This French Apple Crumb Cake is easily one of my top 3 favorite cakes of all time. However, I will say that calling it a cake feels a bit dishonest because while true, nothing about this cake is very cakey.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

The traditional French Apple Cake is a simple one-layer cake with an exceptionally high proportion of fruit to cake. It’s typically flavored with rum and has a texture that’s more custardy than cake-like. Like all things French, it contains a lot of butter and is all the more delicious for its elegance.

The apple crumb cake you see pictured here is a loose variation on that simple cake.

• Instead of rum, this cake is flavored with vanilla and almond extract.
• Like a traditional French Apple Cake, this cake is packed with more apples than you think the batter will hold. Unlike a traditional French Apple Cake, I cooked the apples before tossing them into the cake batter. This concentrates the apple flavor and reduces the water content so you end up with a rich, almost creamy cake instead of a soggy one.
• Like a traditional French Apple Cake, this is an all-butter cake. But, in this recipe, I browned the butter to give the cake even more flavor.
• And, completely unlike a French Apple Cake, this cake includes a thick, buttery crumb topping reminiscent of the very best crumb cake.

"I made this for a large family dinner party. I had a lot of apples that needed to be harvested off my apple tree so it seemed like the perfect recipe to try. I was blown away. Not only is the “cake” absolutely beautiful the flavors were so wonderful. It’s a perfect autumn cake full of warm and comforting flavors. I highly recommend and I will be doing this cake again very soon." -Pride

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Recipe: French Apple Crumb Cake

This recipe was originally published on ofbatteranddough.com. For more detailed instructions, please see the original recipe ---> French Apple Crumb Cake

For the French Apple Cake:

• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest from 1 medium orange
• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/ 113 grams) salted butter
• 2 ½ pounds of apples that are peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-size chunks (6 medium apples/ 7 cups chopped)
• ⅔ cup + 2 tablespoons (158 grams) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon table salt, divided
• ⅔ cup (80 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

For the Crumb Topping:

• 10 tablespoons (5 ounces/ 141 grams) salted butter
• ⅔ cup (142 grams) light or dark dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon (225 grams) cake flour
• Powdered (confectioners) sugar, optional, for sprinkling

Brown the Butter:

1. Put the cloves and orange zest in a small bowl; set the bowl near the stovetop.
2. Cut 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/ 113 grams)of butter into chunks and put it in a 12-inch skillet. Set the skillet over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the butter is melted and begins to boil.
3. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a rich golden brown color. As you stir, pay attention to the color of the butter underneath the foam. The butter will take approximately 3-5 minutes to brown. When it's done, the butter beneath the foam will be golden brown with dark brown specks on the bottom of the pan and will smell nutty. It will look a bit like a dark, foamy beer. Once browned, pour the butter into the bowl with the cloves and orange zest and let it cool to room temperature. (See photos above for reference.)
4. DO NOT WASH OUT THE SKILLET. If there are a lot of brown milk solids in the bottom of the skillet, scrape those into the bowl, but it’s important that the skillet is slicked with butter to prevent the apples from sticking while they cook.

Cook the Apples:

1. Add the chopped apples, 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt to the skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Cook the apples, stirring every once in a while, until the apples are just beginning to brown. This will take about 15 minutes.
2. Spread the apples out on a plate and put them in the refrigerator until they are cooled to room temperature.

Make the Crumb Topping:

1. Cut the butter into chunks and put it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until melted. Alternatively, melt the butter in a small saucepan set over low heat.
2. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium size bowl and stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter and stir until combined.
3. Add the flour and use your hands to mix until completely incorporated. Cover and set aside.

Prepare the Cake Batter:

1. Heat the oven to 375° F (190° C).
2. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan: Coat the inside of the pan with a thin layer of vegetable shortening or butter. Cover the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper that’s been cut to fit. Smear the parchment paper with vegetable shortening or butter. Shake some all-purpose flour around in the pan until the inside of the pan is completely coated. Shake out excess flour. (More about how to prepare a cake pan so the cake will not stick.)
3. Add the all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, and the baking powder to a small bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and the remaining ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar to a larger bowl. Beat with a wire whisk to combine.
5. Slowly whisk in the browned butter.
6. Add the flour mixture to the batter and stir just until barely combined. Stir in the apples.
7. Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out into an even layer. Add the crumb topping over the batter, squeezing the topping together in your hand to create some large pieces.
8. Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes. When done, the top of the cake will be set and golden brown, and the cake will be starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. If you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake it will come out without any signs of raw batter. (See note below)
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes then gently run a knife around the outside of the cake to separate it from the sides of the cake pan. Gently release and remove the side of the pan and allow it to cool completely.
10. Sprinkle the cake with some powdered (confectioners) sugar if you like, then slice and serve.

More recipes for apple lovers

German Apple Pie - German Apple Pie is one of the easiest and creamiest apple pies I've ever baked. The pie is gorgeously rich, flavorful, and so easy to make that it's become one of my favorite go-to recipes and one of the most popular recipes on the blog!

Apple Fritters with Maple Glaze - These are the kind of apple fritters you'd get at the very best kind of doughnut shop. They are made from soft yeast-raised dough, flavored with a hint of nutmeg and orange, filled with buttery cinnamon-coated apples, and covered in a crackly maple glaze.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins - These tender apple cinnamon muffins are packed with chunks of fresh apples, contain a gooey apple butter center, and are topped with a generous amount of crunchy, buttery brown sugar streusel.

Apple Cobbler - The recipe includes saucy cinnamon and clove spiced apples baked under a chewy cookie topping. The gooey brown sugar topping takes about 5 minutes to make and tastes like a soft, buttery sugar cookie.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

Salted Caramel Apple Pie - This salted caramel apple pie is a decadent combination of flavors and textures. From the flaky bottom crust to the saucy caramel apple filling and buttery crumb topping, this pie is impressive and indulgent.

Apple Cider Cake - This 3-layer cake is bursting with the sweet-tart flavor of crisp apples. The cake includes concentrated Apple Cider Syrup and shredded sour apples for a double hit of apple flavor and enough cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to make you feel all warm and cozy.

Irish Apple Cake - This is a soft vanilla cake that's subtly sweet, packed with apples, and gently flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It's equally delicious smothered in vanilla custard sauce or buttery ​whisky sauce​, or eaten plain and perfectly unadorned.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ ofbatteranddough.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ rebeccablackwell.com

+ Check out Let's Get Lost, my Substack newsletter for more new and exclusive recipes in your in-box every month! As a full time traveler, living, working, cooking, and baking from a 5th wheel RV, it's also where I share our experiences of life on the road.