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Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 106 reviews

This traditional Irish Apple Cake is a comforting and flavorful dessert featuring tender apple chunks mixed into a spiced crumbly batter, baked to golden perfection and served with a rich, homemade custard sauce. Perfect for autumn or any cozy gathering, this cake combines warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger with tart Granny Smith apples for a classic taste of Ireland.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dairy and Eggs

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk (for custard)
  • 6 large egg yolks (for custard)

Fruit

  • 1 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced in half, cored, stemmed, then sliced thin and diced

Flavors

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for cake)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for custard)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) to prepare for baking the cake.
  2. Prepare Pan: Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan to ensure the cake won’t stick and set it aside.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice until evenly combined.
  4. Add Butter: Incorporate the cold diced butter into the dry mixture using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until it resembles fine crumbs.
  5. Stir in Sugar: Add 1 cup of granulated sugar to the crumbly mixture and mix using a spatula until distributed.
  6. Prepare Apples: Slice the peeled and cored Granny Smith apples into very thin slices (less than 1/4-inch), then dice these slices into smaller chunks.
  7. Add Apples to Dry Mixture: Toss the apple pieces with the flour and crumb mixture, making sure all the apple pieces are evenly coated.
  8. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup milk, the eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
  9. Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the milk and egg mixture over the apple and flour mixture. Using your hands or spatula, gently toss to combine until just mixed; the batter should be slightly lumpy. Avoid over-mixing.
  10. Transfer to Pan: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared springform pan.
  11. Prepare Topping: Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, then sprinkle this sugar mixture evenly on top of the cake batter in the pan.
  12. Bake: Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
  13. Cool Cake: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes on a wire rack. Carefully remove the springform pan ring and allow the cake to cool completely.
  14. Make Custard Sauce – Whisk Yolks and Sugar: In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  15. Heat Milk for Custard: Pour 1 1/2 cups whole milk into a medium saucepan and heat over medium until it just begins to boil.
  16. Temper Egg Mixture: Slowly pour half a cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking continuously. Then gradually whisk the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk.
  17. Cook Custard: Continue to cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overheat or let the eggs curdle.
  18. Finish Custard: Immediately pour the custard into a glass container and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  19. Prevent Skin Formation: Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap pressed directly against it to prevent a skin from forming.
  20. Serve: Drizzle the custard sauce warm or cold over slices of the Irish apple cake and enjoy.

Notes

  • Use tart Granny Smith apples for the best balance of sweetness and acidity.
  • Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender and crumbly.
  • Cold butter is essential for creating the crumbly texture of the cake.
  • The custard sauce can be served warm or chilled depending on preference.
  • Make sure to cover the custard with plastic wrap to avoid forming a skin.
  • For added texture, some recipes add nuts or raisins, though this traditional version does not.

Keywords: Irish apple cake, traditional Irish dessert, apple cake with custard, homemade apple cake, baked apple dessert

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