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’d like to make this in advance and freeze it, but will it retain the nice crunchy topping after defrosting?
Hi Sona, this freezes nicely but you won’t have that same crisp topping after defrosting. You can try warming it in a 300°F oven for a few minutes- that may bring back a little of the crunch.
I’m half Dutch and there’s this simple apple cake my Oma would make very often that to me embodied European desserts. Simple and not overly sweet. I googled apple cake, and felt disappointed until I found this wonderful gem! I’ve now been making it for years, and wanted to share my gratitude with you. Thank you for bringing me back to something so sweet and innocent.
I make this every Apple season. Very easy, and I usually don’t bake. This year used Jonagold apples and captain Morgan spiced rum. Otherwise followed recipe exactly. Delicious.
This is a very lovely cake, very easy to make and the rum adds a really nice flavour. I don’t have a very sweet tooth and I’m not that fond of apples 🙂 but I loved it and so did my family. I will follow the suggestion of another reviewer and add flaked almonds to the top next time as there will definitely be a next time! I’m also going to look for more of your recipes to try. Thank you.
This cake was simple, not overly sweet, and delicious.
Would this recipe work if I wanted to use a large grater on the apples? I think this would help distribute the apples better and create an even nicer texture, but not sure if it would introduce too much moisture.
Glad you enjoyed it! I don’t recommend grading the apples; as you said, I think it will introduce too much moisture.
I had some red delicious apples that needed to be used and came across this recipe. It came together quickly and smelled delicious while baking. I didn’t have any rum on hand so I substituted homemade apple pie moonshine. The cake is so moist , tasty and a keeper!!
P.S. What if I make the batter ahead of time? Will the apples brown in the batter? Or what if I just make the batter ahead and add the apples right before baking? How long will the batter be good before congealing or going bad?–one day?
Unfortunately, it won’t work to refrigerate the batter as the cake won’t rise well when you go to bake it. If you’d like, you can mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another and then combine them and proceed with the recipe when you’re ready to bake it.
I made this yesterday. My husband and I enjoyed it (as others mentioned, not too sweet or too rich). Question: I would like to make this one day ahead for a dinner party. Is there a way to warm this right before serving? Is this something you could recommend? thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Myra, Glad you both enjoyed it! It’s fine to heat this up a little before serving. I’d place it in a 300°F oven til warm.
I made this for the first time yesterday and it was delicious- I scattered flaked almonds over the top before baking and sprinkled icing sugar on the top when cooled, there’s none left now!
Hello Jenn,
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe and all the others! I made this recipe multiple times with slight variations! Overall the cake is very tasty and simple to make!
One change I made was actually an accident, which tasted more like a custard. I opted to add almond slivers on top with some sugar but instead of 125 gr flour I accidentally only used 25 grams, and instead of two eggs I used 3 since the eggs were small. The cake was very tasted and of course very moist, lol but I served it with some whipped cream, the guests all liked it.
Perhaps I try next time 75 grams flour. 🤔
Anyhow enjoy your family and keep on posting more yumminess 😊
I often bake goodies for my neighbors. They said this cake was the best thing I’ve ever made for them. I added 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder to the batter. Rather than chop the apples, I sliced them and arranged them in circles on top of the batter, then sprinkled with palm sugar for extra color.