Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes (Invisible Apple Cake)

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 1 hour
• total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

133 grams (⠔ cup) granulated sugar

3 large eggs

½ cup milk (any kind)

28 grams (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter (melted)

125 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

950 grams (2 pounds) apples (such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Pink Lady)

25 grams (¼ cup) sliced almonds ((optional))

Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar (for serving (optional))

Directions

Preheat the oven with the rack in the center to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease an 8 ½-by-4 ½-inch loaf pan and line it with a sheet of parchment paper so the parchment hangs over the long sides of the pan, forming a sling.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until creamy and pale yellow, about 1 to 2 minutes of vigorous whisking by hand. Then, add the milk and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and whisk to combine.

Peel, core, and very thinly slice the apples, about 1/16-inch-to-⠛-inch thick. As you slice an apple, add the slices to the batter and lightly stir it just to coat, then proceed with the remaining apples one by one. This will help keep the apple slices from oxidizing.

Use a rubber spatula to gently stir all the sliced apples into the batter. It will look like a lot of apples compared to the amount of batter, but this is correct.

Using clean or gloved hands, arrange and shingle the apple slices in rows along the bottom of the pan, overlapping them slightly and ensuring that the flat edges of the slices are flush with the sides of the pan. Continue arranging the batter-coated apples in layers until you’ve used up all the apples. Pour any residual batter evenly over the top and give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to help the batter settle.

If using, sprinkle sliced almonds over the top.

Bake on the center rack for 60 to 65 minutes. The top should be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

Remove to a wire rack and cool in the pan for 45 minutes. Then, using the parchment paper overhang, remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling it on the wire rack until completely cool, about 1 hour or longer.

Serve at room temperature or chilled in the fridge. If desired, dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 241 kcal
• Total Fat: 5 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 79 mg
• Sodium: 96 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 45 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 29 g
• Protein: 5 g