French Apple Cake
A tender, buttery French apple cake packed with apple pieces, finished with a lightly crisp golden top and a delicate icing-sugar dusting. Batch yield: One 20 cm / 8-inch cake, cut into 8 slices. One serving: 1 of 8 equal slices, approximately 110 g after baking and cooling. Allow approximately 3 hours 25 minutes from starting to serving. Prep means all non-oven elapsed time: 45 minutes butter softening, 20 minutes preparation and mixing, 15 minutes cooling in the tin, 2 minutes unmoulding, 75 minutes cooling on the rack, and 3 minutes dusting and slicing. Active work totals 25 minutes. Preheating overlaps the final 15 minutes of butter softening and is not counted twice. Cook time is one approximately 45-minute oven batch; doneness and room temperature may alter the total slightly. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer. Equipment: Digital kitchen scale; Measuring jug and spoons; 20 cm / 8-inch springform tin, at least 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Mixing bowls; Vegetable peeler; Knife and chopping board; Silicone spatula; Broad spatula; Skewer; Wire cooling rack; Fine-mesh sieve. Allergens: Contains wheat flour, eggs and butter made from milk. Nutrition is estimated per slice; calories include a small allowance for alcohol remaining after baking, which is not represented in the protein, carbohydrate and fat totals. Storage: Once completely cool, store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze wrapped individual slices in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let a slice stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating. The icing-sugar dusting may dissolve during storage.
160 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
8
Serves
290
Calories
Macros · per serving
3g protein
37g carbs
14g fat
Ingredients
For 8 servings
- 120 g Unsalted butter
- 125 g Plain all-purpose flour
- 4 g Baking powder
- 1.5 g Fine salt
- 145 g Granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs Large eggs
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 45 ml Dark rum
- 350 g Baking apples, peeled and cored
- 8 g Icing sugar
Instructions
- 1
Cut the butter into small pieces and leave at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until soft enough to indent easily but not melted. Set aside 5 g for greasing and use the remaining 115 g in the batter. Take the eggs out of the fridge at the same time. During the final 15 minutes of softening, preheat the oven to 175°C conventional / 350°F, or 155°C fan / 310°F.
- 2
Lightly grease the base and sides of a 20 cm / 8-inch springform tin, at least 5 cm deep, with the reserved 5 g butter. Line its base with baking parchment. Cut the prepared apples into approximately 1 cm cubes; weigh 350 g after peeling and coring.
- 3
Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened 115 g butter with 135 g of the granulated sugar using an electric hand mixer for 3–4 minutes, until noticeably lighter and fluffy.
- 4
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Briefly mix in the vanilla and rum. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage.
- 5
Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the apple cubes. The batter will be thick and generously studded with fruit.
- 6
Scrape all the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Sprinkle the remaining 10 g granulated sugar evenly over the top.
- 7
Bake on the centre shelf for approximately 45 minutes, beginning to check at 40 minutes. The cake should be golden, feel set in the centre and have a skewer inserted between apple pieces come out without wet batter. If necessary, continue baking in short increments until done.
- 8
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully release the springform ring, then remove the tin base and parchment using a broad spatula to support the cake. Allow about 2 minutes for unmoulding, then leave on the rack for a further 75 minutes, until completely cool.
- 9
Sift all 8 g icing sugar over the cooled cake and cut into 8 equal wedges, allowing about 3 minutes for dusting and slicing. The rum adds classic flavour, but baking does not guarantee that all alcohol has evaporated.
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