I made a Classic French Apple Cake that reads more like a crustless tart, piled with thin apple slices held together by a nearly invisible ribbon of batter and hiding a clever little trick.
I keep going back to this French Apple Cake because it feels like a crustless tart more than a cake, mostly apples with just a little batter to hold them. I slice the apples thin so they kind of collapse into each other and add a splash of vanilla extract to wake it up.
Sometimes I picture it as an Invisible Apple Cake In A Loaf Pan, other times I call it a Classic French Apple Cake that’s rude enough to be simple. It’s never perfect, I mess up measurements, but somehow those humble fruits make something oddly irresistible.
Ingredients
- Apples: provide fiber and vitamin C, add tart sweetness and texture.
- Sugar: gives the cake sweetness and tender crumb, but not much nutrition.
- Eggs: they bind, add protein and richness, and help the cake rise.
- Butter: adds fat, moisture and a buttery flavor, makes it richer.
- Flour: provides structure and carbs, too much will make it dense.
- Milk: adds moisture and creaminess, softens crumb and helps mixing.
- Lemon: brightens flavor with acidity, zest adds fragrant citrus notes.
- Rum: optional, brings boozy warmth and depth, pairs great with apples.
Ingredient Quantities
- 4 medium apples, about 600 g, firm variety like Granny Smith or Braeburn
- 3 large eggs
- 150 g granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup)
- 125 g all purpose flour (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of fine salt
- 125 ml whole milk or light cream (1/2 cup)
- 80 g unsalted butter, melted (about 6 tbsp)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon dark rum or Calvados, optional
- 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 180C / 350F and butter a 23 cm (9 inch) springform or cake pan, line the bottom with parchment if you want, then set aside.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice the 4 medium apples (about 600 g). Toss the slices with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the optional 1 tablespoon rum or Calvados so they dont brown and get extra flavor.
3. In a large bowl whisk 3 large eggs with 150 g sugar until the mixture is paler and a bit thicker, about 2–3 minutes by hand or 1 minute with a mixer, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
4. Add 125 ml whole milk or light cream and the 80 g melted butter (cooled a little so it wont cook the eggs), mix until combined.
5. Sift together 125 g all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of fine salt, then fold the dry mix into the wet ingredients gently until just smooth, dont overmix.
6. Fold the prepared apples into the batter so theyre well coated, the batter will be fairly thin because there are lots of apples, thats how it should be.
7. Pour everything into the prepared pan, spread evenly and press a few apple slices on top if you like. Bake in the center of the oven 45 to 55 minutes, check at 40 minutes; the cake is done when the top is golden and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. If it browns too fast tent with foil.
8. Let the cake cool at least 15 to 20 minutes in the pan before removing, then cool a bit more on a rack. Dust with 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar if using and serve warm or at room temperature.
Equipment Needed
1. 23 cm (9 inch) springform or cake pan, plus parchment paper and butter for greasing
2. Large mixing bowl and a smaller bowl for measuring or resting ingredients
3. Whisk (or a hand mixer if you want to save time)
4. Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons for the flour, sugar, milk etc
5. Chef’s knife, vegetable peeler and cutting board for peeling, coring and slicing the apples
6. Sifter or fine mesh sieve to sift the flour and baking powder
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding the batter so you dont overmix
8. Oven mitts, a skewer to test doneness, and a cooling rack for resting the cake
FAQ
French Apple Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Apples: swap with pears (Bosc work great) or use sweeter apples like Fuji or Gala, about the same weight (600 g); if they’re very sweet cut the granulated sugar by ~20 g.
- Sugar: use light brown sugar 1:1 for a moister, caramel-y note, or try honey/maple syrup at about 3/4 the volume and reduce the milk by ~2 tbsp so the batter isnt too wet.
- Flour: replace the all purpose flour with a gluten free 1:1 baking blend by weight (125 g), or use pastry flour for an even lighter crumb, same amount.
- Eggs: for each egg use 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (mix and let sit 5 min) as a vegan binder, or swap with ~60 g applesauce per egg for extra moisture but expect a denser cake.
Pro Tips
– Weigh the flour if you can, its way more reliable than cups. If you only have cups, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off, dont pack it down or the cake will be dense.
– Let the melted butter cool till it’s just warm before you add it to the eggs, or slowly drizzle it in while whisking so you dont end up with little cooked egg bits. Room temp eggs and milk mix together better too.
– If your apples are very juicy, toss them with a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter so they dont make the batter too thin or sink to the bottom. Slice them evenly, a mandoline or a steady hand helps so everything bakes at the same time.
– Watch the top near the end of baking and tent with foil if it gets too dark, check doneness with a skewer for a few moist crumbs not wet batter, and let the cake cool in the pan at least 15 to 20 minutes before you try to unmold it so it wont fall apart.
French Apple Cake Recipe
I made a Classic French Apple Cake that reads more like a crustless tart, piled with thin apple slices held together by a nearly invisible ribbon of batter and hiding a clever little trick.
8
servings
279
kcal
Equipment: 1. 23 cm (9 inch) springform or cake pan, plus parchment paper and butter for greasing
2. Large mixing bowl and a smaller bowl for measuring or resting ingredients
3. Whisk (or a hand mixer if you want to save time)
4. Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons for the flour, sugar, milk etc
5. Chef’s knife, vegetable peeler and cutting board for peeling, coring and slicing the apples
6. Sifter or fine mesh sieve to sift the flour and baking powder
7. Rubber spatula and a wooden spoon for folding the batter so you dont overmix
8. Oven mitts, a skewer to test doneness, and a cooling rack for resting the cake
Ingredients
4 medium apples, about 600 g, firm variety like Granny Smith or Braeburn
3 large eggs
150 g granulated sugar (about 3/4 cup)
125 g all purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of fine salt
125 ml whole milk or light cream (1/2 cup)
80 g unsalted butter, melted (about 6 tbsp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dark rum or Calvados, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F and butter a 23 cm (9 inch) springform or cake pan, line the bottom with parchment if you want, then set aside.
- Peel, core and thinly slice the 4 medium apples (about 600 g). Toss the slices with the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and the optional 1 tablespoon rum or Calvados so they dont brown and get extra flavor.
- In a large bowl whisk 3 large eggs with 150 g sugar until the mixture is paler and a bit thicker, about 2–3 minutes by hand or 1 minute with a mixer, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Add 125 ml whole milk or light cream and the 80 g melted butter (cooled a little so it wont cook the eggs), mix until combined.
- Sift together 125 g all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and a pinch of fine salt, then fold the dry mix into the wet ingredients gently until just smooth, dont overmix.
- Fold the prepared apples into the batter so theyre well coated, the batter will be fairly thin because there are lots of apples, thats how it should be.
- Pour everything into the prepared pan, spread evenly and press a few apple slices on top if you like. Bake in the center of the oven 45 to 55 minutes, check at 40 minutes; the cake is done when the top is golden and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. If it browns too fast tent with foil.
- Let the cake cool at least 15 to 20 minutes in the pan before removing, then cool a bit more on a rack. Dust with 1 to 2 tablespoons powdered sugar if using and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 154g
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 279kcal
- Fat: 12.8g
- Saturated Fat: 6.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.21g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.5g
- Monounsaturated: 2.5g
- Cholesterol: 93mg
- Sodium: 94mg
- Potassium: 145mg
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2.3g
- Sugar: 27g
- Protein: 4.6g
- Vitamin A: 188IU
- Vitamin C: 4.7mg
- Calcium: 31mg
- Iron: 0.49mg
