French Apple Cake Recipe

I can never get enough of apples. Even on our island, we have several kinds of apples available in our (not-so) supermarkets. When I found these beautiful Granny Smith apples, the first thing that came to mind was to make this French Apple Cake.

It is easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand. The only ingredient you may not have is Calvados. Calvados is a very popular French Apple Brandy.

Calvados and freshly squeezed lemon juice add a really nice complex flavor to the apples. However, if you don’t have Calvados it is not the end of the world. You can substitute it with white rum.If you do not have either of them, just don’t use it.

That being said, if you are into apple deserts, Calvados is a one-time-investment that is worth every penny. I use a tablespoon of it with all my apple desserts.

This is such a great apple cake recipe to keep up your sleeves when you need a fruity cake for a party or a special guest. The best part of it is that the main character of the cake apples is available year-round.

Other than the fact that it takes a whopping 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake, much shorter prep time compensates for the long baking time.

This French Apple Cake is a wonderful representative of the number one principle of French cooking; Use simple ingredients for incredibly delicious results. Serve it with warm caramel sauce, homemade vanilla ice cream or just by itself. Either way, you and your guests are bound for a treat.

I hope you will get to try it for your family and friends for the holidays ♥

A Few More Apple Recipes You Might Also Like

• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
• Overnight Apple Muesli
• Apple Roses
• Healthy Apple Crumble
• Almond Flour Apple Cake
• Check out all our cake recipes for more inspiration.

French Apple Cake

By Aysegul Sanford

Yields: 8 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Sweet and sour Granny Smith apples nestled in an easy to make cake batter for a French Apple Cake that you can make in under 2 hours. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or powdered sugar like I did.

4.50 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples (3 medium) peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Calvados (optional)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour +2 tablespoons
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 2 egg yolks
• ▢ 1 cup vegetable oil such as canola oil
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

• Place the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Spray a 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray and place it on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
• Place apples into a pie plate, cover them with a dinner plate, and microwave for 3 minutes until apples start to soften and they are slightly translucent. Add Calvados (if using) and lemon juice. Give it a big toss. Set aside for it to cool.
• In a large glass bowl, whisk 1-cup flour, 1-cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a second glass bowl, whisk 1 egg, oil, milk, and vanilla until it is smooth.
• In two batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
• Measure 1 cup of this batter and set it aside.
• Add the egg yolks to the remaining batter (the larger batch) and whisk to combine.
• With the help of a spatula, gently fold in the apples into the batter. The apples should be much cooler at the point.
• Transfer the batter into the 9-inch springform pan. Using a spatula spread the batter evenly.
• Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into reserved 1-cup batter and mix until combined. Pour it over batter in the pan and spread it evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1-tablespoon sugar over the batter.
• Place in the oven and bake it for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Be sure to keep an eye on it after the 1-hour mark. You want the top of the cake to be golden brown.
• Place it on a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least an hour. Dust it with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Cake

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegetarian

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Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s French Apple Cake recipe.