Classic French Apple Cake

One of the things I enjoy most about cruising is the spontaneous making of new friends. While kayaking past another boat anchored in the bay, you say “hi” to someone sitting in their cockpit and then just hit it off over some random comment.

Jim teases me that I only have to share five words with a stranger before they are invited for sundowners or dinner.

It’s true. I do crave more social interaction than Jim, and I love to hear other people’s stories. Everyone has a story. Sometimes those meetups with our seasonal BFFs recur over the season, planned or not, meeting in some remote anchorage. And this calls for a potluck meal made with whatever can be pulled together in a hurry, with often limited ingredients in the pantry.

This simple, classy dessert recipe is light and flavourful, and one I am often pulling together at a moment’s notice. It’s made from items you probably have on board, assuming rum is every boater’s staple. It will surely be a crew favourite, with or without strangers coming for dinner.

Classic French Apple Cake

• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter – room temperature – softened
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (optional, if not on board)
• 3 tablespoons dark rum (substitute apple juice, cider, almond milk??)
• 2 large, or 3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch long slices (Granny Smith, Fuji, Braeburn…cooking apples)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides of the bowl after each egg. Beat in the vanilla, vinegar (if using) and rum. The batter may look curdled at this point; that’s okay. Add the flour mixture ½ cup at a time and stir it in until just combined. Do not over-mix. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chopped apples.

Scrape the batter into a greased 9” spring-form pan, or use parchment paper on the bottom of a regular cake pan, but grease the paper as well. Level the top with a spatula then sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. I generally have to rotate my baking halfway through my boat oven.

Allow the cake to cool off while still in the pan on a rack.

Once cooled, run a dull knife around the edges of the cake or if using a spring-form pan, remove the sides. If using a regular cake pan, carefully invert the cake onto the rack, remove the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake over and place right-side-up on a platter. Optional…dress it up using a sieve to dust the top with icing sugar. Cake can be served slightly warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream. Vanilla yoghurt or of course, vanilla ice cream are good accompaniments as well.

NOTE: I have been experimenting with this recipe recently. I’m trying to use less butter and sugar, so I made the cake pictured with margarine (usually not an item I have in the fridge) and ½ cup monk fruit sugar instead of the granulated sugar. I also left the peel on the apple…good fiber! It was excellent. I topped it with plain yoghurt sweetened with monk fruit. There is no cinnamon in the recipe, and that allows the classic apple and rum flavor to shine, and to not taste like apple pie.

Boaters in general are good at creating just about anything with whatever is on hand, so be creative and develop your own substitutions!