Invisible Apple Cake (Gâteaux Invisible)
Invisible Apple Cake or Gâteaux Invisible Aux Pommes is sweet like apple pie but requires half the effort! No crust, no fuss! I consider that a win! This French dessert combines copious amounts of thinly sliced apples and a rich, fragrant, crêpe-like batter to create a simple yet stunning sweet treat. As the cake bakes, the apple slices soften and melt or disappear into the batter, giving this Invisible Apple Cake its famous creamy, fruity, moist, rich and custard-like consistency and flavour. This easy recipe is the epitome of pure apple pie bliss! It’s happiness in a single slice!
My Invisible Apple Cake recipe starts off with handfuls of apples. Honeycrisp to be exact! They’re sweet, floral and rich in flavour and perfectly compliment the delicate custard without overpowering it. When baked, these crisp and juicy apples slightly soften while maintaining their structure and texture. If you don’t have Honeycrisp apples handy or can’t find them at your local grocer or market, simply substitute them with Braeburn, Cortland or Pink Lady for equally delicious results. Avoid Gala, McIntosh or Red Delicious as they lose their shape when baked, resulting in a mushy dessert. The apples are peeled, cored and cut into paper-thin slices. Slicing the apples thinly and uniformly is the secret! A thin cut allows the apple slices to fully cook and melt or disappear into the batter, giving this cake its signature invisible layer effect.
The sliced apples are folded into an aromatic, complex, fragrant and rich batter. The loose, crêpe-like batter is comprised of eggs, granulated sugar, gluten-free flour (or regular all-purpose flour), baking powder, salt, milk and melted butter. A pinch of cardamon and a dash of spirits, such as rum, Cognac or Armagnac, are added to the mix to balance out the flavours while also imparting depth of flavour, a little spice and warmth to the cake. The apple batter is added to a loaf pan and baked until custardy, golden-brown and delicious! Although, you may be tempted to indulge right away, it is essential that you allow this cake to fully cool to room temperature before slicing. I love popping it into the refrigerator for just over an hour to allow it to fully set and chill. This prevents the cake from separating when sliced. Once cool, dust the Invisible Apple Cake with icing sugar and cut it into desired slices or wedges. For some extra indulgence, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful or two of crème anglaise. All the ingredients combine to create a fruity, custardy, lightly spice, rich and satisfying spoonful!
Baking memories one slice of apple cake at a time! My Invisible Apple Cake (Gâteaux Invisible) recipe comes together with 15 minutes of prep, using a handful of simple and everyday ingredients and couldn’t be easier to make! Enjoy it for breakfast, brunch, dessert or as an afternoon snack. So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more fun and exciting apple recipes, try my Kale Salad with Apple and Prosciutto, Turkey Sandwich with Apple, Brie and Cranberry, Apple Crisp, Apple Fritter Bread, Apple Dutch Baby, Sautéed Cabbage with Apple, Mulled Apple Cider and Apple Ginger Mocktail recipes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 70 minutes
Total Time: 85 minutes
Serves: 6 - 8
Ingredients:
2 ½ lbs Honeycrisp apples (approx. 6 apples)
3 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup multi-purpose gluten-free flour, such as Cup4Cup (See Notes below)
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
Pinch of cardamon
2/3 cup 2% milk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (42g)
½ Tbsp dark rum, Cognac or Armagnac (See Notes below)
Additional 1 tsp butter, for greasing the pan
½ Tbsp icing sugar (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9”x5” loaf pan with 1 tsp butter and line it with parchment paper.
To a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Using a handheld or stand mixer, mix on high speed for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Then, add the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamon and mix on low for 10 seconds or until just combined.
Toss in the milk, melted butter and rum and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. Set aside.
While the batter is resting, peel and core the apples and cut each in half. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, cut the peeled apples into thin slices, measuring 2mm in thickness. Reserve 1 sliced apple for the top layer of the cake.
Add the remaining sliced apples to the batter and using a spatula, gently fold in until well coated.
Using a large spoon, transfer the apples and batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan. Press the apples into the bottom and sides of the pan after every addition. This will remove any air gaps and ensure distinct apple layers when baked.
Grab the reserved apple and arrange the slices by fanning and overlapping them over the top of the cake. Drizzle any remaining batter over top, ensuring that it is evenly distributed.
Bake for 70 minutes or until the apples are fork tender and the cake is cooked through. Without opening the door, periodically check on the Invisible Apple Cake while it bakes. If you notice that the top of the cake is browning a little too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cook time.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature for at least 120 – 180 minutes.
For best results, I highly recommend refrigerating the already cooled cake for at least 90 minutes. This will enable the pectin and custard to stabilize and set while also preventing the layers from falling apart when sliced.
Dust with icing sugar and cut into desired slices. Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
Substituting Flours: If you’re not adhering to a gluten-free diet, simply substitute the multi-purpose gluten-free flour on a 1:1 basis with all-purpose flour for equally delicious results.
Flavouring the Cake: For incremental warmth and depth of flavour, I love adding a little drop of alcohol to this cake. Prefer a non-alcoholic version?! Substitute the rum, Cognac or Armagnac in this recipe with 1 tsp of vanilla extract.
