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!
This is a classic apple cake filled with juicy apples and warmly spiced with cinnamon.
The warm weather in California always does a number on my fall spirit, so I’m taking matters into my own hands and doing some serious baking with apples. It never fails to get me in the mood, and nothing beats a kitchen filled with the warm scent of apples and cinnamon. This particular apple cake recipe is mildly spiced with an inner core of thinly sliced tart apples, topped with an crumbly oat streusel. Tradition dictates serving it with some thick cream, or a luscious custard sauce.
I used Granny Smith apples for this apple cake ~ they’re nice and tart and don’t get mushy in the oven.
The one negative I’ve found is that they aren’t quite as juicy as some other apple varieties. 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 if you’ve got some choices!) You’ll need about 3 good sized apples for this recipe.
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.
Craving more apples? Try my Maple Frosted Apple Blondes, or my Spiced Apple Cake. If you’ve got lots of apples to use up (lucky you!) try making a batch or two of homemade Apple Butter or Apple Sauce.
Reader Rave ~
“Just made this with my sister and nephew. We give it two thumbs up!” ~Debra
Irish Apple Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
cake
- 1/2 cup or 113 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup or 100 grams sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp or 45 ml milk or cream
- 1 1/4 cups or 150 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- about 3 Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
- confectioner's sugar for dusting
streusel topping
- 3/4 cup or 96 grams flour
- 1/4 cup or 25 grams old fashioned rolled oats
- 6 Tbsp or 85 grams unsalted cold butter cut in small pieces
- 1/2 cup or 100 grams sugar
custard sauce
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 Tbsp or 76 grams sugar
- 1 1/2 cups or 375 ml whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Set the oven to 350F
- Make the custard sauce ahead of time. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile whisk the yolks and sugar until pale. 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. Don't overcook or it can curdle. Stir in the vanilla. Refrigerate the custard sauce until needed.
- 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.
- To make the cake, grease a 9 inch round spring form pan.
- 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 in to the pan, and smooth out evenly. Top with the sliced apples, and then the streusel topping.
- 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.
Nutrition
81 Comments
Brittney
November 15, 2019 at 8:56 amThis recipe was amazing! I didn’t have any apples on hand so I used bartlett pears that were still a little hard and they turned out perfect! I also used a tall 9″ cake pan and it worked great. The tall sides made it nice for holding the streusel topping once I cut it! I will definitely be making this again with pears for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe!
Sue
November 15, 2019 at 9:17 amNow you’ve got me wanting to try pears!
Beckett
September 30, 2019 at 7:03 pmI love your recipe! I was curious if you ever made them as bite size cakes or mini muffins. In the off chance you have I am catering an event for 200 and would love to hear your advice.
Sue
September 30, 2019 at 7:14 pmI haven’t tried this as muffins, I would think it would be worth an experiment, though. For something as small as a bite sized muffin you’d want to get the apple into a tiny dice without turning it into mush ~ let me know if you attempt it!
Maria Elena
May 20, 2019 at 4:51 amHi Sue… I had traveled to Ireland and brought back good whisky!… I wanted to have some friends over for an Irish dinner so we could all try the whiskey together… I picked this cake for dessert and I was very pleased!!!… It is easy, delicious and not too sweet!!… My favorite kind :)
Sue
May 20, 2019 at 6:49 amI take that as high praise since you’ve just been to Ireland!
Falon
March 22, 2019 at 12:12 pmFor the blending of the oatmeal, can this be done by hand or is a blender needed.
Sue
March 22, 2019 at 1:29 pmYou can do it by hand, for sure, using forks or a pastry cutter.
Darlene Chambers
March 17, 2019 at 12:19 pmWould u think the 3 apples are too much??
Sue
September 4, 2019 at 3:19 pm3 worked just right for me.
Arlene K.
February 20, 2019 at 4:04 pmCould I use an 8 or 9″ cake pan instead of the spring form pan?
Sue
February 20, 2019 at 4:24 pmYes, absolutely, just watch your cooking time if you use a smaller diameter pan.
