Apple Cake Recipe (A French Classic)
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This French apple cake recipe is wonderfully moist, just sweet enough, and packed with apples in every bite.
In my twenties, I worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook, and her apple cake—with tart apples baked into a tender, buttery rum cake—quickly became one of my favorite desserts. This recipe is based on hers, and it’s every bit as easy to make as it is delicious.
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 a great cake to make in the fall, when apples are at their peak, and throughout the holiday season.
“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, baking powder, and salt: Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake, with a little extra sprinkled over the top before baking to create a delicate, crackly crust.
- Eggs: Bring them to room temperature so they blend smoothly into the butter mixture.
- Vanilla extract and dark rum: The rum gives the cake its distinctive flavor and pairs beautifully with the apples without overpowering them.
- Baking apples: Choose firm apples that hold their shape in the oven, such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. I like slightly tart varieties best to balance the sweetness of the cake.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Optional, for dusting over the cake before serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Apple Cake
Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Make the batter: Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and rum, then add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Add the apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into chunks, then fold them into the batter. The batter will be quite thick and there will be a lot of apples—that’s exactly how it should look.
Bake the cake: Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with sugar, then bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, then remove and dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Video Tutorial
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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 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/Freezing Instructions: The cake is best enjoyed fresh but keeps well 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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easy to make & delicious
Jenn, what a fabulous recipe! This cake is simple, but truly divine. I lived in France for several years and this cake took me right back to the restaurants and boulangeries I loved when I was there. The only change I made was substituting brandy for the dark rum since it was all I had on hand.
I’m so happy I found your site!
Merci beaucoup,
Diane
Yum. Still awesome, easy and impressive every time I make it.
I am always one to sneak a vanilla instant pudding (jello) packet into my cakes to add extra moisture… would that be overkill here or an ok addition?
You really don’t need it here, Hayley – this one is extra moist thanks to the apples. Promise 🙂
Do you think it will be ok without the rum? Just don’t have it and need a delicious dessert without going back to the store. I love all your recipes :).
Hi Marie, Do you have bourbon or brandy? Both would work really well. Otherwise, you could use apple cider or milk.
I have apple cider and milk only :). Thank you so much. Which would be better? The same quantity as the rum?
I’d go with the cider and, yes, same amount as the rum. 🙂
This apple cake is sooo good! Super light but moist. I definitely recommend this recipe to anyone. The only thing I would change is maybe add another half of apple. Apples vary in size and I felt just a few more pieces would make it perfect 🙂 Will be making again for sure. Thanks for a great receipe.
Hi Jen
I’ve only got 8 inch pans. How would I use those?
Thanks so much!
Btw loving EVERY recipe I’ve made from your site!
Jen
Hi Jennifer, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! An 8-inch pan would be fine. It may just take a couple minutes longer in the oven so keep a close eye on it. 🙂
Just made it and it turned out great! Going to make it again…like now😜
OMG. THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING. Plain and simple. No tweaking necessary and multiplies beautifully, and this is coming from someone who pretty much always ends up adding or changing something in a recipe. I have just found a family favorite, I think this is the first cake recipe that we will be sure to make every year. LOVE THIS. literally had all of our guests ask for the recipe!!! And it does actually freeze very well. So happy with this one!!!
Hi. Can I use green apple instead?
If they’re Granny Smith apples, they should work just fine. Hope you enjoy!
What is a good dark rum for baking? I am not a rum drinker.
Hi Daniela, Myer’s brand is a pretty common one, but any dark rum will work. Hope that helps! 🙂
I’ve made this twice now and it is easy and delicious. The first time I made it, I was busy talking with our guests and used 1 cup of butter, instead of 1 stick. It baked beautifully and was yummy. Yesterday, when I made it again, I realized my mistake, but the extra butter made it so good that I used 1 1/2 sticks of butter. It was equally as good as the first time! Even someone who doesn’t like desserts asked for a piece to take home 🙂 Another 5 star recipe from Jenn – thank you!!
I only have white rum…can I use white rum as a substitute?
Definitely!
Thank you!