The Most Perfect French Apple Cake Recipe

This classic french apple cake recipe is a moist cake that is made with simple ingredients. It’s an easy recipe that is perfect for apple season.

I don’t need a reason to bake. Baking has been my happy place since I discovered my love for baking while caring for my newborn second son. Once I got the KitchenAid mixer all bets were off! What hand mixer?!

Today I’m sharing the perfect recipe for a french apple cake that I was able to make and taste last week at an event that was SO good I have to recreate it–right away!

Thank goodness it was a simple recipe! It’s one of those apple recipes that you will make again and again!

Earlier this week I shared about my awesome experience at The Brooklyn Kitchen at a cooking class with BOU. One of my favorite parts of that evening was the dessert, the French Apple Cake.

It was the perfect split between a pie and cake and it was full of delicious sweet apples that make it perfect for special occasions but especially Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The easy french apple cake is one of those apple desserts that you make year round.

It was my first time having this perfect French Apple Cake. The cake was a huge crowd pleaser! I am generally a fan of anything with apples, but what makes this awesome is that the apples are baked directly into the cake which makes it an entire experience!

I used Fuji Apples and light rum since we didn’t have any rum in the house and my mom was kind enough to bring me what she had.

This french cake is filled with delicious chunks of apple and it’s so good! Note that the cake batter of this rustic cake gets super thick because of the apple slices inside of it.

Traditional french apple cake is filled with crisp apples in this amazing cake. The kind of apples you choose is up to you!

Related: Easy & Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Recipe!

This super moist and delicious yummy cake is perfect with a little whipped cream and/or a scoop of ice cream. When I made this lovely cake I got rave reviews from the family! You will need a sharp knife to cut this amazing afternoon snack.

What ingredients do you need for this easy french apple cake?

Ingredients

• 1 cup cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over the top of the cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 sweet baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Golden Delicious)
• Confectioners’ sugar (optional), for decorating cake

Yield: 6-8 Servings

The Most Perfect French Apple Cake Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This amazing French Apple Cake is super easy to make. It's delicate and delicious and perfect for any occasion.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over the top of the cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 2 sweet baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Golden Delicious)
• Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. 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. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool until just warm. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan if using. Using a fine sieve, dust with Confectioners' sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, with or without lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Did you make this recipe?

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If you loved this French Apple Cake recipe you will adore this Easy and Yummy Cranberry Walnut Zucchini Bread!

What is your favorite holiday dessert?

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