Leslie Kupfer
January 9, 2019 at 10:11 amHi – Can this cake be made with pears? Have several which are not soft yet, and thought they would go well in this recipe. Thanks1
Sue
January 9, 2019 at 11:00 amI would think that would be nice Leslie.
Debra
January 1, 2019 at 2:51 pmJust made this with my sister and nephew. We give it two thumbs up!
Sue
September 4, 2019 at 3:19 pmThanks Debra :)
Eileen
December 23, 2018 at 5:36 pmA novice to this, I was a bit alarmed at how dry the dough seemed, but the end result was lovely!
Sue
December 23, 2018 at 5:42 pmI’m so glad it worked out for you :)
Carol Weaver
October 15, 2018 at 12:51 pmSome stores in eastern PA (Wegman’s for example) carry Bird’s custard mix. We used that when living in the UK and it makes it so much easier to serve custard whenever we want it.
Sue
October 15, 2018 at 1:23 pmI remember that mix from when I lived in Britain, it’s so convenient. Wonder if you can get it on Amazon.
Madi
April 25, 2018 at 7:14 pmWhen I was making it, I was a bit concerned because the batter amount was quite small, and I barely had enough to create an even layer on my small round springform pan.
HOWEVER it turned out quite nice, and rose well (I use self-raising flour instead of baking powder and regular flour).
My only concern was that the sides and bottom were a slight edge of burnt even under the cooking time.
I’ll be trying this again in a couple of days to perfect it :) It is a lovely cake. As I didn’t have the time to make custard, I’ve just warmed slices of the cake and served with ice cream <3
Sue
April 25, 2018 at 7:31 pmThanks Madi ~ and I would check your oven temp with a thermometer because it’s possible it runs a few degrees hot. This is a small cake, and I think that’s partly because it is authentically Irish, and the rest of the world seems to enjoy much more modest desserts than we Americans do :)
Georgia A Ipsen
March 25, 2018 at 5:35 amCan I use old fashioned oats instead of old fashioned rolled oats?
Sue
March 25, 2018 at 7:24 amYes, Georgia, that’s fine.
Angel
March 18, 2018 at 1:47 pmMade this for St. Patrick’s Day dessert. The cake turned out great. My husband doesn’t eat a lot of sweets so I know if he likes it we have a winner. I tried twice to make the custard sauce but after the second batch curdled I gave up and ate the cake with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. I might try the sauce again some time but it’s fine without it. Thanks for this recipe it will be part of the rotation now.
Maria Kanis
March 18, 2018 at 10:28 amHi there Sue, I’m Irish & hail from Dublin & for the last 18 years have lived with my English Husband in the Limousin region of France. Limoges, our capital city is renowned worldwide for it’s beautiful Pottery, our region is also famous for it’s Limousine Apples, hence the reason I’m always on the lookout for a nice apple cake, in fact, have a folder full of them & have worked my way through most of them. I’m looking forward to trying your recipe but was wondering if it’s at all possible to list in metric or imperial measurements for those of us this side of the Pond. I can convert, but it’s doesn’t always work out.
Being St Patrick’s weekend my Husband is shouting for Irish Apple Cake so I would love to try yours.
I’m not too sure if you will get this message or not but would love to hear from you.
Meantime, I hope you are having a good St Pat’s weekend. Slainte, Maria
Sue
March 18, 2018 at 7:06 pmHey Maria ~ I will try to get to that conversion this week, I’m traveling in Florida right now visiting my Dad and his wife, but I’m working remotely ;) I wish I could find a reliable and easy converter, it’s such tricky business, as you note. I may have to get back to the kitchen and actually make this cake again to do an accurate job. Thanks for following along from such a distance ~ I would love to get to Limoges someday!
Lily
March 16, 2018 at 10:59 pmI am sad I did everything and looks like is not rising what did I do wrong? I used the right pan was I suppose to put the pan on cookies sheet cause that’s what I did maybe that’s it ?
Sue
March 17, 2018 at 6:20 amThis isn’t a tall fluffy cake, Lily, but rather dense, almost like a tart, so it’s possible you did everything right.
Teri
March 17, 2018 at 1:03 pmSue can you use a 8” cake pan instead of 9”?
Sue
March 17, 2018 at 2:31 pmSure!
Lily
March 17, 2018 at 2:43 pmThank you for letting me know that But it was Delicious ! So I know I did it right now thanks for sharing!
Amanda
January 21, 2018 at 3:45 pmIs the custard sauce supposed to be thick?
Sue
January 21, 2018 at 4:07 pmNot super thick, Amanda.
Brenda
December 12, 2017 at 3:39 pmIf I am serving this at a dinner party, can I make it the night before?
Sue
December 12, 2017 at 4:42 pmYes, that won’t be a problem, enjoy!
Katie HG
October 17, 2017 at 1:27 pmI’ve had a couple of apples knocking about in my fridge for a while and couldn’t decide what to make! I settled on this cake and boy am I glad! Delicious, soft, not too sweet and a wonderful crumble topping. Thank you!
Sue
October 17, 2017 at 2:00 pmThanks for letting us know, Katie!
joan
May 16, 2017 at 10:05 amI made this cake for Saturday nite dinner, what a success. I did not peel the apples and I used almond flour, it came out perfect. thank you for your wonderful recipes..
Julia Raudenbush
March 22, 2019 at 9:25 amI know this comment is 2 years old, but I am intrigued by your use of almond flour. Was that completely in place of the all purpose flour? I am gluten free and always looking for good ways to alter traditional recipes. Thanks!
Kelli Ann Wilson
March 17, 2017 at 4:43 pmI just made this for our family’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner – it was amazing! I didn’t actually make the custard (time constraints) but the cake was incredibly delicious all on its own. I used Kerrygold Butter made in Ireland for that extra special touch. On an unrelated note: I live in New Hampshire but I had never heard of Great Island until I found your blog. Now I’m intrigued!
Sue
March 17, 2017 at 5:02 pmOh I’m so glad you found me Kelli ~ I miss New Hampshire SO much, I’m determined to get back there to live someday :) I’m really glad you enjoyed the apple cake!
Nancy Marzilli
April 7, 2017 at 3:04 amSue where is the recipe for this Irish apple cake? I would love to give this a try .
Steph
March 14, 2017 at 7:57 amHas anyone added raisins to this? I’m thinking of soaking them in Amaretto first.
Sue
March 14, 2017 at 8:07 amI don’t see why you couldn’t, Steph, and the Amaretto soaking sounds pretty amazing :)
Carrie
March 29, 2017 at 3:06 pmI soaked my raisins in brandy first and it was amazing I also used 2 Granny Smith’s and a Rome Apple because down here in Va the Mac apples are very mealy not like back home in Mass but came out very good
Sue
March 29, 2017 at 5:21 pmLove the idea of soaking the raisins, how could that be bad? And don’t get me started on Macs, I miss my New Hampshire Mcintosh apples SO badly!!
Cathie Kozachenko
February 2, 2017 at 7:50 amDo you serve the custard cold? Can it be served warm? How would you warm it? Love the cake. The custard I’d eat every day for the rest of my days ;)
Sue
February 2, 2017 at 8:03 amI think it’s usually served cold, but you could warm it briefly in the microwave and that would be amazing.
Victoria
February 5, 2017 at 6:54 amWhen I lived in the United Kingdom custard was served warm over desserts such as this. Super yummy! Can’t wait to make this for Saint Davids day ( I married a welsh man) haha
Jack
February 10, 2017 at 9:11 amAs a child I always had Birds Eye custard served warm over this kind of dessert, made, of course with full cream milk. Absolutely delicious.
Jovana
January 30, 2017 at 8:37 pmHi, I was just wondering how many layers of Apple should it be? One,two? I’m using a different type of apples and sure how much 3 Granny Smith apples would yuel. Thanks!
Sue
January 31, 2017 at 7:37 amI think if you use 3 good sized apples you’ll have a good amount, Jovana, I can’t recall how many layers, the slices just get piled in.
Jovana
February 7, 2017 at 5:59 amThank you!
Andrea
January 18, 2017 at 7:11 amDo too have to use the custard? Does it taste okay without it?
Sue
January 18, 2017 at 7:16 amNo you don’t need the custard, Andrea, although it does add a nice extra element to it.
