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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I am really sorry to say that I just don’t understand the title or the great reviews. No where through France did I see anything like this cake and no one really liked it . The apples were just wrong – since when is Honey Crisp a baking apple and the French do not cube their apples. From now on I’ll stick to my cookbooks. Sorry. I wanted to like it.
French will totally make that type of desert at home. My mum often used rum in her desert while in Canada we tend to use cinnamon.
I have made your French Apple cake several times and everyone who has tasted it raves about how delicious it i. Thank you for this absolutely delicious recipe
It is very much like Lithuanian apple pie only we don’t add the booze. Since it is extremely sweet it is good any day and anytime of the day:) Very flavorful.
Perfect at first attempt!
Could anyone tell me the exact quantity of butter? Is it half a cup of melted butter?
Hi Naj, It’s 1 stick or 1/2 cup.
Hi Jenn, just wondering how much 1 stick of butter was in grams? 250gms? Thanks!
Hi Korri, It’s 113 g. If you look in the top right corner of the recipe, you’ll see a button that allows you to toggle between metric and cup measures. Hope that helps! 🙂
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For some unknown reason, I cannot rate by marking the stars. However, this cake is amazing. Wholesome & delicious. My only a suggestion would be to double the ingredients and make two cakes. The first will go quickly. TRUST ME 😫
I discovered this cake after coming back from apple picking …….I was too tired/ lazy to start a pie crust for an apple pie. It was in the oven within a half hour and it got a four thumbs up, my husband and me unanimously agree. I have tried dark rum, Calvados, and Maple Whiskey from Canada as they all add a unique little something to the taste. I am planning on doubling the recipe the next time I make it because every time i want a piece, the pan is empty. I have never had any issues with the cake, I often cut the sugar to 1/2cup; I have melted the butter when I did not have enough in the refrigerator and had to pull a package out of the freezer…it is pretty foolproof. I have served the cake with a spiced apple and cranberry sauce and whipped cream.
If people are having problems with their cake rising, maybe their leavening agent, the baking powder is old? So glad I found this cake, so much better than an apple upside down cake.
I just love this cake! It’s my third time making it and today I’m doubling the ingredients because the original ingredients yields a rather small cake. My wife loves it too! I love the simplicity of the recipe and, although I love apples, apple pie is just too much effort! This is a great and delicious compromise. Thanks Jenn Segal.
This cake was absolutely delicious!! I added some flaked almonds on top for a bit of more difference in texture and sliced the apples so I could layer them on top. I have made a lot of cakes but I don’t think I have ever made a more fluffier cake than this one. Also the rum adds a very warm fall-like taste. Thank you so much for sharin!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times in the last couple months. It is amazing. I love apples, but don’t care for apple pie. Thought this might be a nice alternative, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I had some sitting on the counter the day after my first attempt, when friends came over for a birthday party – this cake disappeared! It was a bigger hit than the expensive “official” birthday cake we bought. Every time I’ve made it since, I get a request for the recipe. The recipe is relatively simple which is a HUGE plus. Most baked items this nice would take a lot more effort.