French Apple Cake

This French Apple Cake, inspired by Jenn Segal, is the perfect blend of tart apples and buttery cake with just a hint of rum. It’s delightfully simple yet irresistible - perfect for dessert, a cozy afternoon snack, or even breakfast (it’s that good!).

This might just be the best apple cake you’ll ever taste!

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• ½ cup (1 stick or 113 g) unsalted butter (at room temperature)

• ⅔ cup (130 g) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 tbsp dark rum

• 2 baking apples (peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes; about 3½ to 4 cups chopped; see note). You can replace the apples with raspberries or strawberries for example. I love the version with the raspberries.

Optional Decoration

• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease it again.

2. Prepare the Dry Ingredients
   In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream the Butter and Sugar
   Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the Wet Ingredients
   Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and rum. Don’t worry if the batter looks slightly grainy; that’s normal.

5. Combine the Batter
   Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chopped apples until evenly distributed.

6. Prepare for Baking
   Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.

7. Bake the Cake
   Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool and Serve
   Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled:

   • For a springform pan, simply remove the sides.

   • For a regular cake pan, run a knife around the edges, invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, and gently flip the cake right-side-up onto a platter.

9. Decorate and Enjoy
   If desired, use a fine sieve to dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

For the original recipe and more details, visit Once upon a chef.