Apple Cake Recipe (A French Classic)
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With tart apples baked into a buttery cake with just a hint of rum, this might be the best apple cake you’ll ever taste. It’s simple yet so satisfying—perfect for dessert, a cozy afternoon snack, or even breakfast (yes, it’s that good!).
The summer after my junior year of college, I worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three energetic little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook and often enlisted my help in the kitchen once the kids were in bed. Her apple cake recipe, with chunks of tart apples nestled in a tender, buttery rum cake, quickly became one of my all-time favorite fall desserts. Like many French classics—think clafoutis, madeleines, or crepes—it’s wonderfully simple yet incredibly satisfying. A slice is perfect with a cup of coffee in the afternoon or served as dessert with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
“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: Forms the base of the cake, keeping it light and tender.
- Baking powder: Gives the cake its lovely rise and fluffiness.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor and moisture, making the cake soft and buttery.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and gives it a crisp topping.
- Eggs: Help bind the ingredients and create structure.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and complements the apples.
- Dark rum: Adds a hint of depth and complexity to the cake. If you’d like to omit the rum, you can replace it with milk, apple cider, or apple juice.
- Baking apples: Tart-sweet varietals provide the perfect balance of flavor and also make the cake incredibly moist. When this baking this cake or other desserts with apples, such as apple crisp, apple pie, or apple cobbler, it’s important to use apples suitable for baking. These apples hold their shape when cooked, so the chunks of fruit won’t turn into applesauce in the oven. Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp apples are both great options. Feel free to combine different varieties for a more nuanced flavor.
- Confectioners’ sugar (optional): A light dusting gives the cake a pretty finish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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 curdled at this point; that’s okay.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Mix until just combined.
Add the peeled and 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 a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A dash of cinnamon would be a nice addition, too.
Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions
The cake is best enjoyed fresh but keeps well at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store it 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.
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Video Tutorial
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 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (3½ to 4 cups chopped; 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 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.
Notes
- When this 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/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake is best enjoyed fresh but 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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This is such a fantastic recipe and will be a staple in our repertoire. I bake with my 5 year old and the recipe is so easy to follow and it turned out perfectly. Thank you so much.
Do you think it would be possible to bake multiples of this cake and layer it? Or is it too fragile to handle layering?
Hi Dovydas, this cake is pretty heavy so I don’t think it lends itself all that well to a layer cake – sorry!
Good evening! Can dark Rum be omitted or is there a substitute for it? Thanks.
I don’t havve rum so upped the vanilla.
This has become a go to recipe for me. It’s quick and easy, not too sweet, and always delicious and moist. Thank you Jen
5 stars!! The little bit of rum in the cake adds a perfect nuance of flavor and sets up the taste of the apples just right. The cake is light,
moist and not too sweet. This was the first recipe I made from ‘Once upon a chef’ site and I was a convert at first bite. My husband couldn’t say enough good things about it.
In the oven & the house smells great! I’ve made this recipe many times and it is easy, no-fail & tastes Magnifique! Great way to impress guests. I plan to serve this after a dinner of Jenn’s slow roasted salmon with string beans and shallots… yum!!!
This recipe is perfection!! My family adore this cake so much. It’s buttery, tender and the tartness of the apples is the perfect complement to the sweetness of the batter. The sugar on top is a nice touch too!
This recipe was my first introduction to Jenn Segal and Once Upon a Chef. The cake was so simple to make and my guests absolutely loved every bite. I did cut down on the rum, using only a tablespoon for a hint of flavor. After trying dozens of Jenn’s recipes, I bought her cookbook and it’s a gem. I also bought one for my sister for Christmas-we each try different recipes and share our results. I cannot wait for the next one to come out. As many have commented, Jenn’s recipes are foolproof and delicious every time. I really am so appreciative that she shares her knowledge and expertise and I come out looking like I know what I’m doing!
I’ve made this cake so many times and it turned out great every time! I have made it sprinkling granulated sugar on the top as well as confectioners sugar but I actually prefer it without. It always turns out so moist and so delicious that it doesn’t need the extra sugar anyways. I tend to use a sweet or Apple like Honeycrisp or pink lady as I find that both these apples hold their shape during the The cooking process and they still have some crisp too.
This cake is so simple you can’t go wrong.
The first time I made this French Apple cake, the two of us sat down cut two nice slices, finished them and cut two more slices. Delicious! We looked at each other and finished the cake. We have made it many, many times since that night and we never grow tired of it. It is my go to recipe when we are having last minute company because it is so quick to put together. A great ending to any meal!