Apple Calvados Cake

This cake was loosely adapted from one called Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. We were first attracted to it by Greenspan’s description of it as "more apple than cake" — so true!

The original recipe calls for dark rum, which we’ve swapped out for Calvados — France’s famous brandy distilled form apples in the Normandy region. You could also use apple brandy or Cognac — any brandy or eau de vie, really. It should be good with Bourbon or rye as well, though we haven’t tried that yet.

We also swapped whole-wheat flour for half of the all-purpose flour called for in the recipe; alternatively, it’s also really good made entirely with spelt flour (use 6 ounces/170 grams) in place of the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour.

As Greenspan suggests, it’s nice to use more than one type of apple, so you get varying textures and flavors in the bites — some more tart, some more sweet. But it’s not necessary — last time we made it, we used only Pink Lady apples, and they worked great.

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Calvados or Apple Brandy

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more unmelted butter for buttering the pan

4 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch chunks

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center position. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the whole wheat and all-purpose flours with the baking powder and salt.

3. Place the eggs in a medium bowl, and beat them with a whisk till they’re foamy. Add the sugar and whisk till blended, then whisk in the Calvados and vanilla. Whisk in half the flour mixture, followed by half the melted butter, then the rest of the flour mixture, followed by the rest of the melted butter. Give it a gentle stir to make sure everything is well combined into a smooth, thick batter.

4. Fold in the apples, coating them evenly with the batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top a bit.

5. Place the springform pan on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Set the springform pan on a rack to rest for 5 minutes.

6. Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake, release the spring on the pan. Check to see that no apples are stuck to the sides, and then remove the sides of the pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature.