Description
This classic Irish Apple Cake combines tender spiced cake with layers of thinly sliced Granny Smith apples and a crunchy oat streusel topping. Served with a homemade vanilla custard sauce, this comforting dessert is a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and creamy, making it ideal for cozy gatherings or special occasions.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp whole milk or cream
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp salt
- About 3 Granny Smith apples (a little over 1 pound after peeling and slicing), peeled and thinly sliced
Streusel Topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 6 Tbsp unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Custard Sauce
- 6 large egg yolks
- 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or half and half, or cream)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For Serving
- Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch springform pan to prevent sticking.
- Make Custard Sauce: In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar until well combined. Gradually drizzle a little hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Add a little more milk, then pour this mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula or spoon to scrape the pan’s bottom and sides, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Avoid overcooking to prevent curdling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Cool Custard: Strain the custard through a sieve into a heatproof bowl or jar to remove lumps. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Prepare Streusel Topping: In a bowl, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour, sugar, and oats using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Refrigerate to keep cold and crumbly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer, beat the room-temperature butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Batter: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually fold these dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the whole milk or cream, until smooth and combined.
- Assemble Cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth it evenly. Arrange the sliced apples evenly over the batter (no need to perfectly layer). Sprinkle the chilled streusel topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only moisture but no wet batter.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool slightly in the pan before removing the springform rim. Dust the top with confectioner's sugar and serve warm or at room temperature with the chilled vanilla custard sauce.
Notes
- Use Granny Smith apples for their tart flavor and firmness, which hold up well during baking.
- Tempering the egg yolks with hot milk slowly prevents curdling in the custard sauce.
- Keep the butter cold when making streusel to achieve a crumbly texture.
- The custard sauce should be gently heated and removed from heat once thickened but not pudding-like, as it thickens further while cooling.
- If you prefer, you can substitute half and half or cream for whole milk in the custard for a richer sauce.
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before removing from the pan to prevent breakage.
