This is an incredibly easy French apple cake that is great served any time of day. My mum used to make it all the time – she still does. I especially love it served warm with vanilla ice cream or cream. Let’s go!
Nagi's Notes
For years I’ve been loyal to this Spiced Apple Cake. Then JB made his mum’s Apple Cake, and it completely won me over with its simplicity and the way it lets the apples truly shine. It’s unfussy, and just so damn lovely, I completely understand why it’s been a favourite in JB’s family for so long. I feel very honoured that his mother has allowed us to share it with the world. Thank you Madame Alexandre!
French Apple Cake
I have very good memories from my childhood of this Apple Cake (gâteau aux pommes). The area where I grew up was known for its apple trees, we would often come home from the local market with fresh apples just so we could bake one! You’ll find this cake all over France and everyone has their own version. This one is very close to my mum’s recipe, with a few little tweaks from me along the way (sorry, Mum!).
French Apple Cakes are all about letting the main character shine – the apples! They are less sugary and not loaded with cinnamon and other spices that dominate the flavour. Typically, the cake is not very tall, and the crumb is soft and buttery. It’s a rustic cake, simple to make and perfect to serve at an afternoon tea with family or friends.
Ingredients
We only use a few ingredients here with the apples being the stars. You can really use any apples, so this is a great recipe to make when you have a few sitting in the fruit bowl needing to be used up ☺️.
Apples – For best flavour I prefer sweet-tart apples like Pink Lady, Fuji or Jazz; Honey Crisp or Braeburn (US/UK) are also great. Personally, I don’t use Granny Smith here as I find they can be a little too tart, but they will still work if that’s what you have.
Pears will also work great here, as long as they are not overly ripe.
Butter – You need unsalted butter here, softened to room temperature.
Sugar – I use caster sugar / superfine sugar for the cake. You could use regular white sugar / granulated sugar, but I prefer the fine grains of caster sugar for baking, as they dissolve more easily.
Eggs – This cake uses “large eggs” – 50–55 g / 2 oz is the industry standard of sizes sold as “large eggs”. The eggs need to be room temperature else they will not incorporate smoothly into the batter. If your eggs are cold, you can easily bring them to room temp by placing them in a large bowl, covering them with warm (not hot) tap water and leaving for 5 minutes.
Vanilla extract – For best flavour, I like to use natural vanilla extract / pure vanilla extract.
Flour – Just plain flour / all-purpose flour.
Baking powder – Makes the batter rise and the crumb light. If your baking powder has been sitting in the pantry for a while, it’s best to check that it’s still active (it might be dead, even if it’s within use-by date!). Find out how to check it here.
Salt – Just a small amount, 1/4 teaspoon. This brings out the flavours in the cake.
How To Make French Apple Cake
This traditional French cake is easy-to-make and ideal for even beginner cooks. One thing that may surprise you is the thickness of the batter. It’s quite thick once everything is mixed together, especially after adding all the apples, but this is completely normal. As the cake bakes, the apples release moisture into the batter which creates that beautifully soft and tender texture.
Whisk dry ingredients – Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
Cream butter and sugar – In a larger mixing bowl, using a handheld electric beaters (or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the butter for about 1 minute on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and beat the mixture for another minute until fluffy and pale yellow.
Add eggs and vanilla – Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients – Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds or until you can no longer see any bits of dry flour, then stop beating – don’t overmix.
Add apple – Add the diced apple and stir it evenly into the mixture using a spatula. The batter will be quite thick and not pourable.
Add batter to pan – Scoop the batter into a 23cm/9” lined cake pan, then level the surface.
Bake – Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced) for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool and serve – The top of the cake should be a nice golden brown colour. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack. Cool for 10 minutes if serving warm or let it cool completely. Dust with icing / powdered sugar (optional) and enjoy!
How to Serve French Apple Cake
My favourite way to serve French Apple Cake is warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side – très bon! But you can also serve it at room temperature. It’s just as good for afternoon tea as it is as the final sweet course to follow a simple French meal like Poulet rôti or Chicken Chasseur.
This cake is very close to my heart. I can’t wait for you to try it and hear what you think. Bon appétit! – JB
FAQ – French Apple Cake
I haven’t tried a gluten free version of this cake, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Because this cake has very little batter and lots of apples, I think it should work quite well with a good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend, but the texture may be slightly different. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
You can really use any apples for this cake as they won’t get overly soft. I like to use sweet-tart apples that hold their shape when baked so you still get lovely soft chunks inside the cake. In Australia, Pink Lady, Fuji and Jazz are great. In the US, Honeycrisp and Braeburn work very well too. I personally avoid Granny Smith because they are too tart but feel free to use them.
