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Invisible Apple Cake (Gâteau Invisible)
“Cake” is somewhat of a misnomer for this elegant dessert. Instead of open, airy and crumby, the texture is rich and dense, with slices of sweet-tart apples set in an egg-rich batter. During its long bake in the oven, the fruit slices and custard-like layers meld and become nearly indistinguishable from each other, giving the cake its name. We especially like Honeycrisp apples for this, as they have an ideal balance of sweetness and acidity, along with a texture that softens without turning mushy. Gala apples are the next best variety. To slice the fruits thinly and evenly, a mandoline is the tool of choice. If you prep them by hand, the slices should be no thicker than 1/16 inch. The cake is best the day it is baked, but make sure it has time to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Spiced caramel sauce and tangy whipped cream (recipes follow) are perfect accompaniments.
Makes one
9-inch loaf cake
Tip
Don’t try to shortcut the layering of apples and batter in the loaf pan. Though it takes some time to arrange the fruit and batter, doing so ensures the slices are compact and the cake will not have air pockets that cause it to fall apart when sliced.
2 hours
45 minutes active, plus cooling
Ingredients
-
2½
pounds (5 or 6 medium) Honeycrisp apples (see headnote), peeled
-
130
grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan, then mist the parchment.
Reviews
February 1, 2026
Absolutely Delicious!
This recipe is worth the extra work of layering the 1/16" apple slices. My husband and I enjoyed this cake the day it was made, as well as the next day. The cake was stored in the refrigerator overnight, and the next day each 1-inch serving piece was ever so slightly warmed in the microwave. The flavors of the cake were very good the first day, and the flavors intensified on the second day. The recipe instructions were very easy to follow, though the layering of the slices took more time than I had estimated--but oh so worth it! My husband and I love an exceptional apple pie, and this recipe ranks right next to my apple pie recipe. The combination and amount of each spice is well balanced. The cake was delicious without any condiments. Tonight, we will enjoy the cake with vanilla ice cream. I recommend this recipe if you love apples! I used Cosmic apples and their texture held up very well during baking (they were not mushy).
November 7, 2025
Used a tart apple
Not sure how it will turn out but I have 2 trees with a tart apple, and not sweet, as those you used. I will circle back and tell you how they tasted. Wonder if I could add more sugar?
March 2, 2025
Delicious!
Take your time with layering the apples- it's worth it. We served with just the whipped cream and it was amazing.
February 25, 2025
Really good
Made this and it was great
November 18, 2024
Wooooah!
Made this for the first time today, OMG, it looked just like the photo in the recipe. It’s worth every second of the time it takes to make it! There’s nothing like it that I’ve ever eaten.
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