No matter if you are gathering romantically or with friends and family, I’m going to share a lovely recipe with you just in time for Valentine’s Day next week. That gives you plenty of time to get the ingredients together.

Perhaps you could even share the creative process with your special someone. I adore cooking with family and friends – the joined efforts amplify the fun.

We are going to a French-themed dinner party tonight, so what better dessert could I bring than this?

Never heard of French Apple Cake? I hadn’t either until I came across a recipe online a couple years ago. The original recipe’s author refined many other known recipes to correct common apple cake problems: sogginess, apples sinking to the bottom, or results that are too custardy in texture.

The recipe I am sharing with you is my own version based upon ingredients at hand. I simply did not want to travel to the NC State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh to secure the specific kind of apples originally called for.

Granny Smith’s from the local grocery store would just have to do. Since these apples are literally at the bottom of the sweetness chart, I adjusted the sweetness in the ingredients with one tablespoon more sugar.

And – we were out of brandy, so I had to pivot on that as well. Most other French Apple Cakes use an addition of rum, so switching from brandy to – ta da – Amaretto, seemed totally fine. And it is!

This cake is a bit of a hybrid: part cake, tart tatin, and pie. With its higher ratio of fruit to batter, I am totally satisfied with the results, and I think you will be, too.

To begin ingredient preparations, I brought out an old friend: my old timey-looking apple peeler that cores and slices apples to perfection. Consistent one quarter inch slices every time! Practically effortless.

One key to this recipe is in the browning of the butter, which releases such a yummy, nutty aroma and flavor. I’ve been reading many recipes lately for cookies that call for this step. Have you been doing this? Worth exploring.

French Apple Cake is delicious served by itself, but tonight I’ll be using a bit of French Vanilla ice cream on top. Anything to ramp up the ‘French’ factor!

Here’s your downloadable recipe:

Love is a beautiful thing. Romantic or not, whenever we share love with others is a extraordinary time.

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Happy Valentine’s Day in health –

Deidre