This French apple cake is the easiest cake you will ever make. It bakes up in one springform pan and doesn’t require special equipment like a mixer or difficult techniques. Simply mix everything together and pour it into the pan. It’s so easy that anyone can make it!
Whether you want to enjoy this cake for breakfast or dessert, this buttery treat is brimming with fresh apples, making it the perfect thing to make once fall arrives and you’ve got an abundance of apples. It also relies on basic pantry ingredients to make, so the apple flavors really shine through. Want more delicious, crowd-pleasing apple treats? Try my apple bread recipe, apple muffins recipe, or apple galette recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Flour — you don’t need anything fancy to make this French apple cake. I use all-purpose flour for the cake.
Baking powder — to keep the crumb light and fluffy, make sure the baking powder has not expired. It really helps lift the cake.
Apples — always make sure you are using baking apples. Baking apples hold their shape as they bake, whereas other apples turn mushy or grainy inside the cake. I like to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples for this French apple dessert.
Butter — make sure you use unsalted butter to prevent the cake from tasting salty. Every brand has a different amount of salt in their salted butter, so it’s more accurate to use unsalted butter and then add salt to the batter.
Rum — dark rum adds a little extra flavor to the cake. If you don’t have rum, you can use bourbon or brandy if that’s what you have on hand.
Vanilla extract — real vanilla extract is ideal.
How to Make French Apple Cake
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Add the sugar, melted butter, rum, and vanilla.
3. Whisk until well combined
4. Stir in the flour mixture.
5. Fold in the apples.
6. Pour the batter into a greased and parchment-lined 9-inch springform cake pan. Sprinkle the top lightly with additional sugar, if desired. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing it. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- I highly recommend you use a scale to measure your flour for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy French apple cake.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined, and avoid using a mixer.
- The cake goes really well with vanilla ice cream, sweetened whipped cream, or crème fraîche.
- You can use different varieties of apples instead of one for more contrast in apple flavors. For example, use half sweet apples and half tart apples.
- You can change the size of the diced apples based on what texture you prefer. They’ll retain more of their crunch if you chop the apples into large pieces. Smaller pieces of apples will be more tender.
- I highly recommend using a springform pan with a removable bottom to make it easier to remove the cake.
- Prior to baking, tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
- For the eggs to easily incorporate evenly into your batter without overmixing, bring them to room temperature beforehand. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend peeling the apples as the skin can be chewy after baking, leading to an undesirable texture in the cake.
You can keep the apple cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or inside the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving for the best flavor.
This French apple cake with rum is freezer-friendly! You can freeze this cake whole or in slices. To freeze, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil or transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Store the cake for up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, thaw and bring to room temperature before serving.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this French Apple Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
French Apple Cake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- 9-inch springform cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (113g)
- ¼ cup dark rum (60ml)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 pound large apples peeled, cored, and chopped into ½” cubes, I like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp (2 to 3 apples/450g)
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Whisk in the sugar, melted butter, rum, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the apples. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top lightly with additional sugar, if desired.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the pan, then release the spring and remove the side. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Notes
- I highly recommend you use a scale to measure your flour for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy cake.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined, and avoid using a mixer.
- The cake goes really well with vanilla ice cream, sweetened whipped cream, or crème fraîche.
- You can use different varieties of apples instead of one for more contrast in apple flavors. For example, use half sweet apples and half tart apples.
- You can change the size of the diced apples based on what texture you prefer. They’ll retain more of their crunch if you chop the apples into large pieces. Smaller pieces of apples will be more tender.
- I highly recommend using a springform pan with a removable bottom to make it easier to remove the cake.
- Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
- For the eggs to easily incorporate evenly into your batter without overmixing, bring them to room temperature beforehand. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
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