Absolutely. Pears work beautifully in this cake. Use ripe but still a little firm pears so they don’t fall apart while baking.
Watch How To Make It
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French Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 3 red apples – I like Pink Lady , peeled and diced into 1.5cm/0.6" cubes (~ 3 1/2 cups) (Note 1 for other varieties)
- 100g(7 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (Note 2)
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature (55g/2oz each in shell)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract , natural / pure
- 1 1/3 cups plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
For serving:
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, optional for serving
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Cream butter then sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients, stir through apple. Bake in 23cm/9″ pan at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 30 minutes.
FULL RECIPE
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Cake pan – Butter a 23cm/9" round cake pan and line the base with baking paper / parchment paper. No need to line the sides.
- Dry ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar – Using a handheld beater or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium until creamed. Add the sugar and beat on medium for 1 minute until fluffy and becomes a paler yellow.
- Eggs and vanilla – Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture into the bowl and beat on low until you can no longer see dry flour, then stop beating. You don't want to overmix.
- Apples – Stir through the diced apples using a spatula. The batter will be quite thick, it's not pourable.
- Bake – Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (because the batter is quite thick and if your oven runs a bit cool, it could take up to 45 minutes). (Note 3)
- Rest and serve – Let the cake rest for 5 minutes in the pan before removing. Cool for a further 10 minutes then serve warm or let it cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar, if desired. If serving warm, it's especially lovely with a scoop of ice cream.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
In Memory Of Dozer
And finally, Dozer ☺️ These photos were taken at the RecipeTin Meals kitchen before a TV shoot while we were both getting ready. As you can see, Dozer is enjoying the full hair and make-up treatment by Kristy Orr who did an amazing job that day! Two good boys getting pampered… though I think one of us was having a really good hair day 🐾🐾🐾
Any chance you know if this recipe works with gluten-free flour?
Hi Melissa, I’ve included this in my FAQ. I haven’t tried a gluten free version of this cake, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Because this cake has very little batter and lots of apples, I think it should work quite well with a good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend, but the texture may be slightly different. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Just made this with a 1:1 gluten free flour blend and it’s great! Needed about 10 extra minutes bake time, but delicious!
Have tried it with GF flour & it works!
Subbed with GF White Wings Plain Flour.
Delicious 👌🏼
It’s a cold, miserable, rainy afternoon in Sydney. I’m working from home. JB’s cake recipe email came in at 4:16pm and the cake was in the oven by 5:20pm. Done! Sold! What a perfect recipe to share this afternoon. I am sure many households will be trying this cake this weekend! it’s got 4 minutes left in the oven. The troops are arriving home… couldn’t care less what’s for dinner… just what’s for dessert – this looks wonderful, JB! Thanks for sharing and extra points for posting the beautiful photo of the OG recipe – your mum must be so proud!
Hi
looks delicious!
Can I use can apples in this recipe?
many thanks Carmela
Hi Carmela, thank you for your compliment. I haven’t tried this recipe with canned apples, but personally I would recommend fresh apples if possible. Canned apples are usually much softer and contain more moisture, so the cake may end up wetter.
Hi Therese, This made me smile so much 😊 A cold Sydney afternoon and an apple cake in the oven less than an hour after the email went out sounds pretty perfect to me! I hope the family loved it. Thank you also for your kind words about my mum’s recipe photo. ♥️
JB! So happy to know that! The cake brought so much simple joy (and conflict over the last piece) to our family and home! My neighbour came over last night to have a warm slice and she left with a print out of your recipe and three slices for her sons from Canberra who surprised her with a late night impromptu visit! They were thrilled and the love was shared yet again. The love in our home didn’t last long between our children who argued over the last piece for breakfast (20yr old said that is ‘the best cake I have had in some time!!’) and so another cake was made for afternoon tea and there is only half of it left! The only thing stopping the family from finishing it is that I am making Nagi’s pork ribs with bbq sauce, corn and coleslaw for dinner and I told them they would ruin their appetite if they finished the cake!
Well done and merci, JB and Maman!!
Why is it called “Gateau Jeudi” – did you only have it on Thursdays? Looks amazing and goes on my to-bake-list (although not happening right now because of the mini heatwave here in Lyon).
