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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

  • Such a delicious and easy cake to make! I’ve made this following the recipe exactly, as well as, with apple juice as a substitute when I didn’t have rum. A couple of times I’ve also forgotten to sprinkle the top with sugar before baking, and adding confectioner’s after. Even so, however which way I make it, my family can’t get enough!

  • This was really tasty! We only had brandy, not rum but it was amazing! Enjoyed it with some vanilla ice cream ^__^

    • — PastaForTheRevolution
    • Reply
  • Truly the best apple cake recipe out there. I make this cake at least twice a month!!!

  • This apple cake is the best!!!!!

    • — Joanne Francis
    • Reply
  • I’ve made this cake a few times and it’s been a hit every time! I use gluten free flour, and top it off with homemade salted caramel sauce and coconut whipped cream. The flavours are perfect, and the recipe is simple. 5 out of 5, I definitely recommend!

    • I should add I’m not a rum drinker, so we never have it around. I subbed with maple syrup.

  • I made this cake today and it was delicious! I was out of vanilla extract but used a packet of vanilla sugar and put in a teaspoon of boiled cider to make up for the missing liquid. I will definitely make this again! I think it would be great with almonds too. Thanks for the recipe!

  • Have made this twice now, the only variations are apricot brandy rather than rum (maybe I’ll try kirsch next time or some home-made grappa, but seems nice with the apricot brandy), and twice as many apples (4). I also did it in a tube pan, this time with paper at the bottom as it stuck a bit last time. I also cooked it 50 min due to the extra apples.

  • This recipe is a keeper, I searched for an apple cake recipe and yours looked good. Simple and delightful. Made in a springform pan. I opted to make a butter rum drizzle over the top while it was still hot out of the oven and next time I might add chopped pecans along with the apples for texture and crunch. I really liked this recipe and glad I found it.

  • Incredible!!

  • Hello. Is 175 degrees for a fan oven or conventional oven? Also, will bramley apples be okay? Thanks!

    • Hi Hannah, I always develop and publish my recipes using the regular setting on my oven so I’d suggest that. And wasn’t familiar with bramley apples, but from what I read, they may not be great for baking. I’d suggest any of the following: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonagold. Hope that helps!

    • This might have been discussed in previous reviews but are there any substitutes for rum? Don’t have any and would like to make this without the rum.

      • Yes, you can replace the rum with bourbon, whiskey, apple juice or milk. Hope you enjoy!

        • This is a great recipe that consists of ingredients you probably have on hand. The most time consuming part is preparing the apples which is not that hard. It is simple but elegant. It looks beautiful and tastes rich and buttery. Perfect dessert for a party of six. If you are lucky there might be a bit left for breakfast!

          • — Mary O’Leary
          • Reply
  • I am wondering if children would eat this if there is rum in it? Not sure if the taste is strong and they would like it. Thanks for any help .

    • Hi Denise, There is a hint of rum taste but I’ve served it to kids many times and have never gotten complaints. Hope you enjoy if you try it!

  • Yum! I’m not a baker and have made this cake 3 times in two weeks. I added sliced almonds to the top of the cake before baking for extra crunch. This recipe has been a hit with friends and family. Light, airy, simple!!!

  • I have made this several times, and OMG, it is amazing! Easy, tasty and delicious. Thanks for another great recipe-I haven’t reviewed all I have made, but your recipes are consistently awesome! My hubby just gifted me your cookbook-I’m so excited!

  • Absolutely amazing! I made this for an afternoon tea at our house and the guests absolutely loved it! I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Pink Lady apple which were available in the fridge. I used good quality butter and sure enough, the apples and butter were singing together! I used 1 tbsp of dark rum and 2 tbsp of apple juice since there were kids too. Will definitely be making this again (and again!). Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe Jenn!

  • I havent made this recipe yet, but I am wanting to make it for a few of my neighbors. I only have 9×13 disposable pans, what do you recommend for adjusting the measurements to get a bigger batch? How long should i bake it?

    • Hi Alexis, I’d double the recipe for a 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake time may be a bit longer but keep a close eye on it. 🙂

  • I replaced the rum with cognac. OMG this cake is awesome.

  • I just made 2 of these…so simple and absolutely delicious! I did not have dark rum, so used Chila ‘Orchata (cinnamon cream rum) with a combination of Granny Smith and JAZZ apples…Thank you…will deliver to some of our neighbors in the morning…just before their coffee…YUM!

  • I made this cake this morning, exactly as is, and loved it. It’s just the perfect thing for your morning coffee on a cold winter day.

