Invisible Apple Cake

Introducing the invisible cake: so, it disappears before your eyes—because you’ll want to eat the whole thing! Jokes aside, this cake is made of layers on layers of sweet-tart apples that melt into the custard-like batter, causing the apples to nearly disappear into the cake, or become “invisible”. This rich, dense dessert recipe originally comes from France, where it’s called Gâteau Invisible or Gâteau Invisible Aux Pommes (Invisible Apple Cake). Thanks to the power of social media, the cake became popular in Japanese bakeries in the past decade. And once again, this cake is making new rounds on social media—and just in time for holiday entertaining; here’s our take on the popular treat.

What stands out

If you love crepes apple pie or cake clafoutis and other custardy desserts or you tried our Invisible Pear Cake you will adore this Invisible Apple Cake recipe! The batter is rich and sweet, and boosted by an (optional) dose of cinnamon. The apples—sliced thin and even on a mandoline—are stacked uniformly before getting drenched in batter. After about 1 hour of baking, a decadent cake emerges, with nearly translucent layers of apple. Slice the cake thickly and top with powdered sugar for an impressive dessert. This recipe is suited to holiday entertaining!

How to Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line an 11 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Now, peel the apples (we like to use an electric peeler) and then core the apples as well.

Take the mandoline place the whole apple on it with the guard on top, and slice each apple into 1/8 inch rings (refer to our video if needed). You can also slice them thinly with a knife but the final result won’t be as good. Set the apples aside.

In a big bowl add the two eggs and sugar.

Use a hand mixer to mix until the batter thickens and is nice and pale (1-2 min).

Next, add the warmed milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix.

Lastly, add in the flour, salt, baking powder, and optionally, cinnamon.

Mix until combined and toss in the sliced apples making sure to coat each one.

With clean hands, take a few apples at a time from the bowl and start arranging them into the loaf pan making sure to layer them evenly until the loaf pan is full to the top. Pour the remaining batter on top and give the pan a shake to spread evenly.

Optionally, you can add thinly sliced almonds on top.

Bake at 350F (177C) for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, take the Invisible Apple Cake out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, ice cream, or caramel sauce on top.

Kitchen tip

We love using our mandoline to get thin and consistent apple slices. Please NEVER use a mandoline without the guard as it can cause serious injuries. If you don’t have a mandoline, you can use a knife but be mindful to slice the apples as thinly as possible for an even bake.

Swaps

1. Feel free to use any sweet apples such as Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Fuji.
2. You could also use a sweet variety of pears in this recipe to make our Invisible Pear Cake which is equally as.
3. If you’d like, a sprinkle of cinnamon works wonders in this Invisible Apple Cake. Keep in mind that it will make the batter slightly darker, so if you want a paler cake, keep it out.
4. Make this cake gluten-free by using 1-1 gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose.
5. We have not tried making this cake with non-dairy milk. If you do, please let us know in the comments how it turns out!

All About Gâteau Invisible

The Gâteau Invisible (translating to “Invisible Cake”) is a French dessert that’s made mostly out of thinly-sliced fruit (commonly apples or pears). The fruit is layered and bound together with a light, batter similar to a custard. The star of the dessert is the fruit itself, as it uses just enough batter to hold the slices together. The result is a delicate and almost “invisible” texture once baked, and a stunning presentation when sliced.

Serve it with

• Serve this Invisible Apple Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert (or our Cottage Cheese Ice Cream).
• A drizzle of caramel sauce would be with a slice of this cake.

Questions

can we make this Invisible Apple Cake gluten-free?

We have not tried making this cake gluten-free, but you should be able to use a gluten-free 1-1 all-purpose baking flour instead.

how do you prepare the pan?

We like to spray and line the springform pan for easier cleanup (using binder clips to keep the paper in place). But, feel free to butter and flour it if you wish.

how can we make sure our baking powder is still good?

When using baking powder, always check the expiration date. Expired baking powder will not help your recipe rise in the oven, and it will be sad and flat. You can test if your baking powder has expired by adding ½ teaspoon baking powder to ¼ cup hot water. If the water bubbles up, it’s not expired; if it does not bubble, it’s expired and should be tossed.

what if we don’t have a mandoline slicer?

You can slice the apples thinly with a sharp knife. However, the slices might not be as uniform, which could affect layering and baking consistency.

can we make this Invisible Apple Cake dairy-free?

We have not tried making this cake with non-dairy milk. If you do, please let us know in the comments how it turns out!

Why are the metric weights of your ingredients different than the results of Google and our kitchen scale?

While 1 cup of flour weighs 160g in our kitchen, it might weigh anywhere from 120 to 180g in your kitchen and there’s a few reasons for that. The weight of ingredients may vary due to the brand of ingredients, the brand and style (wet vs dry) of measuring cups and spoons, and the technique for measuring into cups: scooping and leveling versus spooning the ingredients into the cup measure. For best results, go by the weight listed in the recipe.

Ingredients

Makes 8 slices

• 4 honey crisp apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (about 1.5 lbs)
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk, warmed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla, or vanilla bean
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
• sliced almonds, optional

Equipment

• mandoline
• Electric Peeler
• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Loaf Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Hand Mixer

Method

1. Note: never use a mandoline without the guard as it can cause serious injuries. We have linked our favourite mandoline in the recipe card and used the closest setting to the blade (the thinnest).
2. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C). Line an 11 by 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Now, peel and core the apples. Take the mandoline, place the whole apple on it with the guard on top, and slice each apple into 1/8 inch rings (refer to our video if needed). You can also slice them thinly with a knife but the final result won't be as good.
4. Set the sliced apples aside and begin to work on the cake batter.
5. In a big bowl, add the two eggs and sugar. With a mixer, mix until the batter thickens and is nice and pale (1-2 min).
6. Next, add in the warmed milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Mix.
7. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients which are flour, salt, baking powder, and optionally, cinnamon.
8. Mix until combined and toss in the sliced apples making sure to coat each one.
9. With clean hands, take a few apples at a time from the bowl and start arranging them into the loaf pan making sure to layer them evenly until the loaf pan is full to the top.
10. When you place the coated apple rings in the pan, you will be left with a little bit of extra batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and give the pan a shake.
11. Optionally, you can add thinly sliced almonds on top or bake as it. We like adding almonds for presentation, but you don't have to.
12. Bake at 350F (177C) for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: We like our cake to be lightly golden so keep an eye on it as every oven is different. Once baked, take it out of the oven and let is cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. If you try to slice it prior to cooling, it will be a mushy mess!
13. Serve with: powdered sugar, ice cream, or caramel on top! Enjoy.