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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We fought over the leftovers!
🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
Made the cake last night for my family and everyone absolutely loved it! It’s light and delicate, and delicious!! Thank you!
The best ever apple cake. Thank u so much!
Absolutely delicious 😋 only used 1/2 cup sugar and topped it with 1tbsp of demara brown sugar and sliced almonds.
Absolutely delicious. I will make this again for Rosh HaShana.
Wow! Fabulous!
Hi Jenn, can I use spiced rum in this recipe in place of dark rum? Thanks
Yup! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Is there anything I can sub for butter if I need this to be non dairy?
Hi Corinne, a number of readers have commented that they’ve used coconut oil successfully here. Hope that helps and that you enjoy if you make it!
I made it this time with brandy, absolutely divine. Thanks Jenn
Thanks for sharing this! Looks delicious. I only have a 7 inch round tin or a 9inch square tin. Do you think it will work without any adjustments? Thanks.
Hi Fran, I’d probably go with the 9-inch square pan. The cake will not be as deep and will take less time in the oven so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Parfait ! Parfait ! Parfait !
Bravo et merci !!!:-)
Ok, almost midnight, but I have to write this review after enjoying a delicious piece of one of the two cake I made with my two girls late tonight. This is simply a fantastic recipe in its simplicity and taste. We use the weekend to visit one our local farm and do some early apple picking, and I was devastated to see how much damage a hail storm had caused to the apples at the farm. Despite the farmers encouraging visitors to not mind the external damage, it was just really bad and very hard to pick anything to eat fresh. Then I told my wife and the girls that we can still pick our regular load of apples to support the farm and just go through Jenn’s book and website for recipes that use apples. And of course, right to the cellphones and the first thing that caught my attention is this cake … probably because of the French thing. Long story short, we were back to the house with probably a good 10 lbs of hail battered crimson crisp. We had a very late start in baking tonight and decided on making two cakes (one with almond and one with rum) to address some early conflicts among the girls. The plan was to enjoy the cakes in the morning since they were going to be ready late. But I felt bad for sending the girls to the bed and pulled them out of bed (they were not really sleeping and keep coming down) as soon as the cakes were ready. That was a mistake as they wanted theirs with vanilla ice cream and I had to resist tasting the cake while they kept raving with my wife about how delicious it is. Well, as soon as they went to bed I decide to cave in and cut me a very nice piece of the rum-flavored cake and it was soo goooooooood. I now regret not also going for the ice-cream :-). If I have not written a book already, I can probably write a book about how great this recipe is and how delicious the cakes came out. We are going to be making more with all that crimson crop we have and share with our neighbors … the girls love it !!!
Thank you Jenn and again, you are costing Vie de France !!! 🙂
🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled and then baked in a 9 inch springform round pan? Would it affect the baking time end temperature?
Hi Helena, If you’d like to double this, you’d get the best results with two 9-inch springforms or regular cake pans (I wouldn’t suggest putting all the batter in one 9-inch springform). You could also get away with doubling it and using a 9 x 13-inch pan. It may take a bit longer in the oven- just keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen, I want to make non alcoholic version of this cake so what can I substitute for rum?
Hi SK, you can replace the rum with an equivalent amount of apple juice or apple cider. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks Jen! I will try that.