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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The taste of this cake is so wonderful and full of depth! I followed the recipe as written: I used a 9in. springform pan and diced 4 med. Granny Smith apples to measure 3 1/2 c and the height of the cake was 1 1/2 in. as expected. I’m always careful to not over mix. However, I wouldn’t describe the cake as light and fluffy , as some have, but rather, moist and even gummy. Did I do something wrong? Is this how the cake is supposed to be? I would prefer a drier crumb .
Hi Elisa, It shouldn’t be gummy, but it should be moist. Is it possible it was a bit underbaked?
Hmmm… maybe. I removed it from the oven after 35 min. bc my toothpick was clean. I used Gold Medal bleached flour could that make a difference?
I don’t think the flour was a problem. I suspect that it was just a bit underbaked.
You may have used too many apples( too much moisture), try 2 apples instead.
Hi Jenn:
This cake is a huge family and friend favourite. Can I double or even triple the ingredients to make a larger quantity. Can I also double the quantity and use the same size baking dish to get a cake that has more depth.
Hi Jacqueline, So glad you enjoy this! If you want to double the recipe, you’ll get the best results with two 9-inch springforms or regular cake pans. If not, you could get away with a 9 x 13-inch pan. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn,
What can we substitute in place of rum?
Love your recipes and aesthetic website! Thank you for what you do 🙂
You can replace the rum with apple juice or apple cider. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Thank you!
This cake is amazing. I have made it several times and everyone loves it. I was wondering if it could be altered by taking out the apples. The cake part is really tasty by itself and I want to use it as a base for other desserts. If I leave out the apples would I have to bake it for a shorter amount of time since it won’t have as much moisture?
Hi Stacey, Unfortunately, I think the cake will be dry without the apples; they add a lot of moisture. Sorry!
This recipe was amazing. Just finished making it and I’m on my second slice. I reduced the sugar by a smidgen to 112 grams because most recipes often are too sweet for me. I could definitely taste the rum which was a bonus to me. It seemed like the apples soaked up most of it. Or maybe Barbadian rum is stronger. I’ll definitely be making this again. I have to freeze some to keep and have with ice cream. Heavenly.
Hi
I will be making this for an upcoming gathering and will probably freeze in readiness. If I want to serve it warm, would you defrost thoroughly and then put uncovered in the oven on a gentle heat? How hot would you have the oven and for how long?
Hi Kaly, I’d put the cake on a baking sheet and place it in a cold oven. Set the oven temp to 250 degrees and let it heat up for 10 to 15 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
I’ve heard rave reviews from my friend about this “must make” cake but unfortunately am allergic to apples!! Is there anything that I could replace them with? Perhaps pineapple?
Hi Chantel, So glad you’ve heard good things about the cake! I think this would also work well with peaches or pears. I also have a strawberry cake that you may want to take a peek at. Hope you enjoy whatever you make! 🙂
Could I use canned pears? We can’t go to the store right now for obvious reasons but I still want to make this cake. What do you think? Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend it — I think they’d be too soft. Sorry!
I have not made this yet but I am wondering if I can add caramel over the top of it. Thanks!
Sure, Denise, that will work. Enjoy!
Can you use canned apples?
I think it would be best to stick with fresh apples for this — sorry!
Just made this this morning, not only was it super easy but it was delicious – a huge hit with everyone. I used Fuji apples and Myers Dark Rum. Thank you thank you – will definitely make this again.
Just made this cake, its super light and delicious. not sweet at all so for those who like sweet, you’ll need more sugar. I didn’t use any rum – instead, I add 1 tbsp of lemon juice and a bit of cinnamon. Also I used 4 apples (2 wasn’t enough to have 3.5 to 4 cups of chopped apples). Overall great cake one of those recipes when you need something quick and impressive for unexpected guests. Thank you for sharing – I’ll be making it again.
This is the first cake I’ve ever made and it was so easy. So thanks for that. However, being as picky as I am, there is no taste of the rum (I used spiced rum), so I’m going to try adding more rum next time. Also, I used braeburn apples but they were too dull tasting for this recipe. I’d suggest that anyone making this for the first time make sure you have a juicy and sweet apple for this. In any case, Jenn, can you tell me whether I’d be able to substitute the rum with sparkling wine? If so, how much sparkling would I use to make this work? Your recipe along with these ingredients work for me (easy and uncomplicated), so I’m hoping I can convert it into a “champagne cake” for an upcoming event. I understand that the liquid quantity would be much greater but I just can’t find a suitable recipe I like. Hope you can help. Thanks!
Hi Tessa, Glad you enjoyed the cake! I think you could increase the rum by 1 tablespoon, but I wouldn’t use any more than that as it will affect the structure of the cake. If you’d like a stronger rum flavor, I’d probably leave the recipe as is but add a rum-flavored whipped cream or rum glaze. As for the sparkling wine, I wouldn’t use any more than 3 to 4 tablespoons. Hope that helps!