This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This French apple cake recipe is wonderfully moist, just sweet enough, and packed with apples in every bite.
In my twenties, I worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook, and her apple cake—with tart apples baked into a tender, buttery rum cake—quickly became one of my favorite desserts. This recipe is based on hers, and it’s every bit as easy to make as it is delicious.
Pair it with a cup of coffee in the afternoon or serve it for dessert topped with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s a great cake to make in the fall, when apples are at their peak, and throughout the holiday season.
“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, baking powder, and salt: Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Unsalted butter: Make sure it’s at room temperature so it creams properly with the sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake, with a little extra sprinkled over the top before baking to create a delicate, crackly crust.
- Eggs: Bring them to room temperature so they blend smoothly into the butter mixture.
- Vanilla extract and dark rum: The rum gives the cake its distinctive flavor and pairs beautifully with the apples without overpowering them.
- Baking apples: Choose firm apples that hold their shape in the oven, such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. I like slightly tart varieties best to balance the sweetness of the cake.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Optional, for dusting over the cake before serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Apple Cake
Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Make the batter: Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla and rum, then add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
Add the apples: Peel, core, and cut the apples into chunks, then fold them into the batter. The batter will be quite thick and there will be a lot of apples—that’s exactly how it should look.
Bake the cake: Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with sugar, then bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, then remove and dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing
This apple cake is best enjoyed fresh, but it will keep nicely for up to 2 days at room temperature, covered with a cake dome or foil. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or freezer wrap. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
Video Tutorial
Apple Cake Recipe (The French Classic)
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 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2½ cups; 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 curdled 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). The cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- When 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.
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.
More Apple Recipes You May Like
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Could you add a little cinnamon and nutmeg to the apples before mixing into the batter? If so how much?
Hi CY, I’d start with ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg. That should add a little warmth without overpowering the apples and rum. Hope you enjoy!
What can I use instead of rum ?
You can replace the rum with apple juice, apple cider, or milk.
Hi I’m going to make this tomorrow for friends. I’m stressing I don’t have any rum,,,,, can I get away baking this German apple cake without the rum? Thanks in advance , would so appreciate a reply .
Sure, Sarah, that’s fine. You can replace the rum with apple juice, apple cider, or milk. Hope your friends enjoy!
How about a rum flavoring?
Sure, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of extract plus 2.5 tablespoons of apple juice, apple cider, or milk.
So good and easy to make. Not too sweet, light, and moist with a light butter, egg and apple aroma (used milk instead of rum. will have to try with rum next time).
First time I made it, it was a bit custardy and dense. This time, I baked longer and made sure the toothpick was definitely coming out clean and it was perfect.
Brought it to work and got a clean plate and great feedback
Hi Jenn, I love this cake and I have made it several times! It seems to come out a bit flat and dense each time I make it, but it tastes great. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Hi Elle, glad you like the cake! This is a pretty low-profile cake, so you’re not going to get a big rise out of it. In terms of texture, because of all the fruit, it’s pretty dense. (So the bottom line is, it doesn’t sound like you’re doing anything wrong.) 😊
Have made this apple cake several times and it never disappoints. A friend was going through home renovations and I made them a meal and the apple cake. They loved it. I have referred her to your website for recipes. Bought your cookbook for my daughter in law and she really likes it. Keep up the good work, Jennifer.
Hi Jennifer,
This Apple Cake recipe is amazing…I made it five times already and it always turns out great. Thank you😊
Hello! As a testament to this wonderful recipe, I have made it 7 times since I discovered it 3 weeks ago, with rave reviews from whoever eats it. I also have a quick question: if I were to double the recipe, could I make it in a bundt pan? If so, approximately how long should I bake it for? Thank you!
So glad you’ve enjoyed this enough to make it on repeat! Although I haven’t made this in a Bundt pan, I think you could. Doubling it is the way to go – the bake time will be different. I’d guesstimate it will take around 60 minutes, but keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out! 😊