c i r k a

French Apple Cake

  • 8 Tbsp (1 stick) - salted butter
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 1/2lb Granny Smith apples - cored, peeled and cut into 1/4“ slices
  • 1 lb sweet apple (Braeburn, Golden Delicious, sweet etc) - cored, peeled and cut into 1/4” slices
  • 12 Tbsp white sugar divided - 2Tbsp apples, 9Tbsp flour, 1Tbsp topping
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 2 Tbsp Brandy or Calvados
  • 86 gram (2/3 cup) all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract


  1. Heat oven to 375 deg with rack in middle position. Coat a 9“ cake of springform pan with nonstick coating, dust evenly and dump out excess.
  2. In a 12” skillet over med-high heat 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, 1-3 min. Pour into a small heatproof dish without scraping out the skillet. Stir the allspice into the butter and set aside.
  3. Add all the apples, 2 Tbsp of sugar and the 1/4 tsp of salt to the still hot skillet on med-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all moisture released by the apples is evaporated and the slices are starting to brown, 12-15 min. Add the brandy and cook until evaporated, 30-60 sec. Transfer to a large plate, spread in an even layer and refrigerate uncovered until cool to the touch, 15-20 min.
  4. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and 9 Tbsp 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 Tbsp sugar.
  5. Bake until deeply browned, 35-40 min. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.


Serves: 10-12      Total cooking time: 1 hr
Soruce: Milk Street



recipe/frenchapplecake.txt · Last modified: 2022/08/19 20:38 by rob