French Apple Cake recipe — no crust, just pure apple bliss

This dessert is the magic of French cuisine. Instead of dough, it has thin layers of apples soaked in a flavorful batter. This light and tender pie literally melts in your mouth. The aroma of cinnamon and vanilla fills the house with warmth, and the taste brings you back to this recipe time and time again.

The recipe was published on the Maria's Rezepte YouTube channel.

You will need:

• 4–5 firm apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from half a lemon)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 120 g)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (50–60 g)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• Grated lemon zest, to taste
• ½ cup milk (100 ml)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter (plus 1–2 tablespoons for greasing the pan)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Step-by-step guide

Wash the apples thoroughly, peel and core them. Cut into very thin slices — the thinner the slices, the more tender the pie will be. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice to prevent them from darkening.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with sugar, a pinch of salt, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest. Then, add milk and melted butter, followed by flour and baking powder. Mix everything together until smooth. If desired, add cinnamon to enhance the flavor of the apples and give the dessert an autumnal charm.

Gradually add the apples to the batter, mixing thoroughly to coat each piece. The secret to the "invisible man" is that there is practically no dough in the cake, only tender apple layers held together by a flavorful filling.

Cover a dish of 7 inches (ca. 18 cm) with parchment paper, grease it with butter, and place the apple slices in the dish in layers. Press down on each layer slightly with a spoon to eliminate any voids. Pour melted butter over the top.

Bake at 356 °F (ca. 180 °C) for about 60 minutes, until the top is golden and fragrant. After baking, let the cake cool completely so that it holds its shape well when sliced. Enjoy!

Read more:

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Breton pie — a simple recipe for an exquisite French dessert

Easy Plum Cake recipe from The New York Times