French Apple Cake: Flognarde aux Pommes
French Apple Cake: Flognarde aux PommesThe day I baked this Apple Flognarde (Flognarde aux Pommes), it turned out to be an unexpected hit with my family.
My husband and younger daughter kept saying, “This is so good!” and went back for seconds—and then more. Before I knew it, the whole thing had disappeared. The funny thing is, neither of them is particularly fond of eating apples on their own, but somehow, when apples are baked into a dessert, it’s a completely different story. 🤭
Flognarde is a traditional French dessert from the Limousin region in south-central France. Limousin also happens to be where my father-in-law comes from, so this part of France has a special connection to our family.
Similar to a clafoutis, Flognarde is made with a soft batter of eggs, milk, flour, and sugar, then baked with fruits such as apples or pears. For this Apple Flognarde, I gently sauté the apples in butter first, adding just a touch of cinnamon before baking.
The apples become tender and naturally sweet, while their delicate flavor blends beautifully into the soft, custardy batter. It’s a wonderfully simple French apple dessert, yet somehow it makes you want to reach for just one more slice. And judging by how quickly it disappeared from our table, this rustic French Apple Flognarde has definitely become a new family favorite.
Ingredients
- 3 apples (approx. 400–450 g / 14–16 oz, peeled and cored)
- 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter, for the apples
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 80 g (2/3 cup) cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 70 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 10 g vanilla sugar
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk
- A pinch of salt
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the dish
- Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
How to make it
1. Prepare the dish and preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease the inside of the Pyrex dish with butter.
2. Prepare the apples
Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin slices, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.
3. Sauté the apples with butter and cinnamon
Melt 15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the apples and gently sauté for 2–3 minutes, just until they are evenly coated with butter.
Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and gently toss to coat, then remove from the heat.
There is no need to cook the apples until completely soft. They should only begin to soften, as they will continue cooking in the oven. Set aside and allow them to cool slightly while you prepare the batter.
4. Mix the eggs and sugar
In a bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix well with a whisk until evenly combined. There is no need to whisk until light or foamy.
5. Add the flour and milk
Add the flour and milk alternately in 2–3 additions, mixing well after each addition until smooth.
6. Assemble the Flognarde
Spread about two-thirds of the cooled apples evenly over the bottom of the prepared Pyrex dish. Slowly pour the batter over the apples, then arrange the remaining apple slices over the top.
7. Bake
Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40–45 minutes, until the top and edges are nicely golden. Gently shake the dish to check the center. If the center is set and no longer moves like liquid, the Flognarde is ready.
8. Cool and rest overnight
Leave the Flognarde in the dish and allow it to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate overnight. Take it out of the refrigerator a little before serving, and lightly dust with powdered sugar if you like.
Good to know
🌟 A Few Tips to Make It Even More Delicious 🌟
⭐️ Don’t overcook the apples
The idea behind sautéing the apples is not to make them completely soft, but to gently coat them with the flavors of butter and cinnamon. They’ll continue to cook in the oven, so 2–3 minutes in the pan is plenty.
⭐️ You can skip sautéing the apples
For this recipe, I lightly sauté the apples in butter and cinnamon before baking, but you can also add the sliced apples directly to the batter. This gives the Flognarde a simpler, more rustic apple flavor, so feel free to choose whichever way you like.
⭐️ No need to add extra sugar to the apples
Some recipes add sugar when sautéing the apples, but I prefer not to. The batter already contains granulated sugar and vanilla sugar, so leaving the apples unsweetened allows their natural sweetness and slight tartness to come through.
⭐️ Keep the cinnamon subtle
I use just ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, enough to give a gentle warmth without turning this into a cinnamon-flavored cake. If you love cinnamon, you can always sprinkle a little more on your slice when serving.
⭐️ Enjoy it warm or cold
Flognarde is delicious slightly warm, but you can also enjoy it completely cooled. Try it both ways and see which you prefer.
