French Apple Cake with a Twist

There’s something about French apple cake that feels effortlessly elegant — that simple mix of apples, butter, and tender crumb that somehow tastes like autumn in Paris. The original recipe comes from Once Upon a Chef, but I couldn’t resist giving it my own little twist.

Instead of the classic round cake, I bake mine in a bundt pan for that golden, sculpted shape (and the perfect excuse to coat it in a sparkling layer of cinnamon sugar). I also skip the rum and add a hint of almond extract — it gives a soft, nutty sweetness that pairs beautifully with the apples and fills the kitchen with the dreamiest aroma.

The result? A cake that’s rustic yet refined, cozy yet a touch fancy — perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon by the fire or as a stunning, understated dessert for your Thanksgiving table. 🍂

It’s simple, buttery, and just the right amount of indulgent — très délicieux.

French Apple Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, plus more for making cinnamon sugar with

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4 cup spiced rum

4 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes

Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a  bundt cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray and optionally coat with cinnamon sugar. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle or whisk attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scarping down the sides as needed.

Crack the eggs and vanilla, rum, and almond extract in a small bowl.

Once the butter and sugar are white and fluffy, add the egg mixture, plopping in one at a time and beating well. Don't worry if the batter looks curdled at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan slightly, then flip the bunt out of the pan by carefully inverting the cake onto the rack and then gently flipping the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using).

Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!