Hi Britta, I actually wasn’t sure so I just asked her. Children traditionally only go to school 4 days a week, and Thursday used to be the day off (nowadays it is usually Wednesday instead). So many families would bake a simple homemade cake for the children on that day, which is why it’s called “Gâteau du Jeudi” — Thursday cake. Are you from Lyon? Because I am 🙂
very inspiring cake, just some difficulty about the exact quantities, can you please give them in gramms, as I don’t know about cups. Thanks
You can switch from cups to metric at the ingredients list to get grams!
Under the heading ‘Ingredients’ there’s a toggle button so you switch between cups and metric.
Well looks like you knew about the 3 neglected red apples in the fridge JB! You must read minds.
Baking in the oven as we speak.
What awesome pics of you and Dozer’s haircut day for boys!
Well looks like you knew about the 3 neglected red apples in the fridge JB!
Baking in the oven as we speak.
What awesome pics of you and Dozer’s haircut day for boys!
Hi Preeya, thank you for baking it so quickly! Please report back to me, I’m curious to know how it went for you 🙂
This is the exact base of my mum’s Apple pud recipe – she uses Granny Smiths for the tartness but then makes up a sauce using an unholy amount of butter and brown sugar and pours it over while it’s warm. Served steaming with cream, it’s a core (no pun intended!) childhood memory!
Hi Santhiska, those kinds of family recipes are often the best ones. Your mom’s recipe sounds lovely!
Could I use canned pink lady apples??
Hi Sonya, I haven’t tried this recipe with canned apples, but personally I would recommend fresh apples if possible. Canned apples are usually much softer and contain more moisture, so the cake may end up wetter.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Can I use regular salted butter and just omit the salt? I hate to have to buy a whole pkg (4 sticks) unsalted just to use 1 stick. Thank you.
Yes, I do all the time.
Hi Susanne, yes you could. The texture would be the same but I think it could be slightly saltier as 1/4 tsp is not that much here.
Can l use whole-wheat flour for this recipe?
Hi Tang, yes you totally can.
Could this be done in a slice tin? Much easier to cut for bus trip outings.
Hi Pam, yes it could be done in a regular slice tin (not too large). I haven’t tried it, could you please give me a feedback if you try? 🙂
Thanks JB. Could gluten free flour be subbed in?
Hi Trish, I’ve included this in the FAQ. I haven’t tried a gluten free version of this cake, so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Because this cake has very little batter and lots of apples, I think it should work quite well with a good quality 1:1 gluten free flour blend, but the texture may be slightly different. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Looks Delish! I’ll definitely be trying this, thank you for sharing
You are welcome Kazz, Thank you!
This recipe called to me!! I have dropped everything, whipped it up and it’s in the oven right now… so easy to make!
Thanks Laura! Please let me know how it went 🙂
It was delicious!! I only had 2 apples and so I reduced the recipe down to 2/3rds and baked it in a loaf tin. It was the perfect end to my work day! Thank you (and your Mum) so much for the recipe!
I have all the ingredients listed here so I’m going to make this as a bank holiday treat for my hubby! Thanks JB (and your mum), I really enjoy all of your beautiful recipes! I have to say you have a look of someone who’s resigned to their fate in the hair and make-up chair! 😆 Personally, I think you, Nagi, Dozer and the whole team always look great!
Hi Sarah, Thank you so much, that is really kind. I love recipes like this because they use simple pantry ingredients but still feel a little special. 🙂
I had a recipe very much like this years ago and made it often. Then times changed and I lost the recipe! Thank you, Thank you for giving it back.
Hi Eleanor, I’m glad you’ll get to cook it again! Thank you 🙂
Perfect timing, this will tickle my Dutch Dad’s tast buds for sure. I’ll bake it this week for his birthday! Thank you
You are welcome Melissa, I hope you and your dad will like it 🙂
This cake is amazing with some sugar sprinkled on before going in the oven… the top comes out so crunchy and delicious.
Thanks Clair, I’m so glad you’ve made it already! And the sugar topping is genius!
It looks lovely. I can’t wait to try it. Can it be cooked in a loaf tin?
Hi Ann, thank you! I haven’t tried it but it probably could, it would just taking a little longer.
I absolutely love a good apple cake, and oddly all I usually get offered is the overly sweet, caramel sauce drenched, soggy type. So I MUST bake this today! I can almost taste the flavour pop of the apples in a soft, moist cake.
Hi Lisa, I know exactly what you mean! Sometimes apple cakes become so sweet and heavy that you almost lose the apple itself. This one is much more about the apples than the batter. I really hope you love it!