Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes (Invisible Apple Cake)

Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes is an Invisible Apple Cake that features thinly sliced apples that practically disappear into the custardy cake batter which surrounds them. Although this gorgeous cake has French origins, it has gained massive popularity in Japan!

Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes or simply Gâteau Invisible is an impressive dessert with dozens of layers of thin apple slices bound together with a small amount of batter. Not only is this a beautiful way to present an apple dessert, it’s not as sweet as most desserts, and is a great way to use up the surplus of apples from apple season.

Even though it's called a "cake," it really isn't very cake-like as the batter is denser and more custardy. Also, since the ratio of apples to batter is quite high, it's a much lighter option compared to other baked treats!

Invisible apple cake is a great alternative to baking apple pies, apple crumbles, and other apple desserts in the fall and winter months. It’s easy to make with relatively basic ingredients. It simply requires a bit of extra attention, slicing the apples thinly and evenly, and arranging them in picture-perfect layers.

Ingredient notes

• Apples: There are many varieties of apples that are good for cooking. A few types recommended for this invisible apple cake recipe include Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Pink Lady (as pictured here).
• Eggs: This gâteau invisible aux pommes has a custardy batter thanks to the addition of several eggs. They provide that rich custard flavor and also help bind the batter and create structure.
• Milk: Use any kind of milk you have on hand.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect here. You won't need too much, as this is a fairly thin and runny batter, similar to crêpe batter.
• Sliced Almonds: Although this topping is purely optional, I love the added crunch and the rustic, shingled appearance of sliced almonds baked on top.
• Powdered Sugar (not pictured): A flourish of powdered sugar over the top helps hide imperfections and adds a touch more sweetness.

How to make it

Preheat the oven with the rack in the center to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease an 8 ½-by-4 ½-inch loaf pan. 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 sugar and eggs until creamy and pale yellow.

Then, add milk and melted butter and whisk until smooth.

Sift flour and baking powder over the mixture, whisking to combine.

Peel, core, and very thinly slice apples.

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. Overlap them slightly and ensure 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 use the parchment paper overhang to remove the cake from the pan. 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.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Expert tips

You don’t need a mandoline to slice your apples. Although you can achieve thinner slices with a mandoline, you don’t want your slices to be overly thin either. If you do, they can break apart as you mix them with the batter. Thinly cutting by hand is the optimal approach here.

Try your best to separate any apple slices stuck together before adding them into the batter. This helps to ensure that each apple has at least a thin coating of the batter on all sides.

As your invisible apple cake cools, the natural moisture from the apples in the cake may moisten the parchment paper sling. If it rips as you try to use it to remove the cake from the pan, don't panic. In a pinch you can carefully invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the remaining paper, and then flip it back onto a cooling rack.

Use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion to slice the gâteau invisible aux pommes into thick slices. You should yield 8 slices. If you've topped your cake with sliced almonds, they may shift or fall off as you slice. Just place them back on top and cover with a dusting of powdered sugar. No one will notice.

After your invisible apple cake has completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The almonds (if using) will be less crisp, but the gâteau invisible will still be delicious.

Other recipes you may like

• Tarte aux Pommes (French Apple Tart)
• Apfelstrudel (Austrian Apple Strudel)
• Appelflappen (Dutch Apple Turnovers)
• Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast Casserole
• Apple Cinnamon Yeast Bread

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Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes (Invisible Apple Cake)

Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes is an Invisible Apple Cake that features thinly sliced apples that practically disappear into the custardy cake batter which surrounds them. Although this gorgeous cake has French origins, it has gained massive popularity in Japan!

4.77 from 21 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French, Japanese

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Victoria

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 133 grams (⅔ 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)

Instructions

• 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-⅛-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.

Notes

• You don’t need a mandoline to slice your apples. Although you can achieve thinner slices with a mandoline, you don’t want your slices to be overly thin either. If you do, they can break apart as you mix them with the batter. Thinly cutting by hand is the optimal approach here.
• As your invisible apple cake cools, the natural moisture from the apples in the cake may moisten the parchment paper sling. If it rips as you try to use it to remove the cake from the pan, don't panic. In a pinch you can carefully invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the remaining paper, and then flip it back onto a cooling rack.
• Use a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion to slice the cake into thick slices. You should yield 8 slices. If you've topped your cake with sliced almonds, they may shift or fall off as you slice. Just place them back on top and cover with a dusting of powdered sugar. No one will notice.
• After your invisible apple cake has completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g

*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*

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