  • I love this cake. I have modified it a little. I use an extra apple and microwave the apples for about 3 minutes before adding to the batter. The microwave makes sure the apples are soft and pulls out some moisture – that I drain away. I also add an egg yolk to make it have a more custard taste. I also double the batter and make 2 cakes because 1 is not enough.

  • Truly amazing French Apple cake! I followed the recipe and since I didn’t have a cake pan, I used a brand new pie pan instead – 9 inches x 1.5 inch high and it worked. I used the 3 Tbs of black spiced rum (the Kraken) and Pink Lady Apples. I didn’t have any confection sugar but did whip up some Chantilly cream (35% + Vanilla extract + 1 tsp sugar) and it was delicious with a cup of tea. Even my husband loved it.

  • Really, really excellent. Substituted caramel salted whiskey for the rum and it came out fabulous!

  • After reading all the rave reviews, I was so excited to try this. This was a delicious surprise! Made it twice this week because everyone loved it. The cake was soft and the apple chunks and sugar on top provided amazing texture.

  • Made exactly as written including the bake temperature and time, came out perfect! Will be baking this again and again for sure in the future.

  • I actually made this on Thanksgiving. have made other apple cakes before and every recipe I had tried was too dry, apples not cooked right – just overall blah. but this cake was perfect! I thought at first it was too many apples for the batter, but followed exactly and it was so delicious. husband loved it, I loved it, and shared with our neighbors and they love it! this will always be my one and only apple cake recipe. thank you for this.

  • Followed the recipes exactly. Absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to make this for my mom.

  • Love this recipe. I’ve made it several times without modifications. But I’m curious if I can use almond flour for a substitute for all purpose flour and what the ratio would be? Thank you!

    • Hi Mar, I wish I could be more helpful, but I’ve never tried it. It may work, but the cake will be very different.

  • Can this cake be made without a mixer?

    • Hi Trish, It will take some elbow grease but it’s doable.

    • Such a simple list of ingredients, yet such a delicious taste. I appreciate recipes that are made with ingredients that are staples and can easily be found in the house. So simple to make and very European in taste. I didn’t have dark rum so I substituted with bourbon and it was delicious! This recipe is a keeper!

  • This cake was so delicious and easy to make (I’m horrible at baking). I used Captain Morgan for the rum because that’s what I had. Saving this recipe to make again and again.

  • This was great. Easy and delicious.

  • Hi Jen,

    I’ve made this cake several times and It really is better served warm. It’s difficult to time this when preparing a whole dinner so I was wondering if I could make the batter ahead of time and leave it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it.

    • Hi Randi, I wouldn’t recommend making the batter ahead, but you can actually warm it up before serving. I’d put the cake on a baking sheet and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven temp to 250 degrees and let it heat up for about 10 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!

  • Hi chef, what can I use instead of the rum in this recipe? I cannot have any alcohol in my diet, even as extracts. Thank you in advance.

    • Hi Tina, You can use apple juice or apple cider in place of the rum. Enjoy!

  • I am going to make this for Christmas. Question does it taste a lot like the rum or not really?

    • No, it doesn’t taste strongly of rum — it just adds a little additional flavor.

      • Hi am I able to substitute almond flour? If so what would the amount be? Thank you!

        • I don’t recommend it, Mar. Sorry!

          • Hi Jenn

            My son requested for an apple cake and I’m glad to have found your recipe. If I’m baking it the night before a party, how should I keep it? In the fridge or it’s ok not to refrigerate it overnight?

            • — Joyce
          • Hi Joyce, no need to refrigerate it; you can store it on the countertop covered with foil. Hope everyone enjoys!

            • — Jenn
  • Can I make the batter ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before I bake it?

    • I wouldn’t recommend it as it will impact how much the cake rises. Sorry!

  • Amazing! We make this dessert twice a week now! I double the batch and only do 1/2 cup of sugar, and don’t add the rum – and it’s perfection! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • Sooooo yummy !!! So easy to make .
    I cut down sugar to 1/2 Cup . Will definitely follow your other recipe 👏👏👏👏

  • Oh my god. Oh my GOD! I’ve made this cake twice in a week and it is AMAZING. I used the Kraken spiced rum and it is so yummy and so easy! I don’t have any tips or additional thoughts, I just came here to gush because this is my new favorite apple cake. My new favorite cake, full stop.

    • — Shala Petrucci
    • Reply
  • Sooooo delicious and very easy to make 😋

  • Hi Jenn, I’m not sure what qualifies as “baking apples.” Would Macintosh work, that’s what I’ve got? Thank you.

    • Hi Sara, I wouldn’t recommend Macintosh here; Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonagold are all good options. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!

