An unmissable French pastry classic that is moist and fragrant, topped with caramelized apples that melt with every bite. This traditional cake will delight your palate with its perfect balance between the sweetness of the cake and the fruity acidity of the apples.
⏱️75 min
📊Medium
👥6 servings
🍽️Dessert
vegetarianfamilyfestive
Ingredients
250 gwheat flour
150 ggranulated sugar
120 gsoftened butter
3 pièceseggs
5 piècesGranny Smith apples
1.5 cuillère à cafébaking powder
0.5 cuillère à cafésalt
1 cuillère à cafévanilla powder
2 cuillères à soupefresh lemon juice
30 gbutter for the pan
Instructions
1PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180°C: Turn on your oven and let it preheat for about 10 minutes to reach an even temperature. Meanwhile, generously butter a round 24 cm diameter baking pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper disk. This pan preparation is essential to prevent your cake from sticking when unmolding.
2PREPARE THE APPLES: Peel, core, and cut the 5 apples into thin slices approximately 5 mm thick. Immediately pour the fresh lemon juice over the apples and mix gently to prevent them from browning due to oxidation. Set aside in a bowl. This step ensures shiny apples and prevents unsightly discoloration.
3CREATE THE BATTER: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the softened butter and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes until you obtain a white, light, and fluffy mixture. This step is crucial as it incorporates air that will make your cake airy and moist. Then add the eggs one by one while continuing to whisk vigorously between each addition, which will emulsify the batter and ensure a homogeneous texture.
4INCORPORATE THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla powder. Gradually pour this dry mixture into the butter-sugar-egg preparation while alternating with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, mixing gently with a spatula. Incorporate the dry ingredients in portions to avoid overworking the batter, which would make it hard and compact.
5ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Arrange the prepared apple slices over the entire surface of the cake, slightly overlapping them to create a regular and attractive pattern. You can arrange them in a spiral or in parallel rows according to your preference; the important thing is that the apples cover most of the batter.
6BAKE: Place the pan in the center of the oven preheated to 180°C and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when a knife blade or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The surface should be well golden with a nice amber color. If the top of the apples begins to brown too much before the end of cooking, cover the cake with a sheet of aluminum foil.
7COOLING AND FINISHING: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes before carefully unmolding it onto a cooling rack. Wait until it cools completely before serving so that the flavors stabilize and the texture becomes perfectly moist. You can optionally dust the cake with a little powdered sugar or a light layer of warmed apricot jam for added shine.