Irish Apple Cake, as most fruit desserts, are about the fruit. Crisp cooking apples that are on the tart side. If the fruit isn’t right, make something else.

It is a simple toss together cake but can be fancied up with a streusel-like topping and a rich custard sauce poured over individual slices.

I can’t say for sure if I have had an authentic Irish Apple Cake and I will never pretend to be Irish.

What I can say about it, is that it’s simple and pure, and yes, highlighting the apples with what goes best with apples.  Butter, sugar, oats and a bit of warm spice, but not too much.

Irish apple cake served

This is what I would consider a clean fresh cake.  It is not laden heavily with warm spices like most apple desserts, no molasses or even brown sugar, although you could use it.  

This is a moist cake and for easy gatherings can easily skip the custard sauce.

Irish Apple Cake with custard sauce

I read a comment about Gordon Ramsay’s Thai Spring rolls, saying something about them not being authentic.

Then someone backed him up and said that these are Gordon Ramsay’s version of Thai Spring Rolls. 

That is how it is with most recipes.  Both your wonderful aunt and your grandmother may both be wonderful cooks, but have their own version of your uncle’s favourite Apple cake. (Your aunt by marriage’s husband, your uncle, and son of your grandmother who is mother to your father).

There are certain elements that make something authentic.

In this case it would probably be the apples.  Bramley is the authentic apple for this cake.  They are firm tart apples too sour for enjoying as is, but perfect for cooking.

I use Granny Smith or Northern Spy apples, both known for their tartness and often used for cooking.

Irish apple cake Granny Smith

Granny Smith Apples

Granny Smith cut

How to Make my Irish Apple Cake with Crumb Topping

INGREDIENTS

About 10 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes

Irish Apple Cake

  • 2 cups (230g) cake and pastry flour 
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (65mL) vegetable oil, I used avocado
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, I used organic cane
  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup (185mL) milk
  • ¾ lb (340g) peeled, chopped apples to equal about 2½ cups, you will need about 4 apples

Crumble Topping

  • ⅓ cup (45g) all purpose flour 
  • ¼ cup (26g) rolled oats
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, I used organic cane
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter

Custard Sauce

  • ½ cup (125mL) milk

  • ¼ cup (65mL) whipping cream

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • ¼ cup (55g) granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla

Irish apple cake ingredients

Ingredients for the Irish Apple Cake

Irish Apple Cake Crumble topping ingredients

Ingredients for the Crumb Topping

Irish apple cake custard ingredients

Ingredients for the custard sauce

Start with the Crumble Topping

This way it is ready to spread over the top of the Apple cake when ready.  Unless you are not using it.

1. Combine the flour, oats, sugar and salt.

2. Cut in the butter until crumbly.

If using a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt, pulse in the cold butter a few times, then add the oats and pulse until crumbly.

The mixture should clump together a bit.

Set aside.

Irish apple cake crumble add butter
Irish apple cake add oats
Irish Apple Cake crumble

For the Apple Cake

Grease and line a 9” (23cm) baking pan.  I used a springform pan to make it easier to remove if you are not cutting it from the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Set aside.

2. Cream the butter, oil and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time so each is fully incorporated. 

4. Beat in the vanilla.

Irish apple cake dry ingredients
Butter and sugar
Add oil
Adding eggs
Add Vanilla

4. Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating, starting and ending with the flour mixture, except, with the last flour addition.

5. Toss in the apples so they get a bit of flour on them so they may be suspended in the batter, and fold it all in just until combined. Don’t overmix the last addition.

Add a third of the flour
Add half of the milk
Add last of the flour with the apples
Toss the apples in the flour

6. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth it a bit. 

7. Top with crumble topping if using.

Bake for 45 -50 minutes.

Irish apple cake batter
Irish apple cake with crumble
Fresh Irish apple cake

For the Custard

1. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and pale, about 5 minutes.  

eggs and sugar for custard sauce
Pale egg yolks

2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the cream.

3. Add the rest of the sugar. Remove from heat just as it starts to bubble.

4. While whisking the yolks, slowly pour the hot milk mixture in to temper the eggs.  Slowly bringing them up to temperature.

heat milk and cream
add sugar
Tempering the eggs

5. Pour everything back into the pot and cook on low, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes on medium low heat until the custard is thick enough to coat a spoon.  It is a thin custard sauce, but should still hold a line drawn down a spoon with your finger.

You will see wisps of steam rise.  Do not let this boil or it will separate and curdle.

6. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean bowl and stir in the vanilla.  If you prefer to use vanilla bean or vanilla paste, add this to the milk mixture while it cooks.

Pour the sauce over individual pieces of the cake.

Return the mixture to the pot
sieve the custard

Irish Apple Cake with Crumb Topping

A simple and pure cake, highlighting the apples with what goes best with apples.  Butter, sugar, oats and a bit of warm spice, but not too much.

  Prep Time: 30 minutes

  Bake Time: 45 minutes

  Serves: 10 people

Irish apple cake recipe

  Recipe PDF

INGREDIENTS

For the Apple Cake

  • 2 cups (230g) cake and pastry flour 

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • ¼ cup (65mL) vegetable oil, I used avocado

  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, I used organic cane

  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 2 large eggs

  • ¾ cup (185mL) milk

  • ¾ lb (340g) peeled, chopped apples to equal about 2½ cups, you will need about 4 apples

For the Crumble Topping

  • ⅓ cup (45g) all purpose flour 

  • ¼ cup (26g) rolled oats

  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, I used organic cane

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter

    Custard Sauce

  • ½ cup (125mL) milk

  • ¼ cup (65mL) whipping cream

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • ¼ cup (55g) granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

Cake

  1. Grease a 9”x13”/23x33cm pan.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground ginger.
  3. Cream together sugar and butter.  Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
  4. Add some of the flour mixture, about half of it and blend it in.
  5. Mix in the milk.
  6. Add the rest of the flour mixture and stir just until combined.  
  7. Spread the batter into prepared pan.

Filling and Topping

  1. Wash the blueberries and pat dry .
  2. Evenly sprinkle the batter with the blueberries.
  3. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar until well combined.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  
  4. Mix in the cornstarch and the sour cream.  
  5. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the blueberries.  Spread to cover.
  6. Whisk together the sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Cut in the cold butter.
  7. You could also put all into a food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly.
  8. Sprinkle over the cream cheese filling.
  9. Bake at 350°F/180°C 45 mins. 
  10. It will still be a bit wobbly.  That’s the cheesecake part.  It will continue to cook a bit after you bring it out and will be firm once it cools.