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.
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
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
Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. No need to sift; just whisk well.
Set aside. Then, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time.
Beat in the vanilla extract and rum.
It will look a little grainy at this point; that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Add the chopped apples.
Use a rubber spatula to fold the apples into the batter.
Have a 9-inch springform pan greased or a 9-inch cake pan greased, lined with parchment, and greased again.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top.
Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, until golden and crisp on top.
Serve warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
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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.
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
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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
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- 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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I have made this cake many times and it turns out great. I would make this for Christmas using the same recipe but substituting cranberries instead of apples and substituting an orange liqueur instead of the rum. Can this be done? Do you have a simple cranberry cake recipe like this?
Yes Anna, I think you could make those substitutions or you could try this recipe https://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/11/cranberry-nut-bread.html for Cranberry Bread. Enjoy!
Made this for a friend recovering from surgery. She loved it! So does my family. Oldest done requests for birthday. We use high quality bourbon instead of rum and personally, I like this flavor better. I’ve tried several recipes from this site and they have all turned out great.
French Apple Cake…all time favorite! Love the little bit of rum flavoring-elevates the flavors!
I made this cake for the third time…Every time it turned out perfectly…very tasty and my husband love it. Thank you.
This is the third time that I have made this cake. This time it was for Thanksgiving. I used Grand Marnier instead of the dark rum this time and all I can say is “Bingo”!!!
Wow, was that terrific! Not a crumb was left. Everyone loved it. Thanks again for providing such a wonderful recipe.
I was trying to duplicate a family recipe for apple cake. When I found this recipe, I had no idea I was starting a tradition of my own. I have made this cake 3x’s in one week-by request! Incredibly quick, easy, and one of kind. By quick I am referring to the mixing portion. The key to this cake is combining the room temperature butter with the sugar to a light fluff! Thank you for sharing this “family” recipe!!!!
I want to make this for my son’s second birthday family dinner! This looks like a great alternative to a super sugary cake that will make his tummy hurt! Is there a nonalcoholic alternative I could use instead of the rum?
Yes, you could replace the rum with apple cider or apple juice.
Newbie baker. I would like to use 4 inch mini springform pans for this recipe; how many mini pans would I need? Any assistance will be deeply appreciated.
Hi Trish, I’m guessing 2-3; the batter should come about half way up the sides of the pan. Hope that helps!
Hey Jenn, can I easily double this recipe? I made it tonight as a test (planned to serve it for a dinner party this weekend – in addition to your beef bourgignon – and wanted to try it out beforehand) and it turned out pretty flat in my 9-in springform. For the record, my husband loved it. I’m also curious what might be a good alternative liqueur to use, as I’m not a big rum fan. Amaretto? Grand Marnier? Thanks!
Hi Audrey, Yes, it’s fine to double it. And, yes, you can use any liqueur you like — Amaretto and Grand Marnier would both be wonderful.
I have made this twice and each time it turned out perfect! I served it with just the dusting of icing sugar. My family loved it!
This recipe has become one of my new favourites!
This is both beautiful and delicious! Thanks to other reviewers, the first time I made it was with spiced apple cider and the next time with dark rum. I liked the apple cider much better. It had a lighter taste. One question – can I add more apples? I’d love to get more bits in each bite.
Hi Janet, A little more apples is okay but not too much or the cake will get soggy. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
WOW! Delicious. I did not change a thing except that I put a round of parchment on the very bottom of the pan after coating it. This is not a super sweet recipe, however, I feel it was right on with the ingredients which compliment each other so well. Very important to use the Meyer Dark Rum. The first time I made it I only had light rum on hand- very little flavor with that.
Thank You for a great recipe…
This cake is SO good & simple to make, have made several times, always enjoyed.
Is this cake okay for children? Does the alcohol in the rum bake off?
Hi Amanda, Not sure if it bakes off entirely but I think it’s fine for children — my kids eat it 🙂
Terrific recipe!!!! I have an apple tree that produces Rhode Island Greenings. I have been looking for different ways to use the apples. This was very tasty and relatively easy to make! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Can the batter be made ahead of time and then bake a day or two later?
