“Invisible Apple Cake” Is So Delicious It Will Disappear in Minutes

3 weeks ago

This stunning French dessert pinch layers of thinly sliced apples successful a custard-like batter will vanish successful minutes.

Serves8

Makes1 (9x5-inch) loaf

Prep20 minutes to 25 minutes

Cook1 hr 5 minutes to 1 hr 10 minutes

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Overhead position of 2 slices and half of an uncut pome barroom connected a achromatic aboveground pinch almonds scattered connected nan surface.

If I’m having group complete for meal and want to wow my guests, I thin to propulsion retired each nan stops — from making cocktails to bid to whipping up an awesome dessert. Invisible pome cake, aliases gâteau invisible aux pommes, is nan deceptively easy yet visually stunning dessert I ever person up my sleeve.

Composed of mostly fruit, this lightly saccharine barroom features layers upon layers of thinly sliced apples bound successful a custardy batter. I for illustration to service heavy slices of nan barroom connected apical of a puddle of caramel condiment and past decorativeness it pinch a scoop of crystal pick if I’m emotion particularly decadent.

What Is Invisible Apple Cake?

Invisible pome cake, aliases gâteau invisible aux pommes, hails from France. Despite its origins, it’s immensely celebrated successful Japan. The dessert is made up of 2 elements — apples and custard — which are layered together successful a loaf pan. The apples are sliced truthful thinly that they look to vanish into nan barroom erstwhile baked, hence its name.

This stunning barroom shares akin characteristics pinch a clafoutis (another French dessert), which consists of consequence suspended successful a custard-like batter. However, invisible pome barroom calls for a overmuch higher ratio of fruit-to-custard than a clafloutis. (French pome cake, connected nan different hand, nestles chunks of apples successful a rum-based batter and bakes nan barroom successful a information pan).

Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

If You’re Making Invisible Apple Cake, a Few Tips

Layering nan apples ensures neat slices. I for illustration to adhd one-third of nan batter to nan loaf cookware astatine a time, truthful that I tin make judge each nan apples are lying level successful nan pan. This helps present a uniform-looking barroom pinch minimal pockets of air. When it’s clip to put nan last third, I return nan clip to shingle nan apples connected top, which will make it look much stunning erstwhile baked.
You tin substitute nan half-and-half. If you don’t support half-and-half around, you tin besides usage adjacent parts dense pick and full milk.
Use a serrated knife to trim nan cake. A serrated weapon will trim done nan thinly sliced apples overmuch cleaner and easier, and it won’t compress nan cake.
Vary your topping options. While it’s accepted to service slices pinch caramel sauce, you tin besides apical pinch whipped cream aliases crystal pick if you like.

Credit: Photo: Vicky Wasik ; Food Stylist: Kelli Foster

This stunning French dessert pinch layers of thinly sliced apples successful a custard-like batter will vanish successful minutes.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 pounds
Fuji, Honeycrisp, aliases Pink Lady apples (about 3 ample aliases 4 medium), aliases a combination
1 cup
all-purpose flour
1. 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
1/2 cup
half-and-half
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
3
large eggs
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
1/4 cup
sliced almonds (optional)
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Store-bought aliases homemade caramel sauce, for serving (optional)

Arrange a rack successful nan mediate of nan oven and power nan oven to 375ºF. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf cookware pinch cooking spray. Line nan bottommost and 2 agelong sides of nan cookware pinch a expanse of parchment insubstantial that extends past nan sides by a fewer inches to shape a sling.
Peel 2 pounds Fuji, Honeycrisp, aliases Pink Lady apples. Halve and halfway nan apples, past trim into 1/8-inch-thick slices and spot successful a mean bowl.
Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 spoon crushed cinnamon, and 1/4 spoon crushed nutmeg successful a mini vessel and whisk to combine. Place 1/2 cup half-and-half, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1/2 spoon kosher brackish successful a liquid measuring cup and whisk until combined.
Place 3 ample eggs and 1/2 cup granulated sweetener successful nan vessel of a guidelines mixer (or ample vessel if utilizing an electrical manus mixer). Beat pinch nan whisk attachment connected medium-high velocity until ray and glossy, astir 90 seconds. Add half of nan flour substance and hit connected debased velocity until conscionable mixed and nary visible flour remains, astir 10 seconds. Add nan half-and-half substance and hit until conscionable combined, astir 10 seconds. Add nan remaining flour substance and hit until conscionable mixed and nary visible flour remains, astir 10 seconds.
Add nan pome slices, making judge to abstracted nan slices arsenic you adhd them. Using a elastic spatula, fold nan apples into nan batter until evenly coated. Transfer astir 1/3 of nan pome substance to nan loaf pan. Arrange nan slices truthful that they dishonesty level successful nan pan, past property nan apples down to evenly distribute. Repeat pinch half of nan remaining pome mixture.
Arrange nan remaining pome substance successful a shingled shape connected top, past property nan apples down to evenly distribute. Pour immoderate remaining batter evenly complete nan apples. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sliced almonds complete nan apical if desired.
Bake, rotating cookware halfway through, until apical is aureate brownish and a tester inserted successful nan halfway meets small guidance and comes retired clean, 65 to 70 minutes. Place nan cookware connected a ligament rack and fto cool for 1 hour.
Run a mini offset spatula aliases bladed weapon astir nan edges of nan barroom to loosen, past grasp nan excess parchment and assistance nan barroom retired of nan cookware and onto nan ligament rack. Let cool completely, astir 1 hour. Dust nan apical pinch powdered sweetener if desired. Slice pinch a serrated weapon and service pinch caramel condiment if desired.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers tin beryllium refrigerated successful an airtight instrumentality for up to 3 days. They tin beryllium eaten acold consecutive from nan fridge aliases warmed up successful a microwave.