French Apple Cake.Tart grannies wrapped in a just sweet enough, custardy almond vanilla cake batter,with just a hint of citrus.The name alone conjures up images in my mind of men shearing sheep and women in muslin milking cows out in a barn,set amidst rolling green hills in the French country side,with an rustic apple orchard near by. I have this feeling that long ago there was a farmers wife who upon hearing that she had company coming had to whip up,quickly,something to serve her guests.And being the simple farm folks that they are,ran out to the orchard,grabbed a few apples,and after collecting eggs from the hens,went back into the house,got out the freshly made butter,some rum and went to work.This recipe is so pure and simple,unadulterated apple goodness.After you pull it out of the oven,you will notice that the sugars from the apple and the butter makes a top crust golden and caramelized .
Some how I stumbled upon this sweet gem of a recipe after perusing the net one day,courtesy of David Lebovitz's blog, courtesy of Dorrie Greenspan.I made this the first time,yes,following the exact directions.Anyone who knows me knows that's rare.After I got the gist of this beauty,I tailored it to my liking and have made it a few more times since.I am now quit comfortable with my version of this.While not taking away any of its purity,I just swapped out and ingredient or two.The result is so satisfying.
So what did I change? I don't like flavored liqueur ,so I swapped the rum for orange juice and I added almond extract.I made these recently in a cupcake pan just to see if they work as a potential bakery item.They turned out beautifully. As a cake,I prefer it baked in a 8" square verses the spring form pan,as it is yields a thicker cake.Enough said...go make it!
French Apple Cake
- 3/4 cup (110g) flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3-4 large Grannie Smith apples
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (150g) sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 8 tablespoons (115g) butter, salted or unsalted, melted and cooled to room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven.
2. Heavily butter an 8- or 9-inch (20-23cm) springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.(you can use a cake pan also,it will be thicker).If making cakeletes,place paper liners in your 12 cup cupcake pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1-inch (3cm) pieces.
5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then orange juice and extracts. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of the melted butter
6. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.
7. 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.
8. 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.
-If your making Cakelets,bake them for half of the time,about 30 min.They are done when golden brown on top.
Serving: Serve wedges of the cake just by itself or with vanilla ice cream.
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.
2. Heavily butter an 8- or 9-inch (20-23cm) springform pan and place it on a baking sheet.(you can use a cake pan also,it will be thicker).If making cakeletes,place paper liners in your 12 cup cupcake pan.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Peel and core the apples, then dice them into 1-inch (3cm) pieces.
5. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy then whisk in the sugar, then orange juice and extracts. Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then gently stir in half of the melted butter
6. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then the rest of the butter.
7. 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.
8. 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.
-If your making Cakelets,bake them for half of the time,about 30 min.They are done when golden brown on top.
Serving: Serve wedges of the cake just by itself or with vanilla ice cream.
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.
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