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French Apple Cake

This simple dessert is less cake than sautéed apples set in a thick, buttery custard encased in a golden crust. We liked using two varieties of apples here, one tart and one sweet—the variation in the apples’ sweetness gave the cake a full, complex flavor. The cake is delicious served unadorned, but it’s equally wonderful accompanied with crème fraîche or ice cream.
Servings: 8
Author: Milk Street

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons salted butter (113 grams), cut into 3 or 4 chunks, plus more for the pan
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1½ pounds Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 pound Braeburn apples or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices
  • ¾ cup white sugar (12 tablespoons) divided [2 tablespoons + 9 tablespoons (112.5 grams) + 1 tablespoon]
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ cup apple brandy or Calvados
  • ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (87 grams), plus more for pan
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • crème fraîche or ice cream to serve

Instructions

Brown the butter:

  • In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, melt the butter.
  • Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the milk solids at the bottom are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Pour into a small heatproof bowl without scraping out the skillet.
  • Stir the allspice into the butter and set aside.

Cook the apples:

  • Add all of the apples, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt to the still-hot skillet and set over medium-high.
  • Cook, stirring occasionally, until all moisture released by the apples has evaporated and the slices are beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Add the brandy and cook until evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Transfer to a large plate, spread in an even layer and refrigerate uncovered until cool to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the batter:

  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and 9 tablespoons of the remaining sugar.
  • Gradually whisk in the browned butter.
  • Add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until smooth; the batter will be very thick.
  • Add the cooled apples and fold until evenly coated with batter.
  • Transfer to the prepared pan, spread in an even layer and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake and serve:

  • Bake until deeply browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
  • Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
  • Run a knife around the inside of the pan and remove the sides before slicing.

Video

Notes

  • Don’t use a spatula to scrape the browned butter out of the skillet—simply pour it into the bowl. A skim coat of butter in the pan is needed for cooking the apples.
  • Don’t slice the cake until it has fully cooled; if it is at all warm, the texture at the center will be too soft.

Sugar math:

The math for the amount of sugar listed in the original recipe ingredients didn't add up for me, so I altered it in the amount of sugar in my ingredient list. I confirmed my calculations with the associated video, but the original ingredient amount is listed below for reference, in case I screwed it up.
  • 2 tablespoons plus 117 grams (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) white sugar, plus more for sprinkling