cast iron would also yield great results. I almost made a caramel sauce to drizzle on top but ran out of time. Honestly, on its own with powdered sugar is great. Easy to jazz up if you want, though, or pair with ice cream.
Great cake delicious. Simple and fast to make. . I have an apple tree and I can hardly keep up with the yield this year. Also very happy that the cake is freezer friendly. Thx.
I think 3 tbs of dark rum is a bit much, it comes out a lottt in the flavor. Otherwise this is perfect, thank you
I made the Apple cake I didn’t put Rum in it or any other liquid. The cake was moist and delicious next time I might put Almonds on top
Last year I won first place in a state fair with this recipe tweaked just a bit. This year I won division champion in our county fair. It’s a total winner of a recipe!
I would love to know how you tweaked it 🙂
If I want to double this recipe should I used a 10 inch pan and simply double ingredients?
Hi Wayne, for that size pan, I’d suggest making 1.5 times the recipe. I’m concerned that a 10-inch pan may be a touch small.
Try chopped walnuts before batter layer then bake as stated to add bit of crunch
This cake was a real opening for me! Pure delight of taste and perfect combination of everything that goes in it! I didn’t have rum, so substituted with orange liquor, didn’t add extra sugar on top. Served with mango ice cream. Delicious 😋
Thank you so much for the great recipe, Jenn!
Made these many many times and they are delicious!
My question is, can I pre-make a whole bunch and freeze before baking?
Can I bake it from frozen when I want to?
Thanks!
Hi Peggy, it looks like you intended to leave this question in the comment section of another recipe. Can you clarify which one you’re referring to?
Hi. I meant for French apple cake
can I mix everything together up until baking and freeze? And take it out to bake from frozen when needed?
Oh, sorry I misunderstood the question. No, unfortunately, it won’t work to freeze the batter (but the baked cake freezes nicely).
ahhh ok! Do you know how long it can be kept at room temperature?
Hi Peggy, it’s really moist so it will keep nicely for several days.
Just made this apple cake. It was so so delicious!!! All recommendations for this recipe!