This recipe is simple, surprisingly delicious, lets the apple shine through, and yet can be done with flavorless leftover apples.

Ingredients (one square cake pan):

  • 3 large apples
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar1
  • 115 grams of salted butter
  • 100 grams of white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of brown sugar (about 30 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large teaspoon vanilla extract2
  • 120 grams flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation:

  • finely dice the apples3

  • toss with the apple cider vinegar and reserve

  • mix the butter4, white sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl

  • beat the eggs and vanilla in

  • add the flour and baking powder, fold the mixture

  • fold in the apples

  • pour the batter into a buttered pan

  • dust a thin layer of white sugar on top5

Cooking:

  • cook 45 minutes in a 350F (180C) oven
  • let cool down to room temperature before serving

Credits:

This is my take on Chef John’s recipe (the irony of using an American recipe to bake a French cake is not lost on me).

  1. This helps brings in further apple flavor, which is particularly important if your apples are not that good. ↩︎

  2. The traditional recipe calls for half a teaspoon of vanilla extract but adds 3 tablespoons of dark rum. ↩︎

  3. Keep the skin, it makes the recipe easier, does not degrade the final result and is probably healthier. ↩︎

  4. You can, very lightly, soften the butter in a microwave to make your task easier. ↩︎

  5. Do not omit this step, it makes a significant improvement in the flavor and brings some textural contrast to the cake. ↩︎