Melt-in-Your-Mouth French Apple Cake

Introduction

This French Apple Cake is the definition of simple elegance — soft, buttery, and filled with tender chunks of apple that melt in your mouth. With basic pantry ingredients and fresh apples, this rustic cake is light, moist, and lightly scented with vanilla and rum. It’s the perfect dessert to serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream for a cozy, homemade treat that feels straight out of a Parisian café.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 3 tablespoons dark rum

  • 2 baking apples (Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 3½–4 cups)

  • Confectioners’ sugar (optional), for dusting

How to Make