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French Apple Cake
Apples are in season here in North Carolina so it is time to do some absolutely delightful baking. Delicate layers of sweet/tart apples make this a show stopper dessert, equally as delicious as it is beautiful. The perfect dessert for a blustery fall day.
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Ingredients
Cake Filling
- 3 large apples, preferably Honey Crisp or apples that are sweet and crisp
- ½ cup organic rolled oats, ground into flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ cup deglet dates
- ¾ cup soy milk, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top Batter
- â…“ cup almond flour
- â…“ cup deglet dates
- ¾ cup soy milk, unsweetened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Core apples and cut them into quarters.
- Mandolin slice the apples.
- Add the oat four, almond flour, baking powder and nutritional yeast to a large bowl and stir together.
- Add the dates, soy milk and vanilla to a blender and blend until the dates are pulverized.
- Pour the soy milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir well.
- Add the apple slices to the the batter and massage gently until all of the apple slices are coated with the batter.
- Line a 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch springform pan with parchment paper.
- Layer the apple slices into the pan one layer at a time.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Blend the top batter soy milk, dates and vanilla together.
- Stir remaining top batter ingredients into the soy milk mixture and pour over the cake making sure that some of the batter creeps down the sides.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for another 5 minutes to brown the top.
- Let the cake sit for 10 minutes before taking the springform off.
- Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top for decoration.
- Let the cake rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting.
- Keep in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.
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Nutrition info
Calories: 198kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.001gSodium: 77mgPotassium: 313mgFiber: 5gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 221IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 1mg
47 comments
I just watched the video. This cake looks DELICIOUS! I can’t have nuts, seeds or coconut, would you recommend whole wheat or oat flour in place of the almond flour? And what could I substitute on top that would be pretty? I was thinking sliced apples but if I did that, should I put them on top before the final 30 minutes of baking or the last 5 minutes when it’s browning?
Hello Carla, so sorry that I am just now seeing this comment. You could try the whole wheat flour and I think it would do ok. I would just sprinkle cinnamon on the top.
Carla, please let us know how it goes. We cannot have nuts in our household either but would love to try this cake!
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My son is allergic to almonds. Could you suggest a different flour to substitute in this recipe? It does look delicious!
Cashew flour and then just leave the almonds off the top or use a different nut
Thank you for the recipe. Could you please specify how much three apples weigh? I have just tried the recipe. it tastes good but I could not cut a slice. It just totally fell apart. So I am thinking that perhaps I put too many or not enough apples. If you don’t peel the apples,can you taste the peel in the cake? Thanks a lot.
About 1 3/4 pounds of apples. I don’t taste the peel.
I bought all the ingredients and plan to make it this week… it looks delicious! Also, your top you’re wearing in this video is so cute! Do you mind sharing the brand?
Thank you. I made the top =)
Hi Jill,
I could only find a 7.9″ springform pan, how would u adjust the baking time.
I can’t wait to make this
So sorry that I am just now seeing this comment Elayne. That pan will work just fine but it won’t be quite so tall of course. I would stick to the original baking time. It really needs a lot of time in the oven.
thanks for the guidance…can’t wait to make this…will let you know how it comes out. Stay tuned 🙂
This looks amazing but I don’t have a spring form pan of any size… I have 8×8 metal, and then glass for the others 9×9 and 9×13. Have you or has any of your followers made this recipe in a different pan? If so are there cooking time or temp conversions that could be shared with all of us? I am itching to make the cake but not ready to invest in buying a new pan just for that dish… yet. Thanks Jill & Jill’s followers for any info you can share
I have an update already. I could not wait to try it out and wanted to share – as a 6″x2″ish spring form pan holds 4 cups – I went with a loaf pan 8″x4″ish as it held same amount. It really was just a hopeful guess :). I made the recipe – the only change being I added a shake of cinnamon in both the base & topping batter and I used a loaf pan hoping to get the layers like Jill did. I still cooked it just as recipe directed. The result? As Jill noted the dish is kind of custardy – soft and delicious. My partner said the texture was a little like a rice pudding so it is a soft moist cake BUT he said it was the most delicious dessert I have made in a long time! He absolutely loved it! Success! It is amazing the next day after being in the fridge too. I think I will go ahead and get that spring form pan as this will go in the desert rotation! Thanks Jill!
That is great Rebecca! Thanks for sharing =)
Hello Rebecca, so sorry I am just now seeing this comment. The best bet would be your 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment. It won’t be as tall but it will still be amazingly delicious. I would probably still stick to the original baking time. It really does need a long time in the oven. I hope you love it. It sets up nice and firm after being in the fridge overnight too.
This looks great, however, I’m gluten free and also don’t eat oats. Do you think I can use all almond flour? Perhaps you have another suggestion? Thanks.