Kayleigh | Whisks & Wooden Spoons
November 23, 2016 at 5:27 pmThis sounds amazing! Custard all the way – on anything/in everything.
Sue
November 23, 2016 at 5:36 pmHaha!! I have to agree :)
Andi
October 6, 2016 at 3:11 pmThe ingredients for the custard call for 6 tbsp of butter; yet, the directions don’t include the butter when making the custard.
Andi
October 6, 2016 at 3:12 pmoops that is sugar not butter my bad!!!
Eden Passante
March 15, 2016 at 2:21 pmThis looks amazing! Love apple cake so much!
Dee
March 11, 2016 at 5:15 pmJust a note that I almost forgot the cinnamon, bp, and salt because it isn’t mentioned in the instructions. Luckily, I double checked. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Sue
March 11, 2016 at 5:36 pmI reworked the recipe instructions to be more clear, thanks Dee!
michelle
February 28, 2016 at 10:52 pmHi. Is it absolutely necessary to use a springform pan? can we use a regular 9″ baking pan?
Sue
February 29, 2016 at 7:05 amNo I’m sure it’s not essential Michelle, but as I recall it’s a lot of batter, and comes pretty high up in the spring form pan, so just be sure your pan can accommodate it, and watch the baking time.
michelle
March 2, 2016 at 10:34 pmThank you. :)
mary kathryn
October 14, 2014 at 1:48 pmOne thought about apples that I got from an American Test Kitchen recipe (for apple pandowdy). They recommend using a mix of apples, some for flavor and some for texture. So you might want to choose 2 granny smiths, for flavor, and one other that would give more juice. Just an idea.
Sue
October 14, 2014 at 2:14 pmGreat info!
Laura+(Tutti+Dolci)
October 1, 2014 at 12:43 pmI adore that streusel topping, what a perfect apple cake for the fall!
Susan
September 28, 2014 at 7:15 amI am all over anything apple these days even though we’ve been having a warm and gorgeous Indian Summer here in the Midwest. The leaves are turning and the crickets are chirping at night and it just smell like fall.
What a gorgeous dessert and that custard sauce just pushes it to a whole new delicious level.
sippitysup
September 24, 2014 at 5:43 pmI like Rome for that very reason. They show up late in the season here, and that’s a drawback. GREG
Chris @ The Café Sucré Farine
September 24, 2014 at 12:03 pmWowsers! This is spectacular! I love that every country has it’s own version of apple cake. I’ve made French, German and Danish but Irish is new to me. The custard sauce is a fabulous and unique twist.
Luci {Luci's Morsels}
September 23, 2014 at 9:41 pmThis CA weather is killing my fall vibe too, but I know I’ll be thankful we live here in about two months – like I always am! This apple cake looks divine! I’ll need to find a cool corner to wear a sweater and eat some!
Luci’s Morsels – fashion. food. frivolity.
Denise@magnoliaverandah
September 23, 2014 at 8:54 pmYou are absolutely right the smell of apples and cinnamon is something one never tires of. The summer is about to hit here I will have to get my skates on and get this baking before it gets too hot. I can just imagine this being cooked in a little Irish cottage, how good would this be to come home to.
Katrina+Hall
September 23, 2014 at 7:02 pmOMG – this is gorgeous !
Sue
September 24, 2014 at 6:51 amThanks Katrina — it smells good too :)
Amanda
September 23, 2014 at 6:35 pmYou are rockin’ my world with this cake! Amazing!
Melynda@OurSundayCafe
September 23, 2014 at 3:43 pmBless you for sharing this! Cannot wait to make this wonderful cake.
Liz+@+Floating+Kitchen
September 23, 2014 at 1:16 pmThis looks like the perfect way to celebrate the start of fall!
Kitchen+Belleicious
September 23, 2014 at 10:47 amdelicious! It looks amazing and so moist. Would go perfect with a pumpkin latte:)
Dom
September 23, 2014 at 10:34 amits the same here in the UK, we’re having unseasonably warm weather and I want my Autumn now!… this cake is a great way to move things on and get a taste of the autumn… it looks so beautiful x