There are many variations of French apple tarts and cakes, the most famous being the tarte tatin. My husband rightfully pointed out that we Americans tend to add cinnamon to any apple-based dessert. Not the French. Therefore, he was delighted when I made this French apple dessert that reminded him of fall flavors that he was accustomed to.
Resist the urge to add cinnamon to this deliciously simple, moist apple cake because it will overpower the subtle flavors of apple and almond. I love that the cake tastes buttery even though there is no butter in the recipe. If you do not have cake flour, use regular although it might not be as moist.
French Apple-Almond Délice
Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Need: A 9-inch (22-cm) springform pan
4 apples (firm and not too sweet such as Granny Smith)
3 eggs, room temperature
¾ cup (165 g) sugar
1 cup (120 g) cake flour (or regular)
½ cup (55 g) almond flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon dark rum
2/3 cup (50 g) sliced almonds
A little less than ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 355° F (180° C). Peel and core the apples. Cut them in slices no bigger than 1-inch.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until the mixture lightens in color, about 3 minutes (or use an electric beater). Add the flour, almond flour and baking powder and whisk. Pour in the heavy cream, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
Grease or butter a springform pan. Pour the mixture into the pan. Place the apple slices evenly throughout. Sprinkle the almond slices on top of the apples. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown.
When you take the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it with the powdered sugar. Let the cake cool completely before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
And bon appétit!
