French Apple Cake

Light, flaky, and sweet. Those were the sensations that hit my family’s taste buds when I tried this recipe for the first time. One of my favorite things about this cake is how unpretentious it is. I didn’t make it for a special occasion or a big event, it was just a random afternoon experiment. But when I shared slices with my family, their surprised reactions and immediate requests for seconds told me everything I needed to know. Now it’s become the kind of dessert I turn to when I want warmth, comfort, and something that looks technical without actually being complicated.

Here’s my own twist on Jennifer Segal’s Apple Cake Recipe:

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

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

Confectioners’ sugar (optional), for decorating cake

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the dry ingredients. Begin by combining the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. No need to sift—just whisk well—then set it aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition
4. Add the flavoring. Beat in the vanilla extract. It will look a little curdled at this point; don’t panic, just keep mixing. I like to add a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavor as well.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Mix in the apples. Add the peeled and chopped apples to the batter, then use a rubber spatula to fold everything together.
7. Prep the pan and add the batter. Have a 9-inch springform pan greased, or a 9-inch cake pan greased, lined with parchment, and greased again. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top. Sprinkle with one tablespoon of granulated sugar and make sure the sugar is evenly spread.
8. Bake the cake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and crisp on top. Serve it warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The cake keeps well at room temperature for up to 2 days.