What is invisible cake?

Cakes so good they simply vanish.

invisible apple cake recipe close up

Invisible cakes are all the rage at the moment and have been trending on Google over the last couple of weeks. It’s easy to understand their increase in popularity when you realise not only how simple they are to make, but how delicious and texturally incredible they are. 

Apple invisible cake: what is it?

Hailing from France, the gâteau invisible aux pommes (apple invisible cake) gets its name from the apples that are sliced so thinly that they become extremely tender: they almost vanish into the cake. The apple slices are folded through a thin batter that soaks into the apple slices and the end result is a pudding-like texture – if apple cake and custard had a baby, this would be it. 

When you slice a piece of this cake, a stunning cross-section of what seems like a thousand layers of apples melted into the custardy cake is revealed (and ready to be devoured). 

This cake is popular globally, but particularly in Japan. There, miso paste is often incorporated into the batter for a hit of salty, umami goodness that pairs so well with the sweet apples. 

How to make invisible cake

This easy recipe (that’s perfect for arvo tea time) only takes 30 minutes to prep – most of which is spent slicing the apples thinly (if you’ve got a mandoline this would be the perfect time to whip it out!) After you’ve sliced up your apples, you make the quick batter, fold through the apples and pop the mixture in a loaf tin to bake for a bit over an hour. Once baked, let it cool a bit and the end result will be warm, custardy cake perfection.

Speaking of apples…

More miracle baking

We all know baking is a science, but it seems that the combo of science and baking has really ramped up in popularity this year. Invisible cakes are just one of the many recipes that showcase what we like to call… miracle baking!

While these bakes look technically difficult, they’re actually a lazy baker’s dream. We’ve got one-batter quiches that ‘magically’ form a crust and filling, a spectacular cake that only requires three ingredients, simple cakes that miraculously bake into three layers in the oven and WAY more magical recipes that’ll blow your mind HERE.

Originally published as What is invisible cake?