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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added a little cardamom and orange zest, and browned the butter, and split the sugar with white and brown. Probably cooked a little to long at 40 minutes as we are at 7300′ elevation, and time and temp often have to shift for altitude changes
Simply put, this is amazing!!
Made this today with Gala apples. Delicious!
Just baked this today and it was absolutely delicious. I used milk instead of rum and just 3 cups of chopped apples (because I did not have enough), reduced the sugar a little bit and sprinkled light brown sugar on top. And also i baked in an 8 inch pan. Marvellous recipe! Thank you.
Didn’t change a thing
I did add some apple brandy
Absolutely delicious, sold out in a few hours
This was wonderful, my family loved it. Thank you
This was delicious! I used Cortland apples and the cake was so moist but not too sweet and the rum just elevates it! So good! I put whipped cream on top! I will definitely make this again!
Made this once before and have to make it again it’s just sooo good! If I double the recipe do I double the bake time as well?
Hi Ciara, Glad you liked it! If you’re planning on doubling it, it will definitely take longer but not likely to take double the amount of time. I’d just keep a close eye on it.
Easy to make and a great way to end a meal. Very light and the apples are a reminder of fall.
This is an easy and absolutely delicious recipe. Close your eyes and you’ll think your in Paris. With only a cup of flour, this buttery, not too sweet batter is just enough to enrobe chunks of sweet/tart apples as it puffs up and bakes. You will feel no guilt eating a big slice of this fruity cake/galette. With apples at peak season, I plan to make this many times, even for Thanksgiving which would please people who don’t like pie (whoever they are).
I preferred just a simple dusting of confectioner’s sugar over ice cream which overpowered the subtle sweetness and delicate crumb of the cake. The next day this cake is lovely warmed 20 seconds (maximum) in the microwave. Stop the oven every 5 – 6 seconds and turn the cake 90 degrees so the oven never begins “cooking” the cake.
Anyone can see that Once Upon a Chef’s mom was a wonderful chef in her own right and now Once Upon a Chef has shared this gift with us. Thank you SO MUCH!
Hey, I’ve made this cake twice already and it was amazing, but right now I’m short on white sugar. Would brown sugar be okay?
I’ve only made this with white sugar so I can’t say for sure, but a number of people have commented they’ve made it with brown sugar and have been happy with the result.
I’ve made this cake twice now. I used Mutsu apples from our local orchard and they were an excellent choice for this cake, although I think any baking apple would be great. I diced the apples small and added in 1/2 tsp cinnamon into the dry ingredients for extra flavor. Everyone loved the cake. So easy and quick to make!
I make this recipe a few times a year. It has a great taste, doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, and makes just enough. Sometimes I will replace the flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Flour. I might top it with some almond slivers before baking.
Loved this recipe, I used 1 1/2 Granny Smith apples, and went with the dark rum. Everyone loved it and I’ll be making it again. Thanks!
I made it yesterday and I found the rum to take over the flavor profile. However I liked the concept and since still have more apples, I’ll try again without the rum.
I have a small household and often save a couple of slices of this delicious cake for later. It freezes very nicely and discovered it can be thawed in a jif in the microwave….25-30 seconds and it is warm and more delicious than before!
This cake is incredibly, UNREASONABLY delicious! Especially for how very easy it is to whip together. Didn’t have dark rum, just spiced, and I added a little cinnamon – maybe a tsp, just because my fiancé and I are cinnamon fiends – and it was stupid good. Making it again for my soon to be MIL now – she loves apples, I know it’ll be a hit!!!
OMG! This recipe is so easy to make an sooo delicious! Thank you and this will be made again!!
Jenn, would King Arthur “measure for measure gluten free flour” alter the results of this great looking recipe?
Hi Karen, a lot of readers have commented that they’ve used an all-purpose gluten-free flour like you’re suggesting and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Help please! Not sure what size a measuring cup is? Can you give me more information e.g. weight of the flour and sugar? Thank you.
Hi Ceri, The great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. 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!
Could I freeze this for a week?
Sure – it freezes nicely!
Made this exactly as required except instead of rum I used almond extract, and sprinkled slivered almonds on top with a sprinkle of brown sugar. It was perfect! Thank you.
Wondering about doing it with blueberries and vanilla??
Hi Kim, Glad you like 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.
This was such an easy cake to make ,so simple but the cake was so delicate and delicious,I didn’t have rum but I used whiskey 2 tablespoons and it tasted ok ,I will try to get some rum for next time and there will definitely be a next time,that’s so much for the recipe
Thanks for another excellent recipe Jenn! Since apples can vary in size, I weighed my one very large honeycrisp apple from Trader Joes. It weighed 1 lb, 3 oz and that amount was perfect. If anyone iswondering, about 1lb should be good. Don’t skip the dark rum if possible. 40 minutes at 350 was good.
