The invisible apple cake, or gâteau invisible aux pommes, went viral after appearing on a French food blog. I just recently discovered it and realized it would make a great grain-free cake.
It's simple to make, moist, light, and tender, and has a custard texture. The thin slices of apple are held together with a small amount of cake batter and as the cake bakes they seem to "disappear" into it, hence the name.
I use a mandolin to slice the apples however you can use a knife as well. For apples on the sweet side, try Pink Lady or Honey Crisp, or if you prefer a cake with a subtle tanginess, use Granny Smith.
I added vanilla extract to my batter but feel free to adjust the additions here to make it your own. I can see adding a bit of cognac or brandy instead of vanilla extract, or ground cinnamon and other spices.
In my photos, I only had four Pink Lady apples on the smaller side so you can see a bit more cake appearing on the sides but it worked out. If your apples are on the smaller side, add an extra apple to bring the count to five. And make sure to even out the apple slices as you layer them making sure they touch the edges.
As for topping ideas, try baking it with sliced almonds, or once baked brush on some apricot jam or other jam, and serve with ice cream, or whipped cream.
For the size of the cake, I've made the full size and half the size (cutting the ingredients in half). For the full size, I use a 5-inch by 8-inch pan and for the small size I use a 4-inch by 7-inch baking pan. (The photos show my half-size cake) Enjoy!
Jennifer Herkert says
My none SCD boyfriend said this is the best dessert that I have made! I only used 2 eggs, added some brandy and did not use a topping on the cake. My apples were sliced very thin and melted in the cake. Tasted a lot like bread pudding.
Thanks, Jennifer! Ooh, love the addition of brandy.
shannon jones says
Can't wait to try it - Where did you find your 7X4 pan? I'm only finding 8X4 - is it possible to share the link to where you purchased?
Hi Shannon, for the smaller loaf, my metal 4 inch by 7 inch pan isn't sold anymore from what I can tell and I'm not seeing that size in any material. There are 5 and 6 inch by 3 inch pans that would work. Or, use the 8 inch by 4 inch and the loaf will be a bit wider and shorter.
Susan Grossman says
Best dessert I've had in a long time ... will definitely be on repeat in my kitchen . Off course I 'had' to add cinnamon and chopped walnuts to the top!!
Thanks, Susan! Ooh, chopped walnuts, great idea.
Susan Grossman says
Hi Erika, the cake is SO moist today (falling apart) is there something to do to make it drier and more cake mine? Thank you
Hi Susan. I use a sharp knife to slice it. Did you take it out of the pan and let it cool completely before slicing? It's easiest to slice out of the refrigerator or at room temperature. The apples should be soft enough to slice through easily. If not, it may need more baking time.
Joan Henderson says
This cake is utterly divine. Delicious. I made the 1/2 recipe as I have only small bread pans. I combined The apples: 1 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp. Many thanks for this Erica.
A special dessert when company visit.
Thanks, Joan! So great to hear it worked out well.
Deborah J Outland says
Hooray! I saw this elsewhere as a normal recipe, I was thinking it would probably make a great adaptation I could use. Thank you so much for reading my mind! You do great work and I always recommend your website to my friends who also need grain free recipes!.
Thanks so much Deborah! Great minds think alike. Let me know if you try it.