This Apple Breton Cake isn't really a cake at all — it's a buttery, shortbread-like pastry wrapped around a spiced apple filling, closer to a freeform apple pie than anything from a cake tin. Adapted from New Zealand cook Annabel Langbein's apple and feijoa version, it's rustic, comforting, and always disappears fast.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter. Softened, and there's a full 250g (about two sticks) of it — this is what gives the base its shortbread-like texture. Don't substitute oil.
- Sugar. Used both in the pastry base and to poach the apple filling. Regular granulated white sugar works throughout.
- Egg yolks. Four yolks go into the pastry itself for richness, plus one more beaten for the egg wash glaze on top.
- Flour. Plain all-purpose flour. Sifting it in at the end keeps the pastry tender instead of tough.
- Apples. You'll need 8 to 10, peeled, cored, and sliced — firm baking varieties like Granny Smith hold their shape best. A mix of tart and sweet apples (Granny Smith plus something like Honeycrisp or Sundowner) gives the best flavor.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. The classic warming spice pairing for apple desserts. Freshly grated nutmeg makes a noticeable difference if you have it.
- Ground almonds. Also called almond meal — a thin layer goes under the apple filling to soak up extra moisture and keep the base from turning soggy.
This one is vegetarian but not vegan-friendly as written — the pastry relies on both butter and egg yolks for its structure and richness, so a straightforward vegan swap isn't realistic here. If you want to experiment, a vegan butter block might work in the base, but the egg yolks are doing real structural work and we haven't tested a substitute that holds up.
Helpful Tips
Keep everything cold before baking. Once the pastry is pressed into the tin and the top layer is rolled out, refrigerate both while you make the filling. A cold, firm pastry is much easier to work with and holds its shape better in the oven.
Don't skip straining the apples. The apples release a lot of liquid as they poach in the sugar water, and that liquid needs to be strained off and the apples cooled completely before they go into the pastry — otherwise you'll end up with a soggy base.
The almond layer matters more than it looks like it would. It's just two tablespoons, but sprinkling ground almonds over the base before adding the apples genuinely helps absorb moisture and protect the crust from getting soggy underneath.
Seal the edges well. Press the top and bottom pastry edges firmly together all the way around before glazing. A gap will let filling juices leak out during baking and can make the cake harder to unmold cleanly.
Let it cool before slicing. The filling needs a few minutes to set once it's out of the oven. Cutting into it too soon means the apple filling will spill out rather than hold together in neat wedges.
Variations
- Add feijoas. The original Annabel Langbein recipe pairs apples with feijoas when they're in season — swap in a few feijoas for some of the apple for a more tropical, floral note.
- Swap the spices. Try cardamom or a dash of ground ginger alongside or instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg for a different flavor profile.
- Use pears. Firm pears like Bosc can stand in for some or all of the apples — poach them the same way.
- Add a streusel top instead of the pastry lid. If you'd rather skip rolling out a second layer of pastry, a buttery oat streusel scattered over the apples bakes up nicely too.
- Make it individual. Divide the base and filling between small tart tins or ramekins for individual portions — reduce the bake time to check for doneness closer to 25-30 minutes.
Serving Ideas
Serve this warm, straight from the oven if you can, with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream. The contrast between the warm, spiced apple filling and cold cream is what makes this dessert so good.
It also makes a lovely centerpiece for a fall brunch or afternoon tea — slice it into wedges and set it out alongside coffee or tea, the same way it's pictured here. If you're looking for something similar for the same table, our vegan apple cake or apple spice cake would both fit right in.
Storing & Freezing
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pastry firms up as it chills, so let slices sit at room temperature for a bit, or warm them gently in the oven or microwave, before serving again.
This cake freezes well. Wrap the whole cake (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a 150°C (300°F) oven for about 10-15 minutes to crisp the pastry back up before serving.
More Apple Desserts
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more apple desserts you might enjoy:
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
BRETON BASE:
- 250 g butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence, or vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon iced water, very cold
- 4 egg yolks
- 3 cups flour, all-purpose
- 1 egg yolk for glaze
FILLING:
- 8 - 10 regular apples, depending on size, peeled, cored and sliced -- Granny Smith and other firm baking apples work well
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of ground almonds, almond meal
Instructions
- To make the base, beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and iced water, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition. Finally, sift in the flour and stir through just until combined -- don't overmix.
