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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Comments
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I have a lot of red delicious and gala apples. Can i use them? Or just the ones listed on this recipe? Also, i dont have any rum can i substitute it for something else? Thanks!
Hi Michelle, the Galas will be fine and you can replace the rum with apple juice or apple cider. Hope you enjoy!
I replaced the rum in the cake with pineapple juice and it tasted great!
Hi,
Can I use self raising flour for this delicious recipe? 🙂
And can I add 2 tsp of cinnamon instead of the rum?
Thank you! Maria
Hi Maria, I haven’t made this with self-rising flour so I can’t say for sure, but another reader commented that she had success with it. And you can certainly add cinnamon to this but if you don’t want to use the rum, I’d suggest replacing it with either apple juice or apple cider. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Wow! I did a quick google search to find recipes to use apples because I have an abundance. This recipe came up and I had everything on hand. Borrowed light rum from a neighbor. I cannot believe how good this cake is and how easy it is to make! A new favorite.
Sheila
Is light rum the same as clear rum or white rum? That’s all I have, and I refuse to go to a store when the entire purpose of me making this recipe is to use up apples. LOL
Yes that’s fine, Lisa. Any type of rum — even spiced rum — will work here.
Delicious! Family loved it!!
Oh my goodness, truly this is one of my new favorite recipes. Very easy to make and the cake (and batter!) is so, so delicious. The rum and vanilla goes so well with the apples and butter. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
Cheryl from Alaska
That’s the best Apple Cake I have ever done! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
A truly wonderful cake, seconds were definitely called for. It brightened our day, thank you 😊
This is definitely making it to my “favourite” recipe collection!! It tastes amazing – eat it hot or cold…either way it is just yummy. Very simple to make. Little effort for big taste!! Can’t wait to make it again for my friends. The only thing that I tweaked was the sugar – I used a little less than the recipe and it tasted fantastic – I probably used 3/4 of the suggested sugar. Just the right level of sweetness.
Just put it in the oven! Since I didn’t have apples, I decided to try with my home grown rhubarbs; I added more sugar since rhubarbs are sour and added a bit of almond extract. Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
This cake is absolutely delicious and so easy to make. It’s my go-to for special occasions! Now I’m wondering if I can substitute the flour with gluten-free flour?
Glad you like it! A number of readers have commented that they’ve made this successfully with gluten-free flour.
Can i use Olive oil instead of butter in cake?
Hi Alpika, olive oil won’t work here, but if you’d like to use solidified coconut oil in place of the butter, that should work. Hope that helps!
Jenn – your website has saved us during this time. We’ve made at least 20 of your dishes and couldn’t be more pleased. It’s one of the best things we have to look forward to. Thank you! Thank you!
Could I make this in a pie plate? If so, what are the baking instructions?
So glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes and they provide some semblance of comfort during this challenging time! Yes, I do think you could bake this in a deep-dish pie plate with no adjustments to the recipe.
Hi Jenn, Made your French Apple Cake about three times. it is so yummy. i have a question about the apple chunks. Are they supposed to be tender or be a bit crisp? The other times i made it i don’t remember the apples being a little crisp. Thanks! Linda
Hi Linda, they should be pretty tender. Did you happen to use a different type of apple this time around? Also, you could try cutting them a bit smaller next time.
Hi Jenn, just chiming in for Linda about the texture of her apples. I cut mine very tiny, probably less than half-inch cubes. I considered shredding the apples but thought maybe that would be a little soggy. I’ll stick to the tiny cubes.
Camilla
This recipe was absolutely foolproof. I used exact measurements with Pink Lady apples which yielded perfectly sweet-tart tender apple chunks in a moist, light cake, with the subtlest hint of rum. Thank you! x