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    Home » Recipes » French Apple Cake

    Published: Nov 17, 2020 by Alicia This post may contain affiliate links.

    French Apple Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A french apple cake on a white marble serving plate
    A french apple cake on a white marble serving plate

    This French Apple Cake is made from very simple ingredients in just one pan - no mixer required! Layered honeycrisp apples sit atop a beautiful vanilla cake. It's the perfect recipe to start with if you're new to baking cakes.

    A cinnamon apple cake on a platter with apples and a napkin

    This cake is actually a version of my Strawberry Peach Cake that we made in a cooking class we took while touring the Burgundy region of France. What I love about it is the simplicity. All it requires is one pan, an apple, and a basic mix of ingredients. This allows the flavors of the apple and vanilla to really shine. I remember it being served after we had spent the day making gougères, soufflés, and a whole roasted pork, but to finish with something so elegant and delicious was  wonderful. 

    As I searched around online, I see a lot of recipes with rum, which I don't believe is necessary at all. I couldn't find any information on that being the more traditional way to prepare it, but I like this version of the recipe we used in class. Especially for those of us on who have eliminated alcohol. 

    A mixing bowl with flour being mixed into cake batter

    How to Make

    This French Apple Cake is the perfect recipe to start with if you're new to baking cakes. You don't need a fancy mixer, just a few bowls and a  9 inch cake pan. 

    To make sure the cake slides easily out of the pan, we prepare a parchment paper cut out that's the size of the pan by using a pencil to draw a circle around the outer edge. Then cut the parchment paper to fit the circle into the bottom of your cake pan. This gets coated in butter, along with the sides, and then sprinkled with a little bit of flour. You'll want to dump out the excess flour and just use enough to coat around the bottom and all sides.

    Some tips on ingredients:

    • I used honeycrisp apples because they're so lovely for fall and the perfect amount of sweetness.
    • For flour, I used Gold Medal
    • For mascarpone, I used Vermont Creamery and for butter I used Kerrygold unsalted.
    • Since it's the fall season, I sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon sugar on top. I usually do powdered sugar, but it was a nice way to make it a little more seasonal. 

    Dairy and Gluten Free Options

    A few of my readers have made this cake gluten free by using Bob Red Mill's 1:1 baking flour as a substitute and they all say it turns out great. 

    One of our cooking class attendees even made this dairy free by substituting vegetable oil for the butter, leaving out the mascarpone cheese, using Oatly oat milk for the milk, and even substituting the sugar for honey. I was shocked to hear it worked out splendidly. So just so you know, these are some edits others have tried that have worked!

    An apple cake in a cake pan coming out of the oven

    Other Favorite Desserts

    If you're looking for more favorite desserts like this French Apple Cake, check out these recipes. If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me #thedizzycook or @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram. And please leave a review below!

    Strawberry Peach Cake
    Pumpkin Cheesecake
    White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Blondies
    Vanilla Mug Cake

    Layered apples on top of a french apple cake

    A french apple cake on a white marble serving plate

    French Apple Cake

    This simple French apple cake uses fresh apples and a simple vanilla cake base for the most beautiful, easy dessert.
    4.85 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American, French
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings: 8 people
    Calories: 341kcal
    Author: Alicia

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour *If gluten free, use 1:1 baking flour
    • 1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
    • ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature
    • ¾ cup white sugar
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 large honeycrisp apple, peeled
    • Optional: powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar for topping
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your 9 inch cake pan by lightly greasing it all over (I use the butter wrapper), and placing a parchment round inside at the bottom. Take a small spoonful of flour and shake the pan around to thoroughly coat the inside. Dump out any excess flour and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese and milk until combined. In a large bowl, mixed softened butter until light and creamy (you can do this by hand or with a mixer). Add the granulated cane sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Then add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extra - I mix this in by hand with a spatula until well combined and smooth.
    • Alternating flour mixture and milk/mascarpone mixture, add them in small increments, stirring after each addition until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, tapping it a few times on your counter to get it smooth and level.
    • Thinly slice the peeled apple into half moon pieces, leaving out the core. Place sliced apples in a layered pattern on top of the cake batter, then slide extra apples in between each slice. Make sure the fruit doesn't touch the side of the pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar (if using).
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake should be a lovely golden brown on top. Allow it to cool at least 30 minutes then slide a knife along the sides of the pan. The cake should release easily. Place it on a serving platter and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

    Notes

    • For cinnamon sugar, mix 1 tablespoon of white sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
    • I suggest Bob's Red Mill 1:1 flour for gluten free. For dairy free, see post for adjustments others have used.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 547IU | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @thedizzycook or tag #thedizzycook!

