Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce (Printable)
Tender spiced apple cake paired with creamy custard sauce. A traditional Irish dessert ideal for afternoon tea or special occasions.
# What You'll Need:
→ Apple Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 3 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Custard Sauce
12 - 2 cups whole milk
13 - 4 large egg yolks
14 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
15 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
16 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
03 - Cut cold butter into flour mixture using a pastry blender or fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Stir in sugar, then fold in sliced apples to coat evenly.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour into apple-flour mixture and gently mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
07 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
08 - In a saucepan, heat milk until just steaming, being careful not to boil.
09 - In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale. Gradually whisk in hot milk.
10 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
11 - Serve apple cake warm or at room temperature with warm custard sauce drizzled over each slice.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between the slightly crisp, sugar-dusted top and the moist, apple-studded interior creates a texture that simply cant be achieved with modern cake recipes.
- Pouring warm vanilla custard over a slice transforms an already delicious cake into something that makes your guests fall silent with that first heavenly bite.
02 -
- After ruining two early attempts, I discovered that overmixing the batter makes the cake tough and dense instead of tender and crumbly like it should be.
- The custard sauce might look worryingly thin when hot, but it thickens considerably as it cools, so trust the back-of-spoon test rather than visual thickness.
03 -
- The custard sauce will develop a skin if left uncovered, so place plastic wrap directly on its surface if youre not serving immediately.
- For the perfect texture contrast, slice the apples to varying thicknesses some paper thin and some about 1/4 inch thick, creating interesting spots throughout the cake.