      • Thank you Jenn! I waited to get the correct apples and this was a huge hit yesterday at our house! Perfect snow day snack! 🙂

        • So glad it was a hit!

      • I have tried several apple cake recipes and been disappointed—bland and nondescript. But I’ve had such success with all of your recipes and given that I had a bag of Galas, it became a why not. What an incredible surprise! This cake is easy, sophisticated, and genuinely delicious. My husband has already requested that it be part of our Christmas party this upcoming year. Thank you!

  • This is my second cake from scratch and I am so happy to find a simple and delicious recipe. Increased the apples to six cups (thinly sliced) and used milk instead of rum. There was just enough batter to coat each slice of apple. Took 50 minutes in my oven. The layers of the many apple slices when you take a slice is gorgeous.

  • Divine. My husbandasked for an apple pie for his bday and I asked if I could make something a bit spiffier. This was perfect- rich, rustic, easy and so appl-y without the uber-sweetness of apple pies. I used Granny Smiths.

  • I have a question about the amounts. Is it 3 1/2-4 cups or 2 apples? Because 2 apples gave me about two cups.

    • Hi Deb, sorry for any confusion. You’ll want a total of 3 1/2 to 4 cups of apples. (I think there’s a lot of variation in terms of the size of apples people find at stores.) I guess I happen to buy larger ones. Hope you enjoy the cake!

      • Thanks very much, Jenn. It got rave reviews even with two cups of apples. So will definitely make it again, this time with the increased cup amount.

  • Great recipe,

    by far one of the best desserts I’ve made to date.

    I had to double the quantities for 6 small apples, but did not double the butter. I added a little oil and cinnamon on the apple pieces before adding to mix. Also used cane sugar, that I refined in grinder for topping part, as I never use white.

    I’m trying the same recipe again today but with mangos instead of apples… and brown sugar. Doubled the quantities again, except for butter and rum this time around, as mangos are more liquid that apples… hope it’s good!

    Thank you Jen for this amazing recipe.

    Cheers,
    Camille.

  • Thank you for this winner. I’ve made it several times. Everyone loves it. I’ve added more than the recommended amount of apples, at times, which has worked just fine. The recipe appears to be forgiving. My only quibble with the recipe is that the cake is baked in 25 (max 28 minutes) minutes in my oven.

    Cruzan Black Strap Rum (an inexpensive dark rum) has worked particularly well. According to the product description, it’s a heavier rum made from the blackstrap molasses of sugar cane. The molasses taste of the rum works really well in this recipe, IME.

    My neighbour tells me that this cake freezes really well.

  • I love this recipe! I have a beautiful Christmas Bundt pan I would like to use for an upcoming quaint get together. Would this recipe work in a Bundt pan?
    Thanks!

    • Hi Trudy, glad you like the cake! I’ve never made this in a Bundt pan but think it should work. I’d recommend a 10-inch Bundt. Please keep in mind that the more ornate the Bundt pan is (you mentioned it’s a Christmas version), the more likely a cake is to stick so just beware! Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!

      • Hi Jen
        I used the Nordic Ware Pine Forest Bundt pan, and it turned out beautifully! It was very festive and added beauty and interest to my dessert table. The cake went fast and got rave reviews! Thank you!

  • Love this cake…moist, flavourful, with just the right amount of rum to send it over the top!

  • My 4 year old requested a dessert. I chose to make this Apple Cake and it did not last long in our house. It was easy to make on a weeknight and we devoured it! So simple and delicious. An outstanding recipe. We’re having it again this week and I can’t wait!

  • Excellent! Followed metric measurements and came out perfectly in 9in cake pan. Very easy recipe to follow and quick to get in oven. Definitely going in the regular dessert rotation.

    • This is the simplest and best cake. A great choice for having friends for dinner or a family dinner. I served with ice cream and it was delicious. Thanks

  • So disappointed, my cake is flat! Made for a birthday today.

    • Hi Linda, this isn’t a high-rising cake. Typically I think it’s about 1.5 inches deep for me. Was yours flatter than that?

  • I’ve made this a 3rd time, once with pear and almonds, twice with Fuji apples. I’m not a fan of rum as I find it too sweet when I use it in baking. So, I used Amaretto Disaronno and Fuji apples. Amazing! I also added a little under a 1/3 c of heavy whipped cream to make it a bit custardy. What a hit! Depending on your oven, I baked it over an hour when I added the cream. Thank you for this recipe. I will make it again a small again.

  • I have made this 100 times including variations with different fruits, it’s always come out perfect. Thank you so much! It’s also amazing with rhubarb

    • — Andrijana Milosavljevic
    • Reply

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