French Apple Cake
Servings: 8-10
Category: Desserts
Source: Cooks Illustrated
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8" thick crosswise
- 1 T. Calvados
- 1 t. lemon juice
- 1 c. plus 2 T. (5-2/3 oz.) all-purpose flour
- 1 c. plus 1 T. (7 oz.) granulated sugar (less-sweet version uses 2/3 c.)
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. whole milk
- 1 large egg plus 2 large yolks
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- Confectioner's sugar
Directions
Adjust over rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325℉. Spray 9-inch springform pan on aluminum foil-lined rimmer baking sheet (oil leaks during baking). Place apples in pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apples with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk oil, milk, 1 egg (no extra yolks), and vanilla in second bowl until smooth. Add flour mixture to milk mixture and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside. Add egg yolks to remaining batter (not batter set aside in separate bowl) and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact later, and smooth surface. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into batter set aside in separate bowl. Pour over batter in pan, spread batter evenly to an edges, and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake. Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1-1/4 hours. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run thin knife around pan to loosen cake, then let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Remove sides of pan. Dust cake with confectioner's sugar and cut into wedges.