Gâteau Invisible with Brown Sugar–Cinnamon Whipped Cream
By Andrea GearyPublished on September 28, 2025
Time
2½ hours, plus 3½ hours cooling
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Gâteau
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean 2 large eggs ½ cup (2½ ounces/71 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 2¼–2½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled2 teaspoons apple jelly, meltedWhipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamonBefore You Begin
You’ll need an adjustable mandoline and an 8½ by 4½-inch metal loaf pan with sides that are at least 2¾ inches tall for this recipe. To determine whether your apple slices are of the correct thickness, stack 5 slices; they should measure ½ inch. Adjust your mandoline blade as necessary. The bright flavor of Granny Smith apples is important here; don’t be tempted to substitute a sweeter variety. If a vanilla bean is unavailable, whisk in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract with the eggs. If desired, you can substitute maple syrup or honey for the apple jelly, but each will have a more distinctive flavor.
Instructions
- Place ⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces) granulated sugar in large bowl. Cut 1 vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds and add to sugar. Discard vanilla bean (or reserve for other use). Add 2 large eggs to sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon table salt until smooth (batter will be thick).
- Using mandoline, slice 1 side of 1 peeled Granny Smith apple ⅒ inch (2½ millimeters) thick until you reach core. Turn apple 90 degrees and slice until you reach core. Continue on remaining 2 sides; discard core. Repeat with remaining apples. Reserve 18 well-shaped slices for top. Add remaining slices to batter and fold gently to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, place on lower rack to catch drips, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Line with 8 by 12-inch piece of parchment, smoothing so parchment is flush with pan sides and letting excess hang over long sides of pan. Lightly grease parchment.
- Stir apple mixture, breaking up clumps of slices as needed (batter will have loosened) until all apple surfaces are lightly coated.
- Using large slotted spoon, lift about ¼ cup of apples, letting excess batter drain back into bowl. Transfer apples to prepared loaf pan, keeping most apple slices flat (it’s OK if some fold) and leveling with back of spoon. Continue until all apples have been transferred to pan and 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter remains in bowl.
- Dip 1 side of reserved slices in remaining batter and shingle, batter side down, in 6 rows of 3 slices on top of cake. Press firmly on apples with back of spoon to level. Spread any remaining batter over top and smooth with back of spoon. Bake on upper rack until top is well browned and apples can be easily pierced with skewer, 1½ to 1¾ hours, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack.
- Run knife around each short side of cake. Brush top with 2 teaspoons melted apple jelly. Let cool for 1½ hours (cake will deflate). Using parchment as sling, carefully lift cake out of pan and place on rack. Let cool completely, at least 2 hours.
- Combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Using sharp chef’s knife, slice cake and serve with cream.
for the gâteau
for the whipped cream
Time
2½ hours, plus 3½ hours coolingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Gâteau
Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Gâteau
Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Gâteau
Whipped Cream
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Gâteau invisible is a French apple cake that showcases paper-thin slices of fruit so snugly stacked on top of each other that the batter surrounding them seems to disappear (hence the name). The simple, vanilla-scented batter loosens up after the apples are mixed in, so we made ours intentionally thick; that way, it turned perfectly clingy by the time we baked it. The cake’s eye-catching layers formed naturally; all we had to do was scoop the batter into the pan with a spoon and shingle the top with a few reserved apple slices. A quick brush of melted apple jelly over the top of the baked cake gave it a subtle sheen, and a dollop of whipped cream flavored with brown sugar and cinnamon anchored this light dessert with a touch of richness.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
You’ll need an adjustable mandoline and an 8½ by 4½-inch metal loaf pan with sides that are at least 2¾ inches tall for this recipe. To determine whether your apple slices are of the correct thickness, stack 5 slices; they should measure ½ inch. Adjust your mandoline blade as necessary. The bright flavor of Granny Smith apples is important here; don’t be tempted to substitute a sweeter variety. If a vanilla bean is unavailable, whisk in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract with the eggs. If desired, you can substitute maple syrup or honey for the apple jelly, but each will have a more distinctive flavor.
Instructions
- Place ⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces) granulated sugar in large bowl. Cut 1 vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds and add to sugar. Discard vanilla bean (or reserve for other use). Add 2 large eggs to sugar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in ½ cup (2½ ounces) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon table salt until smooth (batter will be thick).
- Using mandoline, slice 1 side of 1 peeled Granny Smith apple ⅒ inch (2½ millimeters) thick until you reach core. Turn apple 90 degrees and slice until you reach core. Continue on remaining 2 sides; discard core. Repeat with remaining apples. Reserve 18 well-shaped slices for top. Add remaining slices to batter and fold gently to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper, place on lower rack to catch drips, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8½ by 4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Line with 8 by 12-inch piece of parchment, smoothing so parchment is flush with pan sides and letting excess hang over long sides of pan. Lightly grease parchment.
- Stir apple mixture, breaking up clumps of slices as needed (batter will have loosened) until all apple surfaces are lightly coated.
- Using large slotted spoon, lift about ¼ cup of apples, letting excess batter drain back into bowl. Transfer apples to prepared loaf pan, keeping most apple slices flat (it’s OK if some fold) and leveling with back of spoon. Continue until all apples have been transferred to pan and 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter remains in bowl.
- Dip 1 side of reserved slices in remaining batter and shingle, batter side down, in 6 rows of 3 slices on top of cake. Press firmly on apples with back of spoon to level. Spread any remaining batter over top and smooth with back of spoon. Bake on upper rack until top is well browned and apples can be easily pierced with skewer, 1½ to 1¾ hours, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer to wire rack.
- Run knife around each short side of cake. Brush top with 2 teaspoons melted apple jelly. Let cool for 1½ hours (cake will deflate). Using parchment as sling, carefully lift cake out of pan and place on rack. Let cool completely, at least 2 hours.
- Combine 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Using sharp chef’s knife, slice cake and serve with cream.
for the gâteau
for the whipped cream
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