Hi Stephanie, Unfortunately, that won’t work but the cake keeps well if you want to make it a day ahead of time.
I used Orange liquor instead of the rum. If you use 1.5 T, you wont taste it…….if you use 2T you can taste it. so it is up to you how much you want to taste it. Both are great with coffee. Thanks much, Jenn – ;o)
This recipe comes out perfect every time. Simple and easy to make. Love it.
I have an abundance of gala apples from my yard. Has anyone tried making the cake from frozen apples? Or making cak and then freezing it?
I am interested in trying out this cake and bringing it in to work. I have several coworkers so I am wondering if this recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13″ pan.
Hi Lalitha, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure — to be safe, I’d probably make it in two round pans.
I found a bit of dark spiced rum in the back of my liquor cabinet. Wow, did that ever taste yummy!! I normally would have added cinnamon or other spices to this recipe, but the spiced rum did it for me.
PS: have also done this with pears for a great result.
If using pears, how many and what kind?
This cake is SO nice! Serve nicely with coffee or tea to friends. Maybe even a glass of Pino Grigio! I froze remains of what DH didn’t hoard when freshly baked. He would have been happy to eat the entire cake, little x little — asked what happened to the rest before I decided to freeze it! To eat after frozen, thaw briefly, covered, in the microwave. Excellent!
I tried to make this vegan and without white flour. Used whole wheat pastry flour, egg substitute and vegan ‘butter.’ The batter was more like dough, very stiff. Cake was only 1 inch high, but it was crunchy on top and very delicious. Any suggestions for vegan version?
This looks so good! Can you leave out the rum?
Yes, but you’ll need to add something in its place — try apple cider or apple juice.
This recipe is perfect. I have made it twice and have gotten rave reviews….they keep asking for a second helping…
The instructions are exact and the taste, density, and color came out terrific…I am making it tomorrow again!
Absolutely fantastic cake! Replaced sugar with 4 tablespoons of honey and it came out delicious! Thank you!
This was amazing! I made 1.5 times the recipe for a bit more cake and baked it in a bundt pan. I also used apple juice instead of rum. It turned out great and was a huge hit! Can’t wait to make it again, although next time I might not share it… 🙂
I don’t have dark rum, though I do have light. Would this be okay to use in your French Apple Cake?
Yes, perfectly fine 🙂
I don’t get to bake much, but somehow find time to EAT baked goods quite a lot! So I think of myself as a tough judge and this cake was AMAZING. So simple, so light and delicate, so delicious. I’m bringing it to a Rosh Hashanah gathering tomorrow and wanted to do a test first so I know I’ll be serving something edible. Spectacular. I have a feeling I’ll be making this again…and again…and again…
I made the cake yesterday and I have to say it was AMAZING!!! Very easy (especially since I’m not too fond of measuring). It tastes even better when warm. Since I didn’t have any rum I just went without and it is just as tasty. Thanks Jenn! (Now one of my favourite cakes ).
Oh my, this cake is crazy amazing! Delicate and elegant yet deep flavored and easy to whip together. Used apples that I picked from my friend’s orchard in Maryland — (Jenn, I have bushels of them and pears if you’d like some!). Went with amaretto instead of rum. Yum!
So glad it turned out well, Elissa! Can’t believe apple season is already here.
I loved this! It was a fairly easy recipe that had wonderful flavor! It doesn’t have a great deal of sugar, and it isn’t missed at all, I highly recommend it.
I never leave reviews for recipes but this apple cake was out of this world! It was so delicious. Your website is such a gem, have made 4 recipes in 2 days and have all been amazing. Keep up the good work.
Can I use rum flavor instead of actual rum? If so, how much? Will it take away from the flavor of the recipe too much? Thanks!
I would use rum if possible but you could substitute 1 teaspoon rum extract plus 2-1/2 tablespoons apple juice.