     

     

    « Roasted Fall Panzanella Salad
    Classic Gingerbread Cookies »

    About Alicia

    Alicia is a vestibular migraine advocate and the bestselling author of The Dizzy Cook: Managing Migraine with More Than 90 Comforting Recipes and Lifestyle Tips. Her articles and recipes have been featured by Healthline, Parade, mindbodygreen, Today, Good Morning Texas, the Vestibular Disorders Association, and the American Migraine Foundation. Read More

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara says

      December 27, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      3 stars
      I cook a fair amount but rarely bake, so was eager to try this for Christmas. I followed the recipe meticulously, but it overflowed as it baked (fortunately, I had a cookie sheet below), and I lost roughly a third of the cake portion. It set up after it baked, but I referred to it as "Sunken French Apple Cake" and it had good flavor. My baking powder was fresh. Could it be a tablespoon is too much? Would love to get an update so I can make it again!

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        December 29, 2022 at 6:42 pm

        Hey Sara, I've never had this happen over the years, and I've also made this for several cooking classes and it has not happened to a student so I don't think it's the amount. Did your batter fill all the way to the top? I should update this with more pictures but you should have at least close to 1/2 inch of space at the top. Did you use a 9 inch cake pan? Also make sure you're measuring and leveling, not a heaping scoop. I'd also double check you're using a large egg and not extra large. That's all I can think of for now.

        Reply
      • Alicia says

        January 09, 2023 at 7:13 pm

        Was just thinking about this...are you at a high altitude? That can cause the issue you're talking about so you would need to decrease the leavening. But being in Dallas, I'm not sure how to test that to see how much it would be.

        Reply
    2. Irma says

      October 30, 2022 at 6:42 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious!! I actually made then as muffins and this will be on weekly rotation! I am new to the VM world and you and your recipes have made my life easier. Thank you for all you do!!

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        November 05, 2022 at 9:05 am

        Thank you, Irma!

        Reply
    3. Rachel says

      January 29, 2022 at 10:35 pm

      5 stars
      Very delicious!! Received many compliments when I served this cake at a dinner party.

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        January 30, 2022 at 12:25 pm

        So happy to hear that, Rachel! It's a beautiful cake.

        Reply
    4. Marybeth says

      November 28, 2021 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      This is so delicious! I made it to bring for Thanksgiving dinner and my family really loved it. I also made it with gluten free 1:1 flour and it came out great. Can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        November 29, 2021 at 1:26 pm

        Thanks Marybeth!! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Eliza says

      November 18, 2021 at 2:06 pm

      Can you use a 9" pie pan for this?

      Reply
      • Alicia says

        November 19, 2021 at 10:11 am

        I wouldn't recommend it. It's usually thicker and could bake differently.

        Reply
    6. Susan says

      February 13, 2021 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      Accidentally used 8oz of mascarpone cheese instead of the 1/4 cup ????. I notice to late so I just added 15 more minutes to the baking time. It still turned out really good and is extremely moist.

      Reply
    7. kathryn says

      January 08, 2021 at 12:29 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first time baking a cake and it turned out so well! I used the cinnamon sugar topping and substituted the marscapone cheese for yogurt, and it turned out great!

      Reply
    8. Pam S. says

      December 06, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      My family loved this cake - it was a big hit!! Perfect for Autumn or the holidays. I used the cinnamon sugar topping.

      Reply
    9. Jean Lockwood says

      November 27, 2020 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      Used gluten free flour and it turned out great. thank you

      Reply
    10. Pam says

      November 27, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      So amazing!! We had for thanksgiving! I loved it

      Reply

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

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    Meet the Cook! I’m Alicia, cookbook author and recipe developer. I was diagnosed with Chronic Vestibular Migraine in 2016 - a diagnosis that changed my life. I’ve gone from bedridden to extremely active by implementing migraine diet, incorporating key supplements, and making lifestyle changes. The Dizzy Cook is a collection of my delicious recipes that everyone will love, and tips for anyone that struggles with migraine attacks.

    About The Dizzy Cook

    Trending Recipes

    • Creamy Boursin Pasta
    • Beef Stew Recipe without Wine
    • Lazy Lasagna
    • No Tomato Chili (Texas-Style)
    • Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
    • Air Fryer Flank Steak

    Get New Posts via Email

    Subscribe for new recipes, tips, and discounts.

    Healthy New Year Recipes

    • Stir Fry Without Soy Sauce
    • Beef Protein Bowl
    • Mediterranean Baked Halibut
    • Dutch Oven Pot Roast (Wine-Free)
    • Baked Chicken Kabobs
    • Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

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