Invisible Apple Cake

This invisible apple cake manages to be rich, delicious and surprisingly light — you can eat it almost without a second thought.

The secret is slicing the apples very thinly, which gives the cake a texture close to that of a custard tart.

It is a cake made almost entirely of fruit: the batter, kept to a bare minimum, is absorbed by the apples until it becomes all but invisible.

The slices go into a bowl with a little lemon juice as you cut them, while the batter comes together, so they do not brown.

Jump to recipe

What you need to make this invisible apple cake:

Apples (Cortland, McIntosh or Golden) — sliced very thinly, about 2 mm, they make up almost the entire cake and give it that texture close to a custard tart.
Eggs — whisked with the brown sugar, butter and milk, they bind the batter.
Brown sugar — it sweetens the batter and adds a faint caramel note.
Flour — it gives the batter just enough structure to coat the apples without ever taking over.
Milk — it lightens the batter and gives it a silky texture.
Melted butter — it adds tenderness and a touch of richness, without weighing the cake down.
Baking powder and baking soda — they give the batter a slight lift, keeping it airy despite the sheer amount of apples.
Ground cinnamon — it subtly flavours the cake, a natural match for the apples.

Why this invisible apple cake must be on your menu!

Light despite its name: very little batter, a lot of apples.
A dessert that looks rich but is easy to enjoy without much guilt.
Easy to get right: no pastry to roll out, no blind baking.
Whisk, mix, pour, bake.
Make it ahead: it is served warm or cold, so nothing stops you from making it the day before.
Handy for a meal where dessert shouldn't be a last-minute job.
Works with whatever apples you have: Cortland, McIntosh or Golden all work.
A good way to use what's already in the fruit bowl.

Invisible Apple Cake

A cake made almost entirely of apples, where the batter fades into the background. Light, tender, halfway between a cake and a custard tart.

Prep 20 min

Cook 40 min

Total time 1 hr

Course: Dessert Cuisine: French Keyword: Invisible apple cake Calories:

Ingredients

Servings: 8 slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F), fan setting. Butter a 20 cm (9 in) square or round tin.
Peel the apples and slice them about 2 mm thick. Drop them into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, melted butter and milk until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Mix well until the batter thickens.
Tip the apples into the batter and fold gently, so that every slice is coated.
Pour the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Let cool slightly before turning out. Serve warm or cold.

Nutrition (per slice)

Tips

Slice the apples very thinly, about 2 mm: this is the secret to the texture, close to that of a custard tart.
A little lemon juice in the bowl keeps the slices from browning before they go in the oven.
Cortland, McIntosh or Golden all work, whichever you prefer.
Serve warm or cold.

Personal note

Comments (0)

Share this page