French Apple Cake
A tender French Apple Cake recipe adapted from Joël Robuchon, packed with baked apples and raisins. Finish with a Calvados or rum glaze, or keep it alcohol-free with apple juice.
Equipment
- Springform cake tin (20cm / 8 inch)
Ingredients
- 4 large apples Reinettes, Canada, Golden (or other large apples)
- 150 g (5½ oz/ ¾ cup) sugar
- 150 g (5½ oz/ ¾ cup) butter, unsalted cut into small chunks
- pinch ground cinnamon optional
- 50 g (3 tbsp) flaked almonds
- 3 eggs organic/free-range
- 150 g (5½ oz/¾ cup) flour, all-purpose
- 50 g (2oz/ 3 tbsp) crème fraîche (or Greek yoghurt/mascarpone)
- 30 g (2 tbsp) golden raisins
Apple Cake Glaze
- 50 g (2oz/3 tbsp) sugar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 50 ml (3 tbsp) Calvados apple brandy or dark rum
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan/Gas 6).
- Peel the apples and cut them into quarters, removing the cores. Place them in an ovenproof dish, sprinkled with 50g (3 tbsp) of the sugar and cinnamon, if using. Cover evenly with about half of the butter, cut into small chunks. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning over the apples half way through cooking.
- Meanwhile, butter the cake tin and line with the flaked almonds. Melt the rest of the butter.
- In a large bowl (ideally with an electric mixer), mix together the 3 eggs, the rest of the sugar, crème fraîche and melted butter, including the leftover juices from the baked apples. Add the flour and raisins and mix until smooth.
- Lay the cooked apples evenly on the base of the tin and cover in the batter. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes (until inserting a skewer comes out clean).
- Optional Glaze: Meanwhile, make a syrup in a saucepan with the sugar and water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and add the Calvados or rum.
- Remove the slightly cooled cake (but still warm) from the tin on to a serving plate and brush on the glaze.
Notes
With Rum: Either enjoy with Calvados (French apple brandy) or dark rum. Also works well with Lambic (Normandy's equivalent from Brittany).
Alcohol-free option: To make this without rum, replace the Calvados or rum in the glaze with apple juice. You’ll still get a beautifully moist, aromatic cake.
Texture: This cake is intentionally soft and tender - closer to a pudding than a classic sponge. Don’t over-bake it.
Tin size: I use a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan. A 9-inch pan will also work, but the cake will be slightly thinner and will bake a little faster (about 30 minutes).
Apple choice: Reinettes are traditional, but any large, firm apples (Golden, Canada, Braeburn) work well.
Serving: Excellent warm with vanilla or chestnut ice cream, crème fraîche, or my chai-infused crème anglaise.
Storage: Keeps well for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving or serve at room temperature.
The recipe: This is genuinely the best French Apple Cake recipe ever - merci Chef Joël Robuchon for the traditional recipe!
Nutritional facts (per daily value per serving): 23% total fat; 12% total carbohydrate; 5% dietary fibre, 6.9g protein.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!