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Authentic Irish Apple Cake
Laura

Authentic Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Traditional Irish farmhouse apple cake with tender Granny Smith apples, crumbly oat streusel topping, and rich vanilla custard sauce. A beloved dessert perfect for autumn baking and St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Irish
Calories: 373
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar for cake base
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent browning
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour for streusel topping
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar for streusel
  • confectioners' sugar for dusting before serving
  • 6 large egg yolks for custard sauce
  • 6 tablespoons granulated sugar for custard sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half for custard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract for custard sauce

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • electric mixer
  • fine-mesh sieve
  • medium saucepan
  • Mixing bowls

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
  2. Make the custard sauce first: Bring milk to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Temper the egg mixture: Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of hot milk into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Add another 1/2 cup, then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan with remaining milk.
  4. Cook the custard: Stir constantly with a silicone spatula over medium heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  5. Strain and chill: Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled.
  6. Prepare streusel topping: In a bowl, work cold butter into flour, oats, and sugar using your fingers or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate while preparing cake.
  7. Make the cake batter: Cream room-temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  8. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  9. Fold in dry ingredients: Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, folding gently until just combined. The batter will be thick and sticky.
  10. Prepare the apples: Toss sliced apples with lemon juice and 1 tablespoon flour to prevent sinking during baking.
  11. Assemble the cake: Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Arrange apple slices in overlapping layers over the batter. Sprinkle chilled streusel topping generously over apples.
  12. Bake: Place in center rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  13. Cool and serve: Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing springform ring. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm with chilled custard sauce.

Notes

  • Use Granny Smith apples for best results - their tart flavor and firm texture hold up beautifully during baking
  • Keep streusel butter cold for maximum crumbliness and browning
  • Don't overmix the cake batter or it will become tough instead of tender
  • Custard sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated
  • For gluten-free version, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified GF oats
  • Cake stores at room temperature for 3 days or freezes for up to 3 months