Gâteau aux Pommes: The Rustic Cake You Never Knew You Needed
This French apple almond cake is one of those effortless desserts that feels both rustic and refined. The crumb is light and buttery, with just enough almond flavor to highlight the sweet-tart apples (I love using Honeycrisp!).
It’s lovely on its own with a dusting of powdered sugar, though you can dress it up with a scoop of ice cream, softly whipped cream, or a dollop of tangy crème fraîche.
If you’re looking for more cozy apple bakes, try my apple cinnamon bundt cake, rustic apple galette, or crowd-favorite salted caramel apple slab pie. You can also browse my collection of easy homemade dessert recipes — all simple, approachable, and expertly chef-tested.
How To Make A French Apple Cake
Full instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
French almond cake can be enjoyed warm, but I let it cool a bit before slicing and dusting with confectioners sugar. It’s light, tender, buttery, and easy to make ahead!
Two Quick Tips
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature and the melted butter has cooled slightly. This ensures the batter mixes evenly and helps create a smoother texture.
- Don’t overmix! Overmixing the batter can result in a dense cake. Mix until just combined to keep the cake light and airy.
For the full rustic bistro experience, pair this with a French-inspired dinner menu! Or add a nice little digestif to wrap the meal. 💁🏻♀️
I can’t resist sneaking another slice — it’s far too good to save just for dessert! If you give this cozy apple cake a try, be sure to let us know by leaving a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below. I think you’re gonna love this one!
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Impossibly Easy Apple Almond Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (35g) almond flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs (100g), room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 8 Tbsp (½ cup; 113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3 medium Honeycrisp apples, cut into ¼-½ -inch thick slices, about 3½-4 cups (~400G) – you do NOT need to peel them!
- ⅓ cups (30g) sliced almonds
- Confectioners sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare the cake pan. Preheat an oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch cake pan or springform pan with parchment, then spray generously with baking spray or grease with butter.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (35g) almond flour, ¾ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk 2 large (100g) eggs until frothy, about 1 minute. Add ¾ cup (150g) sugar, 8 Tbsp (113g) melted butter, and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Finish the cake batter. All at once, pour in the dry ingredients, then use a rubber spatula to gently fold them into the wet ingredients. When there are just a few streaks of flour remaining, add half of the apple slices. Fold again gently until just mixed, then pour out into the prepared cake pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the cake into an even layer, then top with the remaining apple slices. You can arrange them in any way you like: concentric circle, rows of apples, whatever you like. I recommend facing them skin side up. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup (30g) sliced almonds.
- Bake the cake. Transfer the cake to the preheated oven then bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. *If the cake begins to brown too quickly, you can cover it with aluminum foil for the last 20 minutes of bake time.
- Cool, then serve! If serving warm, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a platter by inverting first onto a plate, then back onto the platter. Dust with powdered sugar, then slice and serve. Alternatively, you can allow the cake to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- This cake can be made 1–2 days ahead and kept covered at room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
You referenced milk in your early comments about using room temp eggs, butter, etc but I don’t see milk listed in your ingredients.
Hi Marcia, thanks so much for catching this. There is no milk in this recipe (note that the instructions and ingredients above are all correct). You’ll want to make sure the eggs are room temperature and also allow the melted butter to cool slightly to ensure the batter has the right consistency. Report back if you give it a try! xo, Ari
Can I make this gluten free?
Hi Charlene! I haven’t tested this cake using only gluten-free flour. However, I make this almond ricotta cake at least half a dozen times a year and it’s always perfect. If you give either a try, let me know what you think! Best, Ari
This cake came out so good and was really simple. I left out the almonds. My whole family loved it. My measuring skills are not great and the recipe is very forgiving. You could probably use this base for many different types of fruit. My family mentioned to try it using strawberries next time. Also, this cake used ingredients that I already had a home.
Don’t you love a forgiving cake recipe?! This is such a great one for apple season. Love the idea of using strawberries next — thanks, Laurie! Cheers, Ari