Marie-Hélène's apple cake from Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours (page 432) by Dorie Greenspan

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Notes about this recipe

  • breakthroughc on March 08, 2026

    I have made this cake several times with great success. I haven’t had a problem with it being done in 60 minutes, but I may cut my apples a little smaller. I have always used rum, but this time I used bourbon and wow is that an improvement on an already great recipe. I will only use bourbon going forward.

  • senzler on November 04, 2025

    This was lovely, easy, and quick to put together. I made if for book club and it was a hit. will make this again

  • Lottabooks on November 21, 2024

    I've made this a few times with rum, but would like to try cognac or Calvados. Hints from Epicurious for a 9 inch springform pan (I follow this formula and it works): 1-1/4 sticks butter, 1 t. vanilla, 1 c. sugar, 1-1/4 t. baking powder, 1 c. flour PLUS 2 T. flour, 3 eggs, 5 apples (a mix - Granny Smiths, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady), pinch of salt. Chop apples in 1/2 inch pieces and toss in lemon juice. Cream butter after melting with sugar; beat in eggs, vanilla and rum, then proceed with dry ingredients. Be sure to coat apples. Lay parchment on bottom of pan, THEN clamp (ensures liquid stays in pan). Added cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, lemon zest, cloves (a little bit of cloves go a long way). Rum flavor intensifies as it sits. Definitely cook longer - with the added ingredients mentioned above, it needed about 15 extra minutes. But a great cake for Thanksgiving - make it the day before and store with loose covering at room temp.

  • elysedc on November 03, 2024

    I tried veganizing this recipe with moderate success (unfortunately can't compare to the regular version yet). Replaced the butter with weight equivalent in oil (slightly less to account for water content in butter) and replaced eggs with applesauce. Given there's so little batter, I thought I'd be ok if it didn't hold together quite so well, but mine also came out somehow too wet and a bit greasy (literally dabbed pockets of grease off the top with a paper towel). Was concerned about underbaking it, but given there are no eggs I probably should have pulled it a bit sooner. Folks, it was...not a looker. That said, it actually tasted delicious. Added ground mahleb to top, added a bit of fresh nutmeg and mesquite to the flour, coated the pan/topped with cinnamon sugar. Replaced alcohol with equal amounts vanilla (2 tbsp) and almond extract (1 tbsp). Going to try this again with original ingredients and hope for more of a crust.

  • kshell on October 25, 2024

    I loved this the first time I made it. But times 2 and 3 it was not living up to my memory of the first. I think I'm over baking and the apples might be turning to mush and the cake winds up somehow too wet and a bit greasy? I'll give it another go, another year, and try to pull it out of the oven before the apples start collapsing.

  • et12 on October 24, 2024

    Loved the apple flavours in this cake, the depth of flavour the vanilla and rum provide and how easy it was to put it all together. Would definitely serve with cream or ice cream next time.

  • hbakke on March 17, 2024

    Delicious cake! I don't normally love apple desserts, but this was very good. I used a combination of random, mixed apples that had spent too much time in the veg drawer of the fridge. Will repeat.

  • amandabeck on February 19, 2024

    A good cake to make for an abundance of apples -- not too sweet, delicious with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream. Next time I'd turn the temperature down and bake it for 30 minutes longer-- top browned too fast and the cake was undercooked (used fancy toaster oven).

  • Running_with_Wools on December 24, 2023

    I’ve made this frequently and it is so simple and delicious. This time I pushed the limits by using 7 apples and baked it in a 10 inch springform. I increased the sugar, flour, butter and added an egg yolk. I subbed whiskey for rum.

  • Rradishes on March 07, 2022

    Great cake, and like others say it's more apples than batter. But that's makes it healthier, right? :) A great treat with tea, and easy to make.

  • anya_sf on January 14, 2022

    Very good. Not too sweet, so we enjoyed it with vanilla ice cream. I had a 9" springform pan, and the cake might have been done in 60 min except some of the apples (I used 4 kinds, as recommended) were a bit firm, so the cake baked 70 min.

  • jhallen on November 26, 2020

    This was easy and really good. Mine didn’t need longer the stated cook time, unlike other readers. The batter was done and the apples held some crispness, which I liked. Served with a general dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, which was a perfect complement to the cake.

  • averythingcooks on December 25, 2019

    So worried about whether it was really cooked through and so relieved to eat such a moist and delicious cake!! I used 4 large apples (granny smith, Spartan, honeycrisp and Macintosh), gave it around 70 minutes and served it on the second day with softly whipped cream flavoured with maple sugar. Rave reviews and a definite make again!

  • finnsmom64 on December 08, 2019

    This turned out great! Loved the rum in it. It could have used a few more minutes and will be making again.

  • aeader on November 18, 2017

    Very nice light cake, everyone enjoyed it. Would make again.

