This is an authentic old fashioned Irish apple cake, the kind that would be made throughout the apple harvest season all over Ireland, where every farmhouse has its own prized version of the recipe. It’s delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!
a classic apple cake filled with juicy apples and warm spices
This easy apple cake recipe speaks to another era and another continent. But nothing beats a kitchen filled with the warm scent of apples and cinnamon, no matter what your particular spot in the baking universe. The cake is mildly spiced, with an inner core of thinly sliced tart apples, topped with a crumbly oat streusel. Tradition dictates serving it with some thick cream, or a luscious custard sauce. Choose to respect or flaunt tradition: you’re in charge.
best apples for an apple cake
I used Granny Smith apples for this apple cake ~ they’re nice and tart and don’t get mushy in the oven.
Another good choice would be Honeycrisp apples. You can always experiment with other types, if you want, you can’t go too wrong here. (Pickyourown.org has a pretty comprehensive guide to apple varieties.) You’ll need about 3 good sized apples for this recipe, that’s the bottom line. Peel them, and slice them thinly. If you’re making them more than a few minutes ahead, be sure to toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
the crumble topping makes this cake especially appropriate for breakfast, brunch, or afternoon tea
This is a not-too-sweet kind of cake in the European tradition. It’s pretty perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or mid afternoon, though still definitely special enough to serve as dessert, especially with the custard. The custard sauce keeps well in the fridge, and can be served either warm or cold. The cake, however, is especially fabulous and fragrant warm from the oven.
love cooking with apples? (we do too.)
- Apple Crumb Bars
- Moist Apple Brownies
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Easy Apple Pie Scones
- Apple Butter Cake
- Rustic Apple Galette
- Apple Cheddar and Sage Biscuits
“This was absolutely delicious and very easy and straightforward to make. This was my first time ever making an apple cake and now I’ve make it twice in 2 days!!!”
~ Janice
Irish Apple Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp whole milk or cream
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- about 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced. Mine weighed a little over a pound after slicing.
- confectioner’s sugar for dusting
streusel topping
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 6 Tbsp unsalted cold butter, cut in small pieces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
custard sauce
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ~ you can also use half and half or cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9 inch springform pan.
- Make the custard sauce ahead of time. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined. Drizzle a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Drizzle a little more, then transfer that back into the pan of hot milk and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do this slowly, over medium heat, and I like to use a silicone spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as it heats. The mixture will become velvety and thickend, but it will not be as thick as pudding. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't overcook or it can curdle. Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the custard through a sieve (to catch any stray lumps) into a heat proof jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface so it won't form a skin as it cools. Put in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
- To make the streusel topping, blend the bits of butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a coarse crumbly texture. Put in the refrigerator.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, along with the milk or cream.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared pan, and smooth out evenly. Top with the sliced apples, and then the streusel topping. Note: no need to arrange the apples perfectly, but try to get them in an even layer.
- Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
- Let cool a bit in the pan before removing. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
Video
Nutrition
I am hoping I can make this ahead and freeze it for a Christmas gift. Is that possible
Yes you can freexe this cake.Let it cool completely and then wrap it really air tight in plastic, then in foil.
I need to serve this to a large group. Can I make this more like a sheet cake in a rectangle dish?
Yes, it should work fine like that, you’d just have to work out how to increase the recipe to fit your particular pan. I think doubling would work for a 9×13.
My custard is not thick at all. I used half and half and followed the instructions exactly. Sat in the refrif over night and nothing. How can I thicken it now that it’s already made so I don’t have to waste it?
Excellent recipe! We really enjoyed this cake and I loved that it wasn’t too sweet. Went great with my coffee.
what other bakng dishes can i use?
this sound yummy….thanx for sharing
Are there any adjustments for living at 7000 feet in elevation? Would love to make this recipe! ??
Oven temperature generally increases by 15-25?
Baking time decreases by 20-30%
Also you will need less baking soda, so maybe try 3/4 tsp?
this cake is my favorite. Dinner at a friends house (8 people) could not stop raving about this cake. I thought the orange almond flour cake was my favorite. They are both wonderful. I was able to take home a small piece for me. YEAH!! With all those apples I never thought they would get soft, but they did. Can’t wait to eat my piece tonight.
So glad this was a hit for you and your friends Joan. Thanks for the review 🙂
How do you store the night before?? We don’t wanna eat it till tomorrow
Loosely covered with foil on the counter.
OMG! The cake is in the oven and my house smells like heaven. I would like to know if your batter was thick?
Can’t wait to taste the cake. Hopefully the apples will get soft. You were right on, 3 apples sliced was a pound. Love your recipes and your blog. Joan
Yes, the batter is thick, hope you love it Joan!
Any success using a gluten free flour and dairy free cream?
I think a good quality gf baking mix would work fine. Haven’t tried the sauce with dairy free cream, sorry!
The best vegan substitute for cream, I’ve found, is to refrigerate coconut milk until it separates and skim off the thick top portion. Full-fat coconut milk straight from the can is great to sub just for milk. Be careful for those that have a long list of preservatives. (And Trader Joes’s is terrible–don’t buy). This mix works beautifully in every cake I’ve tried it with: 1 1/2 c. brown rice flour, 3/4 c. sorghum flour (I’ve heard that you can switch out oat flour just fine for sorghum), 2/3 c. corn starch, 1/4 c. tapioca starch/flour, 1/4 c. potato starch, and 1 tsp xanthan gum. I got that off of Pinterest YEARS ago, and it’s my go-to mix. Some prepared GF flours are gummy and awful, like Namaste.
I used silk brand “next” milk for the sauce (it’s a nondairy milk blend) and it came out good!