Gâteau Invisible Aux Pommes (Invisible Apple Cake) with Rum
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By Dana King
I love adding an abundance of seasonal fruit to my desserts, both for flavor and visual impact. This gâteau embodies that philosophy with its layers of paper-thin (“invisible”) apple slices, suspended in a sweet, creamy custard enhanced with warm caramel notes from the dark rum. Like a French apple cake with a much higher ratio of apples to cake, it is the perfect bake to celebrate apple season.
Ingredients (11)
Ingredients (11)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Grease and line a loaf pan with 2 strips of parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides (to make removal later easier).
Peel and core all apples (5–6 large) with a paring knife, then use a mandolin to slice (should be about 1/8 inch thick). Put in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour (¾ cup), baking powder (1 tsp), and salt (¼ tsp).
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs (3 large) and sugar (½ cup) until thick and pale. Add butter (¼ cup), milk (½ cup), rum (3 Tbsp), and vanilla extract (1 tsp). Whisk until combined.
Add flour mixture to the wet mixture in two additions. Whisk until no lumps of flour are visible.
Pour batter over apples and use clean hands to mix until every slice is evenly coated. Reserve the best looking slices for the top of the cake.
Layer the apples into the loaf pan, with the straight edges facing the outside of the pan (to keep it neat). Fill any gaps with less perfect slices.
Use the reserved slices to make a pretty pattern on top of the cake (creative freedom is yours!). Pour the remaining batter over the cake.
Bake for 75-90 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely, then lift out of the pan. Dust with powdered sugar (1 Tbsp) to finish.
Slice with a serrated knife and enjoy as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
This recipe is part of the Mixtures digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($6.00)
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Dana King is a pastry artist who left her CPA career to pursue pastry professionally. She trained at École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie in Yssingeaux, France, worked at Dominique Ansel Bakery, and is currently on the pastry team at Le Bernardin. Her desserts draw from French technique and seasonal ingredients, balancing precision with creativity. She shares her work and pastry learnings through video content on social media and continues to develop her craft daily in her home kitchen and in fine dining.