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French Apple Cake

Source of Recipe

From "Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"I once worked as an au pair in Paris for a family with three little boys. My host mother, Valérie, loved to cook and would frequently enlist my help in the kitchen once the kids were in bed. Her French apple cake is a longtime favorite of mine, and it's also the most popular dessert on my website. With chunks of tart apples nestled in a tender, buttery rum cake, it is the essence of simplicity, like so many homemade French desserts."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ â…” cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
â—¦ 3 tablespoons dark rum
â—¦ 2 large baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes
â—¦ Confectioners' sugar, for dusting


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350° F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed (or medium-high speed, if using a handheld mixer) until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and rum. Don't worry if the batter looks grainy at this point; that's okay. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the apples.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. If using a springform pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right side up on a platter. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the cake with confectioners' sugar. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, plain or with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. (The cake keeps nicely for 2 to 3 days, under a cake dome or covered with foil at room temperature.)

Serves 6 to 8