Jenn, I’ve made this cake at least a dozen times. It is absolute perfection! Not too sweet, fresh and feels like a warm hug. My husband is like an 8 year old with a rubber spatula licking/cleaning the mixing bowl and beaters LOL! I’ve used dark rum, spiced rum, cognac, and calvados. I actually was into the recipe once and only had Grand Marnier, so that went in place of the rum and was amazing. Absolute. Perfection. Thank you!
How was this cake made with Calvados. I imagine it’s really a good compliment to the apples.
This cake was wonderful! Simple ingredients, came together quickly, but oh what flavor! Makes for a lovely dessert! Thanks Jenn!
Wow this recipe is absolutely brilliant, so delicious!
Delicious! I didn’t have dark rum, but I did have spiced rum and it was excellent. Didn’t last long in our house.
Jenn,
Do you think it would work to use Frangelico or Bourbon in place of the rum?
Lisa
Hi Lisa, I’d go with the bourbon. Enjoy!
Love this cake!
We have 2 buckets of tart granny smith, would they work ok? I have sssooo many.
Sure – enjoy! 🙂
Can you make this a day ahead, or is it best eaten the same day?
Sure, this keeps nicely for a few days!
I’ve made this recipe so many times and it always comes out perfectly and receives so much praise! A few alterations I made:
I add in 1/2 cup of slivered almonds, add in a teaspoon of almond extract (on top of the vanilla extract!) and I use spiced rum rather than regular dark rum- it’s a subtle difference but it adds just the right amount of additional flavor to the cake.
This cake is phenomenal! I used several different varieties of apples, trying to use the last of the apples we grew this summer on our farm. I made 1 1/2 times the recipe and baked it in a 9” springform pan. It took about an hour to bake due to the increased amount of ingredients, but it turned out beautifully and was easy to remove from the pan. I served it warm with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce, and our dinner guests absolutely loved it. This recipe is reminiscent of a cake my Belgian neighbor made years ago when we lived in Brussels. Very authentically French and amazingly delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!
Can this recipe be made without rum?
Yes, you can use apple juice, apple cider, or milk in place of the rum. Enjoy!
Dorien Greenspan’s recipe?
I made this today because I had two large Honeycrisp apples that I needed to use. It is absolutely delicious, so light and easy to make. I’m not a fan of dark rum so I bought some Calvados (French apple brandy) to use in the batter, which worked very well. I served the cake with whipped cream sweetened with sugar and flavored with a couple of tablespoons of the Calvados. So yummy. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I have this so many times and it comes out perfect. Have had many compliments on it. Best Apple cake ever
I made this recipe yesterday to take to a friends home. I made it exactly as written and it was amazing. Our friends raved about and my husband labelled it as a keeper. Thank you for sharing this wonderful dessert.
Absolutely amazing and super easy to make. Not too sweet. Perfection.
Yummy. Can this be adjusted to feed a crowd lol? In a cake pan?
Hi Marie, Glad you like it! How many people are you looking to serve?
This recipe was absolutely perfect. I made for our ladies night get together treat and was a big hit. I subbed Captain Morgan rum because that’s all I had. Added chopped pecans on top drizzled with caramel sauce. Thank you for such an amazing recipe, comfort fall feels at its finest 🥰
Any high altitude adjustments needed?
Hi Dona, I don’t have experience baking at high altitudes so, unfortunately, I don’t have any wisdom to share – I’m sorry! You may find these tips helpful though.
Thanks so much for the speedy reply! I used the adjustments from the link and your cake turned out great. Rave reviews from the dinner guests…..
Hi, Dona! I’m in Colorado — curious as to what you added for extra liquid? Did you use an extra egg? Thanks!
I made this with spiced rum. It was amazing. Now I have to make2 more lol
I made this cake this evening. It was super easy to make and took exactly 40 minutes in the oven at 350-degs. I served it warm and it was a hit. (I did, however, add some dried cranberries and about 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to the batter). It was so delicious!!! Bravo!
Can you use bacardi gold (light rum) instead of dark rum? Will this cause a flavor difference? Thank you for always providing wonderful recipes that I can trust!
Paula
Sure, and any flavor difference will be minimal. Enjoy!
Easy and delicious! I used a 10” springform and it worked beautifully. A really lovely dessert that was a perfect, not-too-sweet ending for a fall family dinner.
Just made this recipe. I only had spiced rum. Delicious!
I made this apple cake Saturday, it was quickly eaten and so I needed to make another one Sunday morning! Absolutely delicious and easy to make! Thank you! I will try more of your recipes!
Light, delicious and very easy to make.
Lovely recipe! It gets a 12/10 from me, and it will definitely be made again! 🤤💕