THIS APPLE CAKE IS SO EASY TO MAKE. AND SO FRENCH! USE HONEYCRISP APPLES OR A COMBINATION OF APPLES. SERVE WITH WHIPPED CREAM ON A BEAUTIFUL PLATTER. YOU CAN BAKE THIS IN AN EIGHT INCH CAKE PAN OR IF YOU WANT AN IMPRESSIVELY TALL CAKE, USE A SIX INCH PAN. WHEN YOU GET READY TO INVERT THE CAKE, FIRST RUN A KNIFE AROUND THE EDGES & BE FEARLESS!

THE CAKE WAS PERFECT WITH AN APPLE-Y, TOASTY CHAMPAGNE.

LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL THESE LAYERS OF APPLES ARE. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS CAKE IS THAT YOU TASTE THE APPLES – THEY ARE NOT OVERWHELMED BY SUGAR. THIS IS HOMEY FRENCH COOKING THAT YOU CAN SERVE FRIENDS AT A FANCY PARTY…

or BAKE YOURSELF A TREAT AND ENJOY.

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WHAT KIND OF APPLES SHOULD YOU USE IN THIS CAKE (OR A PIE)?

Granny Smith — Your standard, never-fails baking apple. Tart, crisp, and they keep their structure after time in the oven.
Honeycrisp — Extra crisp and always holds firm after baking. One of our favorites!
Jonagold — Tart with a bit of sweetness. They also hold up well in the oven.
Braeburn — Crisp, sweet apples that hold up well in pie and other baked desserts.
Mutsu — Big apples that look like a large Golden Delicious. Has a sweet honeyed flavor and holds up well in pie.
Pink Lady — A good balance of sweet and tart. Will also hold its shape when baked.
Golden Delicious — Sweet and flavorful apple that’s very versatile. Will hold up in pie, but will become softer than some of the varieties mentioned above.
Jazz — Sweet and crisp flavor. Will hold up nicely in pie.

Directions

Prepare your pan. I used a 6 inch x 3 inch baking pan. Shmear Crisco all over the bottom and sides. Fit a round circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan. Shmear some more Crisco over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a few TBS of flour in the pan, then tap out the excess. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 1

Melt the butter and let it cool.

Step 2

Peel, core and thinly slice apples on a mandolin. Watch your fingertips - use the pusher no matter how nerdy you think it looks. I am missing a sliver of a fingertip because I didn't use the pusher about 20 years ago. Now, I use the pusher.

Step 3

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 4

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until thick and frothy. Add the butter and the 3/4 cup sugar. Add rum and vanilla. Whisk to make a thick batter.

Step 5

Add dry ingredients and combine with rubber spatula.

Step 6

Add the apples to the batter and combine. You can use your hands for this.

Step 7

Pour batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle more sugar on top.

Step 8

Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick or a cake skewer (better) comes out clean from the middle. My cake was tall and packed with apples and took a little over an hour and five minutes to cook all the way through.

Step 9

Let cool. Serve with the rum flavored whipped cream.

Step 10

To make the whipped cream. Put the glass bowl and mixer- beaters in the frig and let them get cold. When you're ready to whip the cream, put it in the sink and try to cover your electric beater with a towel - unless you want to clean whipped cream off your cabinets all night. When the cream is making soft peaks, add the confectioner's sugar and, lastly, stir in the rum to taste.