Invisible apple cake

An easy and elegant apple cake with a custard-like texture. And doesn’t the combination of apples and custard sound delicious?

Invisible apple cake contains so many apples that it could easily be called an apple pie ;). There is very little batter and the more apples, the better – hence the name “invisible” apple cake. This French dessert, known as Gâteau invisible aux pommes, is made from thinly sliced apples baked with a small amount of batter until golden. The cake itself has a texture like a pudding or custard, and it strongly reminds me of a French clafoutis. It is incredibly moist, delicious and wonderfully moreish. A must-bake in autumn, when apples are in season, although it can be enjoyed all year round.

Ingredients for invisible apple cake:

• 1 kg apples (I added one extra apple)
• 3 large eggs
• 65 g caster sugar
• 30 g butter, melted and cooled
• 60 ml milk
• 60 ml double cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or 1 tsp vanillin sugar
• 120 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• a large pinch of salt

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Grease a 13 × 23 cm or 10 × 28 cm loaf tin with butter and line with baking paper.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the mixture is slightly foamy and paler in colour. Add the butter, milk, double cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Set aside.

Peel the apples, remove the cores and slice thinly. The slices should ideally be even and not too thin, so they do not break when mixed with the batter. I used the thickest setting on a mandoline.

Sift the flour and baking powder directly into the prepared egg mixture, add the salt and stir until just combined. Add the sliced apples and gently but thoroughly mix until all the slices are coated in batter. Pour half of the mixture into the prepared tin, making sure the apple slices are lying horizontally. Gently press them together so there are no gaps between the slices. Add the remaining mixture and arrange and press the apples together again.

Bake the invisible apple cake at 180°C for approximately 45–50 minutes, or until the apples on top are golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly. The cake may sink as it cools – this is completely normal.

Invisible apple cake can be served slightly warm or completely cooled, dusted with icing sugar. Use a serrated knife to cut it.

Enjoy!