French Apple Cake - Easy - Recipe Winners (2024)

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French Apple Cake - Easy - Recipe Winners (1)

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

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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.

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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

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.

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  • Apple Frangipane Tart

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  • Easy French Apple Frangipane Crustless Tart

  • Brown Butter Apple Cake

French Apple Cake - Easy - Recipe Winners (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of apple cake in France? ›

According to the Larousse Gastronomique, it was created by the sisters Tatin and democratized in their restaurant "Lamotte-Beuvron" in the 19th century. This apple pie is actually a derivative of an old Solognese speciality with apples or pears.

Why does my apple cake fall apart? ›

Why Did My Apple Cake Fall Apart? There are two main reasons why an apple cake would fall apart: (1) it was simply too warm when you were trying to cut and serve it or (2) you used too many/the wrong kind of apple.

What are the best apples for baking? ›

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

Where does apple cake come from? ›

kind that would be made all over Ireland throughout. apple harvest season.

Who was the French lady who ate cake? ›

Attribution to Marie Antoinette. The phrase was supposedly said by Marie Antoinette in 1789, during one of the famines in France during the reign of her husband, King Louis XVI. But it was not attributed to her until half a century later.

What is the oldest cake in the world? ›

The world's oldest known cake, baked during the reign of Pepi II in Egypt between BCE 2251 and 2157. Alimentarium, Vevey, Switzerland. The Egyptians gave us the world's oldest known cake–and also the world's oldest Tupperware as it happens.

Why is my apple cake not cooking in the middle? ›

Cakes sink in the middle due to several reasons. One reason is that the cake batter might be too moist, causing it to collapse during baking. Another reason could be that the oven temperature is too low, leading to uneven baking. Opening the oven door too frequently while baking can also cause cakes to sink.

Why does my apple cake sink in the middle? ›

What Causes A Cake To Sink In The Middle? Using too-small tins, not mixing your wet batter right, or being too rough with the oven door often leads to a huge baking flop.

Why is my apple cake wet? ›

It could mean that the apple puree was slightly loose, which could have contributed to the damp texture of the cake. The apple puree should be quite thick and not too wet, so if Bramleys are used it may help to cook the puree until it has reduced and thickened a little.

What apples should not be used for apple pie? ›

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

Is a Honeycrisp apple good for baking? ›

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

Why is my apple cake dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

What is bakery apple cake made of? ›

Apple Cake Ingredients

Butter and Applesauce: This moist apple cake recipe uses a blend of butter and applesauce. Eggs: Three eggs lend moisture and help bind the batter together. Sugar: One cup of brown sugar add sweetness. Flour: All-purpose flour gives the apple cake structure.

Why is Dutch apple cake so popular? ›

The crumb in this cake is light, flaky and moist. It is NOT a sweet cake, which is why I think it has been so popular. The cake really gets most of its sweetness from the apples.

What is the history of the French King Cake? ›

The King Cake is believed to have originated in France around the 12th century. These early Europeans celebrated the coming of the three wise men bearing gifts twelve days after Christmas calling it the Feast of the epiphany, Twelfth Night, or King's Day.

What is the history of apple desserts? ›

Apple Pie – The earliest apple pie recipe hails from England in 1381! (If you're interested in the controversy over who invented “pie à la mode” click here.) Eve's Pudding – This British dessert is made up of apples baked under a Victoria sponge cake. The earliest recipe dates from 1824.

What is the history of the French opera cake? ›

The Origins of the Opera Cake

According to this version, Gavillon invented the cake in 1955, inspired to create a dessert whose every bite would encompass all its flavors. The chef's wife is said to have suggested the name "Opera" due to its resemblance to the stage at the Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera House.

What is the history of cake in Europe? ›

According to food historians, the precursors to what we now know as cake (round cakes with icing) were first baked in Europe in the mid-17th century. Having access to more reliable ovens and ingredients such as refined sugar spearheaded the evolution of cake.

References

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