If Applejack or Calvados
is
a sip of the Fall
is
a sip of the Fall
then
French Apple Cake
should be the cake of the Fall.
should be the cake of the Fall.
Adapted from French Apple Cake of Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table Via David Lebovitz website. I replaced 1/4 cup butter with 1/4 cup milk because I could not resist to eat just 1 slice at a time. More apple pieces present on the cake surface when 5 apples are used. The apple is very tender without precooked 3 minutes first in microwave like French Apple Cake of America test kitchen. However, if apples are precooked it will help reducing baking time to 45 minutes instead of 1 hours and apple is softer. Make sure precooked apples had to be cool down before adding to the batter to avoid dense custard formed around apple but it is still very good-I did it one time and changed its name to Apple pudding.The springform pan makes the cake transfer easier but a round pan can be used. Dusting the pan side with flour helps the cake side smoother. You can see two cakes here: one in the round pan had 4 apples and one with springform pan removed. had 5 apples. Omit the alcohol and increase vanilla extract to 1 tsp if you bake for kids. I used apples from Ricky apple trees. A mix of apple variety is suggested in original recipe.
Make 8-10 servings
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 large apples
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs dark rum, or light rum, Calvados, Applejack
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 Tbs unsalted butter (1 stick) or 4 Tbs butter and 4 Tbs whole milk, melt and cooled
Extra butter and flour for the pan.
Extra butter and flour for the pan.
One 8-in. round springform pan or 8-in. round pan if you do not have springform pan.
A rimmed baking sheet larger than 8-in diameter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 oF with a rack at center. Smear a thin butter layer inside the pan's bottom and side. Line the bottom with a circle parchment paper, and butter the parchment paper too. Dust the side with flour. Put 1 Tbs flour to the pan near the side, hold the pan up, turn it on the side, gently tap, shake, and turn it around so the flour will attach to the butter, tap out excess flour. Place the prepared pan on the rimmed sheet.
- Melt butter or butter with milk in microwave or on the stove, set aside to cool down
- Whisk flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.
- Peel apples, cut them in halves or quarters, remove cores. Then cut each quarter into 4 equal wedges-about 1-in. chunks.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy, add sugar slowly and whisk until blend. Whisk in rum and vanilla. Add 1/2 flour and whisk until incorporate. Add 1/2 melt butter whisk to combine. Then whisk in the rest of flour, and melt butter. Stir in apple chunks with a spatula or large spoon until apple coated with batter. Pour the mix into prepared pan and press apple pieces down to make the surface even.
- Bake at 350 oF until the top golden and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean about 50-60 minutes. Let it cool on the wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the side to release the cake. Open and remove the ring slowly, make sure no apple pieces stuck to the ring. Transfer the cake to cake stand or platter with the base of springform base. If you want to remove the base, insert a long or large spatula between the parchment paper and the base. Gently pull the base out while slightly lift the spatula up to support and help the cake sliding down. If you use regular round cake pan, after running the knife around the edge, cover the pan with a large plate. Hold the plate and invert the cake pan and the plate together. Gently shaking the pan and plate together in up down direction if the cake stuck to the pan after inverting. Then place another plate on the bottom of the cake, reinvert the cake again to keep the top up.
- Cut in wedges and serve by itself or vanilla ice cream or Creme fraiche.
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