This recipe for an easy French Apple Cake – Gâteau aux Pommes is simple perfection. It takes very little time to prepare, and bakes in just about 45 minutes.
Jump to RecipeFrench Apple Cake uses lots of apples and a simple custard-like batter infused with rum. Though rum is most common variants include other spirits such as calvados, armagnac or brandy. But, of course, a version without alcohol, using milk or apple juice also works very well indeed.
The cake preparation is very simple and comes together in very little time. Baking takes about 45 minutes. Then all that remains is for the cake to cool down before serving.
For my apple cake I use a springform pan but, as long you grease and flour the cake pan and line the base with parchment paper it will work fine.
This French apple cake is great as a standalone treat, but is even better as a dessert with some whipped cream or some ice-cream.
Happily the ingredients list is not too long either. Just one note on that though. I use Demerara sugar which is raw cane sugar. That has large crystals which don’t dissolve during baking, giving a nice crunch and lovely flavour. Some supermarket ‘own-brand’ Demerara sugar is actually made from processed white sugar with molasses added. It is not the same thing and is usually smaller crystals that behave differently during baking.
Ingredients for French Apple Cake
Apples – A nice firm variety of apple is best. One that doesn’t disintegrate during cooking.
Dark Rum – This is the most common flavour for the batter, however calvados, armagnac, cognac, bready etc also work well. For a non-alcohol version apple juice or milk are a good substitutions.
Flour – Plain flour is best for the cake. It doesn’t use much either.
Butter – Soft unsalted butter is best. You can use salted butter, but then omit, or reduce, the salt specified in the recipe.
Sugar – Caster sugar for the cake batter and then both caster sugar and Demerara sugar for a crunchy top.
Eggs – Medium eggs in UK/Europe or large eggs in North America.
Baking powder – The raising agent to give the cake some lift.
Salt – To draw out the other flavours.
Process For French Apple Cake
It is all very simple. Preheat the oven(180C/160C Fan/350F) and grease and flour the inside of a 9 inch springform pan(or other 9 inch round pan). I like to line the bottom with parchment paper too.
In a large bowl cream the butter and the 133g(2/3 cup) of sugar together. Then beat in each of the eggs, one at a time. Pour in the rum and mix to combine.
Mix the baking powder and salt into the flour. Then add that, in two additions, to the bowl and mix gently until just combined.
Stir in the diced apples until they are all coated in the batter.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and spread over the base, ensuring the top is quite level.
Sprinkle the remaining caster sugar over the top and then do the same with the demerara sugar.
Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Then leave it in the pan for 15 to 30 minutes before turning it out onto a rack for cooling.
My Cake
After 45 minutes my French apple cake was ready. The caster sugar on the top had melted to form a light crust, and the Demerara sugar crystals remained intact, offering a crunch.
I let the cake cook for 15 minutes before tranferring to a rack to cool. Then I cut a slice and was able to enjoy a most delicious cake. The light cake texture, with a delicate rum flavour was perfect. That was a great complement to all those lovely pieces of apple. Altogether a most delicious cake.
Another lovely cake recipe is Perfect & Easy Butter Cake
Easy French Apple Cake – Gâteau aux Pommes
8
servings15
minutes45
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
454 grams diced apples(1 lb)
45 ml dark rum(3 tbsp) – you can use other alcohol, or apple juice/milk
125 grams plain flour(2/3 cup + 3 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup)
133 grams caster sugar(2/3 cup)
113 grams soft unsalted butter(1/2 cup)
2 medium eggs(large in USA)
4 grams baking powder(1 tsp)
3 grams salt(1/2 tsp)
25 grams caster sugar, for the top(2 tbsp)
25 grams Demerara sugar, for the top(2 tbsp)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/350F.
- Grease and flour the inside of a 9 inch(23 cm) springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and cream them together for a couple of minutes
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time until well mixed through.
- Pour in the rum and mix that in as well.
- Mix the baking powder and salt into the flour.
- Add half of the flour mixture into the bowl and gently mix until combined, then do the same with the other half.
- Stir in the apples until they are all well coated in the batter.
- Put the batter into the prepared cake pan and level it out.
- Sprinkle the remaining caster sugar over the top.
- Sprinkle the Demerara sugar over the top as well.
- Bake the cake for 45 minutes. A skewer poked into the centre should come out clean.
- Leave the cake in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.