Irish Apple Cake Recipe

This Irish Apple Cake is a moist and tender cake, which is made with tart Granny Smith apples and a buttery cinnamon streusel. It’s the ultimate comfort food recipe, perfect for a cozy afternoon treat.

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Irish Apple Cake Ingredients

Streusel Topping

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Cake

Baking spray with flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 Tbsp. milk
3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Vanilla Custard Sauce

5 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 3/4 cups half-and-half
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

How To Make Irish Apple Cake

Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Using your fingers, rub the cold, cubed butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly and can be pinched together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Mix the cake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each.
Combine the batter: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk. Fold gently until just combined after each addition.
Assemble and bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced apples in an even layer on top. Crumble the cold streusel over the apples. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until golden brown.
Make the vanilla custard sauce: While the cake bakes, whisk the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar in a medium bowl until lightened in color. In a saucepan, heat the half-and-half, salt, and remaining ¼ cup of sugar until steaming.
Temper and thicken the custard: Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture. Pour this tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (175°F to 180°F).
Strain and chill: Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Stir in the vanilla bean paste. Chill the sauce completely before serving.
Cool and serve the cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Serve slices of the cake drizzled with the chilled vanilla custard sauce.

Recipe Tips

How to get a crumbly streusel topping? The key is to use very cold, cubed butter and to work it into the flour mixture quickly with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Chilling the finished streusel before topping the cake also helps it hold its shape.
What are the best apples for this cake? Granny Smith apples are recommended because their tartness provides a perfect balance to the sweet cake and streusel. They also hold their shape well during baking.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes. Both the streusel topping and the vanilla custard sauce can be made up to a day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator.
How do I know when the cake is done? The cake is ready when the top is a deep golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.

What To Serve With Irish Apple Cake

While the homemade vanilla custard sauce is the traditional and most delicious accompaniment, this cake is also wonderful with:

A dollop of fresh whipped cream
A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
A drizzle of heavy cream

How To Store Irish Apple Cake

Refrigerate: Store the cake and the custard sauce in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The cake will keep for up to 4 days, and the custard for up to 3 days.

Irish Apple Cake Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 550 kcal
Fat: 30g
Carbohydrates: 65g
Protein: 7g

Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.

FAQs

What is the difference between an Irish apple cake and a regular apple cake?

Traditional Irish apple cakes are often denser and more rustic than their American counterparts, with a simple, moist crumb and a focus on the fresh apple flavor. They are almost always served with a custard sauce, often called “pouring custard.”

Do I have to make the custard sauce?

You don’t have to, but it is the classic way to serve this type of cake and is highly recommended. For a very quick shortcut, the recipe notes that you can melt some high-quality vanilla ice cream to create a simple sauce.

Why did my streusel topping melt into the cake?

This usually happens if the butter in the streusel was too warm or if the streusel itself was not chilled before baking. Using cold butter and chilling the topping are key steps.

Try More Recipes:

Recipe by MarryCourse: DessertCuisine: EuropeanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

minutes

Calories

550

kcal

A traditional, moist, and buttery apple cake packed with tender apple slices and topped with a crunchy oat streusel, served with a rich homemade vanilla custard sauce.

Ingredients

Streusel: 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup oats, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup cold butter
Cake: 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup melted butter, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 large eggs, 3 Tbsp milk, 3 Granny Smith apples
Custard: 5 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 3/4 cups half-and-half, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Directions

Streusel: Mix dry ingredients, then rub in cold butter until crumbly. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round pan. Whisk dry cake ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk wet cake ingredients. Fold wet and dry together.
Assemble: Pour batter into the pan, top with an even layer of sliced apples, then crumble the cold streusel over the top.
Bake: Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
Custard: Make the custard by tempering egg yolks with a hot half-and-half mixture, then cooking until thickened. Strain and chill.
Serve: Serve slices of the cooled cake with a drizzle of the chilled vanilla custard sauce.

Notes

Using cold butter for the streusel is essential for a crumbly, not greasy, topping.
Don’t overmix the cake batter; mix only until the ingredients are just combined for a tender crumb.
The vanilla custard sauce is a classic accompaniment and truly elevates the cake.
The cake is best served the day it’s made but will keep well in the refrigerator.