French Apple Cake
A moist, simple cake made with fresh apples, butter, sugar and Cointreau liqueur! Traditional French cake is made with rum so this is a twist on the classic recipe. A delightful dessert or anytime treat. Eat and enjoy within a couple of days.
Time
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp for topping
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3-4 heaping tbsp Cointreau liqueur
3 small apples (I prefer Fuji), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3½ - 4 cups chopped)
Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch non-stick cake pan with butter, lay down parchment paper and butter again (or use a springform pan for easy release).
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and Cointreau. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until it’s a lovely smooth batter, about 1-2 minutes.
Fold in (which means to gently stir in if you are a Schitts Creek fan!) the chopped apples.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan, at least 10 minutes. Once cool, run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake. Place a rack on top of the cake, and carefully invert/flip the cake onto the rack. Remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake back over onto a platter.
Dust with confectioners' sugar, slice and enjoy!