Spending more time at home has given me a new appreciation of cooking from scratch. I have been making both savoury and sweet things. This week I was trying to find a way to use up the apples that I received in my FoodShare GoodFood Box and decided to try making French apple cake.
The original recipe makes a cake that serves 4 to 6 people. I didn’t want to be stuck with such a large cake so I cut the recipe in half and used a 6″ spring form pan. It was super easy and a great way to use up the apples. I actually prefer this over apple pie because it’s not as technical (you don’t have to make pie dough). If you want to make it for more people just double the recipe and use a 9″ spring form pan.
French apple cake
Servings: 2 to 3 people
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp more for sprinkling over cake
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup), at room temperature (or melted)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1- 2 medium apples, peeled and cut thinly (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped)
- Icing sugar (optional), for decorating the cake after it’s cooled
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees C. Place a rack in the centre.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until well mixed.
Add in the dry ingredients in two phases and mix until until just combined. Fold in the sliced apples so they are covered in the batter. Pour into a lightly greased 6 ” spring form pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it’s even.
Sprinkle the top with 1 Tbsp sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean or the cake springs back when touched.
Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature or until slightly warm. Run a butter knife along the edges before releasing the cake from the springform pan. Run a knife along the bottom to loosen it from the bottom. Transfer onto a plate and dust the top with icing sugar just before serving.
The cake can be frozen by wrapping it in aluminium foil or plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. When you are ready to have it at a later time, thaw overnight or on the counter before serving.