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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So easy and delicious. I would definitely make this again.
This is a great recipe. It’s moist, light, and fluffy. And the apples are amazing in it. I chopped into smaller cubes and used 5 small/medium apples instead, which I was worried about, but it was great. I used rum extract in half the amount and it tasted amazing.
Wasn’t sure about this recipe because of the rum and passed it by several times. Well, my loss as it’s easily the nicest apple cake I’ve ever eaten. It’s easy to make. I used apples from my garden, three as they are on the small side, it’s perfect.
I don’t like granulated sugar on things, so I left it off and gave it a good dusting of icing sugar instead before serving. It’s so tasty we didn’t want anything with it.
I’m in UK, but it was easy to convert into grams, found conversion charts on Google.
My husband says “it’s a keeper”. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! And it may be helpful for you to know that most of my recipes have conversions to grams. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. 🙂
Can I use a loaf pan for this recipe?
Hi Charlotte, you could try it but I’m concerned that it may be a little gummy in the center. If you want an apple bread/cake in a loaf pan, I’d suggest this. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
I made this last night to serve as dessert to the chicken marsala and french green beans recipe from your collection.
It was quick and easy to put together and was AMAZING!!! You taste the butter, it’s moist from the apples, with just the right amount of rum. Truly a home run. My son said he would eat it everyday. Big compliment from him!
This will be my go to dessert recipe.
I made the cake last night.
What a light, elegant, lovely cake.
I had 3 large Granny Smith apples and I chopped them all. It turned out to be way too much (4 cups) and decided to put them all in the cake anyway. I thought it would make the cake thicker. Taller. It did, but it was also kind of wet from so many apple chunks. Soggy in the morning.
My mistake. So don’t use more than 2 1/2 to 3 cups of apple chunks. Jenn knows best 😉
I didn’t have dark rum, so I used Kahlua rum and coffee liquor. It worked perfectly.
I can’t wait to make it again with less apple.
Thank you, Jenn, for a great recipe again 🙂
Excellent recipe as is!!
Made this today. I was not overly crazy about it. Full disclosure- I don’t like the taste of rum and I really tasted it in this cake. If you like rum, you’ll love it! The texture was great – I think it would have been delicious if I scaled back the rum or omitted it completely. The recipe is solid, it’s just a matter of taste.
I have never made a better cake, it was simple yet divine. I love how the apples absolutely shine in this recipe and even the leftover cake holds up beautifully and tastes just as delicious as first baked. What a wonderful way to enjoy the bounty of fall apples. I consider this recipe one of my great finds, Thank You for Sharing!
Made this wonderful cake yesterday and it was amazing!!! Will definitely keep this recipe on dessert rotation.
Looks so good and I can’t wait try to make it!
what is the size of the pan?
Hi Eden, You’ll need a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Can this be made using whole wheat flour instead of all purpose white?
Hi Jamie, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I made it today but somehow it was little soggy other than that it’s very light and tasty . I used the Granny Smith Apple and used brown sugar instead of white sugar.
I didn’t use Rum , I added tbsp of sour cream And little bit of milk bcoz batter was somehow too thick.
Overall good recipe!!