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
Video
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.
Nutrition
Plan on trying this recipe soon. The crumble topping is different from the recipe I usually use for an Irish apple cake, but as you say every house has their own version. If possible try finding Brameley apples. They are a more traditional apple found in Ireland and England. They are better than Granny Smith but I will use those when Brameley aren’t in season in Ohio at special orchards. They are very hard to find, but worth it.
Hi Phil ~ I thought Brameley apples were exclusively in the UK, I will have to check out our local orchards this fall to see if I can find some!
I have a question about greasing the bottom of the pan. Can I use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan?
Yes, I use a springform pan and I also like to remove my cake from the bottom of the pan, so I use a cake lifter or a large thin spatula. But you can also just serve it right on the bottom plate of the pan if you like. If you are using a regular cake pan it will be very difficult to flip it out to remove it from the pan intact, so I recommend serving from the pan in that case.
Hi. I’m planning on making this on Wednesday for a get-together on Thursday. Can it be reheated or is it good cold? If so, should I still do the custard?
Thanks
The cake is best room temperature, and you can definitely serve the custard with the cake. I don’t think you’d need to refrigerate the cake overnight, it should be fine under foil or a cake dome. Like all fruit cakes it will get moister as it sits.
I’m making this today for St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, and as a birthday cake for myself.😁 Only change I’ll make is to leave the oats out of the topping. I’m not a big fan of oats in streusel. The cake looks delicious!
Sounds like a great plan Donna ~ Happy Birthday! You might think about adding some chopped walnuts or pecans in place of the oats.
Made this cake and custard last night for a St Patrick’s Day dinner with about 40 people. Beautiful and delicious! I couldn’t believe how many compliments I received. I will make this again throughout the year with one change. I used eggs from my chickens for the custard. The result was a darker yellow color that some people mistook for a mustard sauce for the dinner and not for the dessert! Eggs from the store tend to have lighter colored yolks so I assume the resulting custard will be a lighter color as seen in the pictures and video on this webpage.
Wow, Emily, I am so happy to hear this! This cake is a beloved recipe of mine, too, and I’m so glad it worked out for your big event. That’s interesting about your custard sauce, but I bet it was extra delicious with your fresh eggs!
This sounds absolutely Wonderful. Making it for my St.P’s dinner with family Not too sweet. Thanks for posting apple cake recipe. !
Hope you love it Fran!