- Press ⅔ of the base into a 26cm (about 10-inch) springform tin, covering the base and the sides. Roll out the remaining pastry between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper for the lid, and refrigerate both while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, combine the apples, sugar, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Place over low heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples have softened. Strain the apple mixture well and set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and sprinkle the ground almonds over the base -- this helps keep it from becoming soggy. Pour the drained, cooled apples over the top, then cover with the pastry lid. Press the edges together firmly to seal, brush with the beaten egg yolk glaze, and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Let the cake rest for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing so the filling can set. Serve warm with freshly whipped cream.
[email protected] says
Yeah shes great , love her books. Your Apple Cake looks delicious. Apples are one of my favourite dessert/ cake ingredients too..
Katherine Martinelli says
Such a lovely cake! It reminds me of Jewish apple cake. I've never heard of Annabel Langbein (but I'm an American living in Israel so perhaps out of touch on New Zealand chefs 🙂 ) but I love the sound of her philosophy.
delicieux says
You definitely should check out Annabel as she has some great recipes and a lot of free recipes on her website. 🙂
Baker Street says
The cake looks gorgeous! Hope you'll come and share it on our blog hop 🙂
delicieux says
Thanks 😀 I've added my Apple Breton Cake to the blog hop 🙂
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
That apple breton cake looks fantastic! I've made a breton cake but that was really like a buttery shortbread. I think this sounds like a really nice version of it 🙂
Irishbaker says
unusual take on apple pie/cake,love the look of it!
delicieux says
Thank you 😀
Shumaila says
This looks so good! Bookmarking it! Thanks for sharing!
kankana says
I am fan of apple cake .. husband not that much! He likes to eat apple just plain 🙂 This is making me feel like going to the kitchen and bake a cake and there are apples at home too!
delicieux says
Nothing beats a good old apple cake 😀
Sukaina says
Amother apple fan here! Actually the whole family is! When I read the title, I did think that the first picture looked more like a pastry casing then cake as well! But the recipe sounds delicious- can't go wrong with apples can you!
delicieux says
The pastry casing on this is interesting because it's sort of like a cake style pastry in that it's softer than normal pastry. It's definitely delicious though 🙂
Jaime says
This cake looks a lot like the Apple Cakes we eat in the Netherlands. Every grandmother has a recipe. ;-)I'm going to try this one out to see how it compares to my Grandmas' cakes. 😀
delicieux says
Hi Jaime 😀 I think every Grandmother everywhere has an apple cake recipe 😀 If you decide to give this a go let me know what you think and how it compares to your Grandma's 🙂
thelittleloaf says
This looks absolutely gorgeous. I love the idea of growing everything you eat too...sadly I don't have enough space in my little London flat, but our fabulous farmer's markets are the next best thing!
delicieux says
I can imagine the range you have available at the London farmers markets, much more than we would get here 😀
Irene @ H.V.R. says
Great recipe! I was having a problem on what food I would share for our party and after seeing this blog I immediately thought that this is it, and I was right! Everyone loved it! Thanks for sharing.
delicieux says
Thanks for the feedback Irene 😀
juniakk @ mis pensamientos says
what a beautiful rustic pie cake! this is so gourmet! welcome to the #applelove bloghop 🙂
delicieux says
Thank you Juniakk 😀
Carole says
Have not heard of her, but this looks great. Reminds me of Far Breton I used to eat in France. That was made with prunes, but was delicious too.
delicieux says
I've never heard of Far Breton. I'm going to look that up 😀
Rosa says
That cake looks amazing! I am bookmarking your recipe.Cheers,Rosa
delicieux says
Thanks Rosa 😀 Let me know how you go with the fritters.
Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets says
I love baking with apples and this cake looks simply divine!
delicieux says
Thanks Xiaolu, baking with apples is a favourite of mine too. If you like apple baking you should try this recipe because it's a little bit different with the cake style pastry. 😀
Tamsin says
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have had it bookmarked and on the list of going to try someday for over a year. I finally made it yesterday for a going away party. It was devoured. It was so buttery and flavorful. We loved it. So glad I got around to trying it. I'm pretty certian I will be making this again and again through out the years to come. Thanks!