This super easy One Bowl French Apple Cake Recipe is the perfect one to quickly whip up for dessert or to enjoy with your afternoon tea… and all you need is one bowl! This Low Sugar Apple Cake is so simple and delicious – you need to try it this Winter!
This post may contain affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission - at not cost to you - for purchases made through these links.
Who doesn’t love a cake recipe that is both super easy AND quick? This recipe has both: it basically only requires one bowl and one whisk, and is ready to be enjoyed in about 30 minutes.
This Apple French Cake is the most delicious and moist dessert that will also be perfect as a snack with your afternoon tea. How does that sound? Pretty good, right!?
Ingredients
This super moist Apple Cake is probably one of the easiest French recipe you will ever find. Made with a few ingredients only, it is a truly ‘un-failable‘ cake.
To make this apple cake, you will only need a few basic ingredients (scroll down to recipe card for all quantities):
- Apples
- Eggs
- Brown Sugar
- Melted Unsalted Butter
- Applesauce – preferably homemade
- Plain, All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
I love using my homemade Applesauce as a way to control the amount of sweetness added to baked goods. Most store-bought applesauces will be full of sugar and preservative, so there is really nothing like a nice homemade one (made with no or low sugar)!
More Apple Recipes:
- Easy French Apple Tart
- Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- Rustic French Apple Galette with Applesauce
- Apple and Pear Crumble
How to make this One Bowl Apple Cake
Making this cake is seriously easy. Once your butter has melted and you have peeled, cored and sliced your apples, all you will need is one-bowl:
- Peel, core and slice your Apples into small cubes. Set aside.
- Melt the Unsalted Butter and leave to cool down.
- Place the Eggs and Brown Sugar in a large bowl and whisk until foamy. Whisk in the Melted Butter and Applesauce.
- Add the dry ingredients: Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt.
- Stir in the cut Apples and mix to fully cover them with the cake batter.
- Place in a lined round Springform Pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (*)
To finish the cake, wait for it to cool down then dust it with a little bit of Icing Sugar and/or Cinnamon Powder. Or leave it plain!
(*) Edit: June 2020 – although this cake always takes about 20 to 25 minutes to bake in my oven, many of you who tried this recipe mentioned that they had to bake it for about 35 minutes. Make sure to check the cake after 20/25 minutes as it might require a little bit longer in your oven!
What to serve with this cake?
This Moist Apple cake can be served in many different ways; either warm or cool!
It can be served on its own, but will also be delicious with:
- a scoop of vanilla ice cream
- some whipped cream
- more applesauce
- caramelised apples
- a berry sauce like Strawberry Coulis or Raspberry Coulis
This cake will be equally delicious on its own served with a hot cup of tea or coffee. Because it is such a moist cake, it is also a great snack to pack into a lunch box or take to work as a sweet snack!
What Apples to pick to make this cake?
Exactly like for baking with Pears, the type of apples you choose will slightly change the flavour of your cake.
Whether you want a nice and sweet apple or prefer something a little more tangy and crisp, this recipe can be made with so many different types of apples!
For this cake, you can for example use:
- Granny Smith
- Jonagold
- Honeycrisp
- Braeburn
- Mutsu or Crispin
- Winesap
- Pink Lady
You can read more about how to choose the Best Apples for baking here!
How long can I keep this cake?
Stored in an air-tight container in a cool place, this cake can keep for 2 to 3 days. If the weather is warm, it is better to keep this cake in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, you can freeze this apple cake! To freeze it, first leave it to cool down completely. Cover it completely with a layer of plastic wrap first, then a layer of aluminium foil.
Keep in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. When ready to be eaten, thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Easy French Desserts Recipes:
- Spiced Red Wine Poached Pears
- Sablé Breton Cookies
- Lemon Meringue Cake
- Easy Cherry Clafoutis
- Classic Cheese Gougères
- Strawberry Charlotte Cake
- Easy French Apple Tart
Easy French Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 3 Small Apples
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp (40gr) Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup (120gr) Melted Unsalted Butter
- 1/3 cup (100gr) Applesauce
- 1 cup (150gr) Plain, All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon, optional
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180'C / 350'F.Grease or line a 20cm/8inch round Springform Pan with baking paper.
- Melt the Unsalted Butter in the microwave and set aside to cool down.
- Peel, Core and Cut the Apples into small cubes. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the Eggs and Brown Sugar until foamy. Add the melted butter and Applesauce and stir until combined.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients: Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt (and optionally Ground Cinnamon)
- Mix the Apple slices directly into the cake batter, making sure all the apple cubes are equally covered with batter (1)
- Pour the cake batter into the lined/grease pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (*), or until the tip of a knife comes out clean.
- Serve warm with Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream, or leave to cool down completely. Optional: dust with a little bit of Icing Sugar and/or Cinnamon Powder.
Notes
- Optionally, you can also keep about 1/4 of the cubed apples to place over the cake batter in the baking pan if you want to “show” more of the apples on the cake.
Your baking time for the French apple cake is way off. One part of your directions says 20-25 minutes at 350° and another part says 15-20 minutes. Mine is in for 25 minutes and still not done?
Hi Joyce, sorry for the confusing – it should be 20 to 25 minutes. That being said, every oven is different and it is entirely possible that it will take longer than that in your oven, depending on the type of oven or how accurate the temperature is. It is ready when a skewer comes out clean. Cheers
I agree that the cooking time is way too short. Mine took an additional 17 minutes to cook. Absolutely delicious with the addition of walnuts pushed into the batter before baking. Highly recommend but watch cooking times.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Gayle – the addition of walnuts sounds delicious!
Quel delice, you didn’t lie, quick and delicious. I have enjoyed every bits of it from my quarantined couch in British Columbia. Thanks for the great a recepy, it will be dome again!
Merci Greg! Love to hear that from my Melbourne couch 🙂
There was only one problem with the cake and that was it was eaten too quickly!!! 😀 . I will freeze some next time. The cake was delicious and not too sweet. I also am going to make more of the Apple sauce as that was great with yoghurt and added to porridge.
So happy to hear that, Sarah! Glad you enjoyed the applesauce as well, it’s a great staple to keep in the fridge 🙂
Very good recipe. I added pecans just because I love them. Also, mine needed a few minutes longer than 25 mins. I will make this again!
Love the idea of pecans! Happy you enjoyed the recipe, Stacy 🙂
This cake was insanely easy and insanely dekicious. I could have easily stood at the counter and are the whole thing(I did not). I agree with the timing I started at 20 minutes but had to add 15 more. But it came out perfect.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Christine! I have now added a note in the recipe that depending on your oven, the cake could take longer than 25 minutes to bake since many of you have had the same issue 🙂 Cheers!
Definitely easy. Definitely delicious!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks Audra!
Is it possible to make it 1/2 all purpose flour and half almond meal
Hi Judy, I have never tried that for this cake so I cannot say for sure, but I don’t see why not. You might have to adjust the baking time as the texture/consistency of the batter will be slightly different. Let me know how you go!