Apple Cake (French Gâteaux aux Pommes)

A tender, buttery, rum-flavoured crumb nestled with big chunks of apples makes the Gâteaux aux Pommes a delicious staple. It bears a signature crackly top that makes it even more unique, all while letting the apples shine beautifully. Unlike in the US and Canada, a French Apple Cake doesn’t call for any spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, nor a crumble top, nuts or glaze. The fame of this French cake rather relies on its simple crumb made from a generous amount of butter and flavoured with dark rum, making it incredibly fragrant. In texture, it is reminiscent of the German Versunkener Apfelken or the Russian Sharlotka, both made in similar ways, with more fruit than actual cake dough - but really, I think the buttery crumb and dark rum truly makes the difference here. It is a simple, honest and timeless recipe that I think all French lovers should have in their repertoire.

¾ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (110 g)
¾ tsp. baking powder
1 pinch sea salt
4 large apples, a mix of varieties
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar (150 g)
3 Tbsp. dark rum
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (115 g)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) and adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven. Heavily butter an 8 or 9” (20-23 cm) springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.

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

Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1” (3 cm) pieces.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then rum and vanilla. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of the butter, melted.

Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.

Fold in the apple cubes until they’re well-coated with the batter and scrape them into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top a little with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 50 minute to 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully remove the sides of the cake pan, making sure no apples are stuck to it.

Serve wedges of the cake just by itself, or with crème fraîche, vanilla ice cream or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Storage: The cake will keep for up to three days covered. Since the top is very moist, it’s best to store it under a cake dome or overturned bowl.