French Apple Cake - Easy - Recipe Winners (2024)

What Is French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake is really a lot of apple with a little bit of batter joining the apples together, baked till tender then a sugary, butter topping finishes off the cake. It’s more of a crustless tart than a cake, and perfect for serving after a hearty meal.

This French Apple Cake recipe is from Patricia Wells, an American cookbook author and teacher, who has lived in Paris for years. The story goes that Wells asked a Parisienne stall holder selling apples from her family orchard for a recipe.

This is her resulting French apple cake recipe. It’s a homely recipe, typical of French provincial home cooking. Delicious served cold with some Quick No Churn Vanilla Bean Ice cream, or hot with a Super Simple Creme Anglaise (custard).

At a Glance This Is What You Need To Make French Apple Cake

We grew up surrounded by apple orchards so consequently apples featured heavily in our dessert repertoire. Although this particular cake recipe wasn’t about in the day, it would have been snaffled up, had it been.

All In One Apple Cake

This French Apple Cake is a little winner. You’re simply making a batter and coating the apple slices with the batter and baking for 30 minutes then pouring a little topping made with egg, sugar and butter that bakes till its golden and a little crunchy on top. Super easy and delish! 😄

What Apples Are Best For Apple Cake

We used Granny Smith apples that are moderately sweet with crisp flesh, fresh from the orchard of our friend Carol. You can use whatever apples you like, but some apples contain more moisture than others, so the cooking time won’t be a constant.

When it comes to baking, the best baking apple varieties maintain their structure. The slices hold their shape and don’t go all mushy.

There are lots of other varieties that you can use such as:

• Fuji – sweet and juicy
• Pink Lady – balance between tart and sweet
• Golden Delicious – firm, with a mild sweet flavour
• Jazz – crisp and sweet
• Honeycrisp – honey-sweet and tart flavour
• Jonagold – tangy sweet flavour

Hot Tip # 1

Using a mandolin makes short work to slice the apples, but a sharp knife will do the job. Try to get the apple slices as thin as possible.

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The Batter

Hot Tip # 2

The batter for French Apple Cake is quite thin and the best way to make sure each slice of apple is coated is to use your hands to rub the apple slices ensuring that each slice is covered in the batter.

The Topping

The topping of melted butter, sugar and an egg mixed together sets to a thin crunchy golden topping that really finishes off the cake beautifully.

How To Store French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before serving remove cake from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature for an hour or so.

Can I Freeze French Apple Cake

French Apple Cake can be frozen. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic film then wrap in alfoil. Freeze for 6-8 weeks. Take cake from freezer and remove alfoil and place on a plate in the refrigerator still covered to thaw overnight. Bring the cake to room temperature for an hour or so, removing plastic wrapping just before serving.

If you’d like to serve it warm unwrap the cake and preheat oven to 160c (320f) and pop the cake on a baking sheet for around twenty minutes. You’re not looking for the cake to be piping hot just simply to warm the cake if you don’t want it cold.

Watch How To Make French Apple Cake

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Yield: 10 serves

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French Apple Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

French apple cake is really a lot of apple with a little bit of batter joining the apples together, baked till tender then a sugary, butter topping finishes off the cake. It's more of a crustless tart than a cake, and perfect for serving after a hearty soup or stew.

Ingredients

Cake

• lightly butter a 22cm (9 inch) cake tin and line base with baking paper
• 1/2 cup plain (all purpose) flour
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/3 cup full cream milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 large apples (about 1 kg / 2 pounds) cored, peeled and cut into thin slices - see notes
• icing sugar to dust - optional

Topping

• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten lightly
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

Cake

• preheat oven to 200c (400f) bake not fan
• in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
• add the vanilla, eggs, oil and milk and mix till well combined
• add the apple slices and using your hands mix the apple with the batter so as to coat each individual slice of apple
• pour into the prepared pan and bake on the centre shelf for 30 minutes - pop a timer on

Topping

• in a small bowl combine the egg, sugar and butter and stir to blend then set aside
• when the 30 minutes for the cake is up, remove cake from oven
• pour topping mix over the cake and spread the topping evenly over the apples
• return to oven for 20 minutes until some of the apple slices are tinged golden
• remove cake from oven onto a wire rack
• run a knife around the sides of the pan and allow to cool
• turn cake out onto a plate and then turn onto an airing rack so the top of the cake is once again upright
• cool
• dust with icing sugar
• serve at room temperature
• enjoy!

Notes

• We used Granny Smith apples fresh from the orchard of our friend Carol. You can use whatever apples you like, but some apples contain more moisture than others, so the cooking time won't be a constant.
• Slice apples as thin as possible

Nutrition Information

Yield

10

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 205Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 69mgSodium 233mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 0gSugar 29gProtein 2g

Nutritional information provided here is only intended as a guide.

Cooper standing guard, just incase something should fall while we do the finishing shots.