  • stockholm28 on November 01, 2015

    I like this cake and have made it several times. It is delicious right out of the oven. This cake is more apples than cake. I used a 9 inch springform as I don't have an 8 inch so the cake came out thinner than is shown in the picture. My apples were quite large and the batter just barely coated them so the cake, although done, came out quite wet I really like the rum with apples.

  • Jane on October 06, 2014

    I've been meaning to make this for ages, given that it's the most reviewed recipe on EYB. I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't take note of what everyone said about cooking it longer - my cake was nicely golden and a cake tester came out clean after 60 minutes so I thought it was good. But when we ate it (at room temperature a few hours later) the center was definitely under-cooked. I will make it again as I liked the flavors and the fact it's more apples than cake. I used 4 different apples as suggested which I think helps the flavor. I served it with cinnamon ice cream from David Lebovitz's Perfect Scoop. Lovely fall dessert.

  • Avocet on November 07, 2013

    This did need to bake longer than 60 minutes. Perhaps baking it in a 9" pan and cutting the apples in smaller pieces would be a good idea. I'm going to cut back the butter a little next time. Raisins would be a good addition.

  • meggan on January 14, 2013

    I agree with the other reviewers that this needed to bake for more time. The cake was simple and delicious and I was happy to have something other than the obligatory apple/cinnamon combo.

  • Astrid5555 on September 29, 2012

    Excellent and easy. Needs 15 minutes longer to bake than stated in the recipe. Will make again!

  • chawkins on September 11, 2012

    Great dessert for people with diabetes as it is not too sweet with mostly apples and very little batter.

  • DKennedy on September 10, 2012

    Love this cake. I've made this more times than any other dessert recipe. I like to brown the butter for more depth of flavor. Also, better when increase the cinnamon ratio and a dash of lemon zest, but only a dash.

  • mfto on January 27, 2012

    p432 I should have baked this longer than 60 minutes. The apples were slightly crunchy but that is not why I will not make this recipe again. I followed the recipe exactly using rum and vanilla and three different apples. I wanted to add cinnamon but decided to see if the flavor was good as written. The cake looked beautiful but there simply was not enough flavor. I hoped it would improve overnight, but no luck. It is possible that my apples were the problem. I do think the juice of a lemon might help perk things up. If you do decide to try the recipe, go to the following link for tips on preparing a springform pan. It works. http://wscwong.typepad.com/dessert_by_candy/2010/10/marie-h%C3%A9l%C3%A8nes-apple-cake.html

  • vinochic on December 15, 2011

    As others said, bread pudding like, easy to make, not too sweet. Probably needs more cooking time then recipe states though (I baked for 60 minutes and it was slightly underdone). Nice with creme fraiche!

  • L.Nightshade on May 22, 2011

    I've made this cake twice now, the second time was an experimental version. This recipe is frequently posted online so I won't go into details. The experiment I did with the second cake was making it gluten-free. Since the cake is pretty flour-poor and fruit-rich, I thought I had a good shot of making something edible. I think gluten free flour takes longer to cook than wheat flour. Even after adding additional baking time the cake was a little pudding-like. But very tasty. The cake made with regular flour baked well in the allotted time. I really like that this cake calls for four different types of apples. I used a Braeburn, a Honeycrisp, a Pink Lady, and a Jazz. I had my own little apple tasting as I was chopping, the differences are amazing: sweet, tart, sharp, rich, etc. Mmmm. And you can really taste the different flavors in bites of the cake. Next: I want to try this same cake recipe with fresh peaches.

  • Aggie92 on February 02, 2011

    Delicious recipe. Loved it the first day when the cake was just a little crusty. I used honey crisp apples and they were sweet. Next time I will use all Granny Smith or a mix of Granny's and another apple.

  • HeatherT on January 16, 2011

    Thought I put it together incorrectly because there is just enough batter to coat the apples, but it came out great. Will make again and again.

  • Emily Hope on December 03, 2010

    Very simple to make with excellent results--probably wouldn't serve at a dinner party because of its simplicity, but great for brunch/tea.

  • ComeUndone on November 08, 2010

    Great flavour and tremendously easy. Reminds me of clafouti. http://wscwong.typepad.com/dessert_by_candy/2010/10/marie-h%C3%A9l%C3%A8nes-apple-cake.html

  • sideshoes on November 02, 2010

    Baked for about 20 minutes longer than recipe called for. Bread pudding like. Excellent.

  • cpauldin on October 20, 2010

    Took about 75 minutes to bake- almost like a bread pudding consistency- extremely quick to throw together with impressive results.

  • JoannaV on October 19, 2010

    more apples than cake - very good

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Reviews about this recipe

  • Chez Pim

    This cake is everything I love about homey French desserts: beguilingly simple and not even very pretty, but presents the very essence of what it’s supposed to be.

    Full review

  • Kate Cooks the Books

    This is such a simple, satisfying and forgiving dish.

    Full review
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