French Apple Cake

This is a classic French apple cake recipe made by home cooks with not a lot of ingredients and without relying on any complicated or special techniques or hard-to-find equipment. It's not a tall cake and is comprised mostly of apples with a little batter to hold it all together. The apple and almond flavor shines through with this not very sweet cake. 

Julian's French Apple Cake with Almonds

You can make it with our without the sliced almonds, but when I have them on hand in my pantry, I always use them. You get almond flavor in the cake from the almond flour and almond extract, but the sliced almonds add a nice little crunch. 

Julian's Plain French Apple Cake

We enjoy it as a dessert with a little whipped cream or crème fraîche, or plain at breakfast with a cup of coffee. This recipe, based on the one by Marie-Hélène Brunet-Lhoste, is really simple to make.

Pan Selection: An 8-inch round is ideal as you get a little more height than you do with the a 9-inch pan, but either will work. If using a 10-inch pan as I am today, double the recipe. I list either a springform pan or a cake pan, but either really will do. I've never had the cake stick to the sides, which would make the springform more preferable. In this case, truly either works fine. If you do use a springform pan, place a baking sheet on the rack immediately below the pan to catch any butter drippings that seep from the springform. 

Julian's 10-inch Spring Form Pan - Double the Recipe.

Apple Selection: Any combinations of tart and firm apples will do. Avoid sweeter, soft apples that you can easily indent with your finger like a Honeycrisp or MacIntosh. Today I'm using a mix of apples we picked at the orchard. If you're purchasing them just for this recipe a mix of Granny Smith and Pink Lady balances  the sweet and tart. The advantage of apple picking is you can taste the options and make your selection.  

Amish Country Device
Peels, cores and slices quickly.

Ingredients (for one 8-inch cake)

For the Pan

1/2 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced almonds, optional

Simple Ingredients

For the Cake
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or a little more if you prefer)
3-4 apples (4 1/2 cups or 19-20 ounces after peeling, coring and slicing)

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  

Lightly grease the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan or round cake pan to help the parchment adhere, then line the bottom with a parchment round. Generously butter the parchment and sides of the pan with the softened butter. Sprinkle the buttered pan with the sliced almonds if using, pressing gently to adhere them to the pan. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and extract until creamy, lighter in color, and slightly foamy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Peel, core and slice the apples about 1/4" thick. Weigh them until you have about 4.5 cups or 16-20 ounces. While I like the look of the sliced apples, cutting each slice in half so you have more bite-sized pieces will make eating the cake easier. Either who slices or half slices will work. Whole slices are traditional.  

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Then use a rubber spatula to fold the apples into the batter until evenly coated.  

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use the spatula to push the apples into a mostly-even layer. Sprinkle the top with the slices almonds if using. 

Bake until golden-brown on top and a paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes for an 8-inch pan, or 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 10-inch pan. Test several spots.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Run a paring knife or spatula around the edges of pan, then, if using a springform, release sides of pan. In either case, invert the cake on a plate or rack and remove the parchment. Flip it back over, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool. Let cool for at least 15 minutes more then move to a serving plate. Serve the day you make it ideally. 

Slice with a sharp serrated knife to saw through the apple pieces rather than crushing them. For any leftovers store uncovered at room temperature for up to 3 days, pressing plastic wrap against cut surfaces, taking care not to cover the cake itself or it will become too damp.