I haven’t really tried any substitutes for this recipe, sorry
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried and it’s so good! It tastes like a sticky date pudding with bonus delicious caramelly apple pie flavours. Yum yum yum. I didn’t have a small springform tin so I lined a 6″ high sided cake tin. I only had (cheap) dried dates so I soaked them in hot water, no problem. It was super easy, cheap and stressless. I loved it as is but i think served with vegan ice cream or whipped coconut cream it would be an impressive dinner party dessert. I am so excited to get cracking on more recipes. Thank you so much for your amazing channel. 😀
Thank you! Do you think I can substitute Soy milk with Almond or other nut milks? I really appreciate any suggestions.
yes
This is so good that we made it, ate it all in one sitting. Now we are making it for a second time. Doubt it will last more than an afternoon. Thank you
That is fantastic! My husband and I have a hard time not finishing it in one go too. =)
Looks delicious! I cant wait to make it! I was surprised to not see any cinnamon or combo “apple pie spice” Does leaving out the spice give it enough flavor?
You can absolutely add cinnamon. I was sticking to the original French Apple Cake recipe which doesn’t have cinnamon. I agree, I think it would be delicious.
I made this last night Jill, and oh my goodness, it’s delicious!
I used our home grown Bramley cooking apples and they just melted in the mouth. I’m assuming it’s meant to be fairly soggy inside and cooked on the outside? Either way, it was yum yum, in our tums!
We had it with some unsweetened Alpro soya yogurt and it tasted much naughtier than it is.
It does take a little longer to prepare and cook, but it’s well, well worth it and definitely one for the non-vegan n’er do wells! 😉
Thanks Jill… again.
Love from the UK. X
Thank you Hilly =). I am so glad you like it. We have eaten so much of it lately and we are still enjoying it.
I am gluten free as well, so I buy gluten free oats. One Degree is a great brand.
This cake is so pretty, I tried it immediately. Not sure what I did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly, wih the exception of adding cinnamon. I feel like apples need cinnamon. 🙂 However the part that was supposed to be “custardy” seemed like it just wasn’t cooked. I baked it for another 20 minutes, then another 30, and still that part just tasted undercooked.
It looks slightly undercooked right out of the oven but once it cools and even better, when it is chilled for a few hours it sets up.
I would like to substitute a no sugar/glucose sweetener (like allulose or monk fruit) instead of the dates.
Will you please suggest an approximate amount that would be comparable to the sweetness of the dates? Thank you and much appreciated for us keto/low carb folks, already cheating a bit with the apples but I just cant bring myself to make this with chayote squash 🙂
I have never used either one so I cannot advise you on this, sorry
I made this cake and absolutely loved it and so did the people I shared with. But I made it the day before and the flavor improved greatly after sitting for 24 hours. I will make this again and again. But I’m going to use chopped walnuts instead of almonds and we all agreed they would be better but the cake is amazing. We added some A2 cream and it was fabulous. Yum yum.
I made this last night and it is delicious. I did add some cinnamon and it was a nice touch. We are trying hard to make this one last three days!! 🙂 I will also just add that all of your recipes that I have tried have been excellent!! The videos are great incentive to try them, especially when I see your reaction to tasting everything!!
I’m so glad you like it! Yes, my hubby and I also have a difficult time not eating the whole cake in a couple sittings. =)
I made this delicious cake today and had to improvise a bit. I used toasted pecans instead of almonds for the topping, my spring form pan was 7½” so the cake was a little wider and shorter and I added cinnamon to the batters. It turned out beautifully and tasted creamy and delicious! I let it set up in the fridge for a few hours before cutting into it, it was perfect.
This looks so delicious! I plan to try it for my husband’s birthday this weekend. Does it matter what type of dates I use? I think I have medjool dates
medjools are fine. I use deglet. 1 medjool usually equals 2 deglets
Would like freeze this should cook it first?
I haven’t tried freezing it but I would say if you are going to then cook it first.
I just made this, however, the ingredients for coating the apples was very dry. What did I do wrong? Also, do you flip the cake upside down, on a platter?
The coating is a bit pasty. If it has too much liquid the batter doesn’t set up. I don’t flip it.
WOW! I’m not usually one to come back to a site to comment, but this was SO good. I made 1.5x the recipe in an 8 inch springform round and it was perfect. I’m 12+ years WFPB and I’m always stumbling across new websites and fun recipes to try. Ive got your cherry pie recipe in the oven right now…. I have no doubt it will be fantastic. Thanks for doing what you do! You’ve got a new follower here 🙂
This was sensational; I could eat it every day too; I used a 7.5 ” springform pan, and the depth was fine. I am so glad to have this recipe.
Hi Jill 🙂 If I want to double the ingredients, how long would you suggest to bake the cake for?
It is a tricky recipe to get cooked through so I wouldn’t suggest doubling the ingredients.
I’ve been trying to replicate an apple cake I tried once in Iceland, and this is the closest vegan version I’ve found so far!
It took me 3 tries to get the ratio of filling to dish space right. In the end, I used about 3 lbs of granny smith apples, and double the amount of dough mix. I peeled the skins off the apples because they left behind hard to chew stringy bits once cooked the first time I made the cake. Filled up a square glass baking dish that’s maybe 12 x 12 x 3?. (I don’t have a tape measure on hand, so that’s just a really rough estimate.) Used the same baking temperatures / times, minus the extra 5 minutes to brown the top as mine was already pretty brown when it finished. The base cake doesn’t have much salt, so I threw on some salted candied walnuts on top for a bit of texture / flavor balance to the creamy sweetness of the cake. Seemed to bake all the way through just fine.
Thanks for the recipe!