Absolutely brilliant! My kind of cake!
Holy sweet mother of all things sacred, profane, and everything else! — finally found the recipe I used to help my host mother make in Belgium when an exchange student. Like you I never thought to ask for the recipe (it is deceptively simple). She used to use good old brandy though and soaked the apples, which were tart, with a few spoonfuls of sugar plus the alcohol while preparing the batter. No brandy mixture was wasted, she poured out any remnant over the top of the cake before popping it in the oven. Thanks for rejuvenating my memories!
I have been looking for a receipe for this cake for years. Thank you so much for posting it. I made it yesterday and it vanished in one sitting. Utterly superb. Thank you again
Jenn, can I use Granny Smith apples in this cake without too many adverse consequences?! If not, could you please suggest an alternative cake/dessert using Granny Smith apples that can be served without cream/ice cream !
I am so enjoying your recipes which always come out great despite their relative simplicity ! Thank you very much for giving us access to them and at no charge.
Hi Nila, Grannies should be fine. Enjoy!
My first cake from scratch ever. So good!! Delivering pieces to apartment neighbors so I don’t eat it all myself. Because I could. It is THAT good! I might try a bit less sugar next time. Between the sugar in the batter sugar on top before baking, it was just a bit sweet for my taste — and I want to add powered sugar for that pretty finish. But overall, this is heaven warm out of oven. 🙂
Best cake ever!! Loved the taste. I used the Malibu Coconut Rum and it was just delicious. The instructions are just perfect.
Thank you for keeping it simple!!
As I am not a drinker, is there anything non-alcoholic I can substitute the rum with? Or can I just leave it out all together?
Hi Nova, You can replace with apple cider.
Hi Jenn,
This may be a silly question, but I am at the cottage and don’t have apples only 2 bosc pears. Do you think they would work in this recipe?
Thanks,
Mary
Hi Mary, Yes, absolutely! Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
I replaced sugar with dates. Delicious !
This cake is delicious! I made it exactly as instructed and everyone loved it. I am trying to lower the amount of sugar in my diet and found this cake a little sweet for me as a think I am noticing sweet things more. If I were to make this with coconut sugar, or else cut the amount of sugar to a half or even just a quarter cup, do you think it would still come out as well?
Thanks,
Tess
Hi Tess, So glad you enjoyed the cake. I would say it’s fine to reduce the sugar by a few tablespoons but I wouldn’t alter the recipe too much or it won’t turn out right. Good luck 🙂
Hi Jenn, I finally had an occasion to make this again and took your suggestion. I decrease the sugar by two tbsp but followed everything else exactly. It was absolutely perfect for us. thank you!
Loved the apple cake, so simple and delish. Looking for a similar rhubarb cake recipe. Could I substitute rhubarb for apples in this recipe?
Hi Belva, Yes that should work, although it might be a little tart.
Simple awesome apple cake – serve with vanilla cream and its delicious!
Delish!!!
This cake is perfect. Light, moist, elegant, subtle. I did not mess with the recipe, did not substitute anything, add anything, or succumb to any personal inspirations – so I am reviewing the actual recipe. Quality ingredients simply shine through in this cake. The rum is a must. The only problem I had with this cake was the regular-sized springform pan – definitely too large, and the cake came out too flat for my liking. I will probably try an 8″ x 8″ pan in the future.
I am so glad to have found an apple cake recipe that does not call for a cup of oil, nuts and a million spices that kill the taste of apples. Thank you!
Excellent. Delicious, easy to make, definitely a “go to” recipe. Thank you.
I stumbled upon this blog when googling for recipes to use a bunch of sliced apples I was given for free at work. What a lucky find! I didn’t have any rum in the house so I used my favorite Polish vodka. I also added some freshly ground cardamom and King Arthur Fiore di Sicilia. AMAZING! To use up all the free apples I made 4 cakes and I am freezing them for upcoming work meetings. I’ll let you know how they work frozen and defrosted.