Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Traditional Irish Apple Cake Recipe with Custard Sauce

Tart, crisp apples suspended in tender vanilla spice cake with a crunchy sugar topping and creamy vanilla custard sauce. This cake is on the must-bake list at our house every year around St. Patrick’s Day, but honestly, we make it much more often than that. 

I have never been to Ireland but it’s on my list of must-visit places for so many reasons, not the least of which is Irish food. I mean, from what I understand, most traditional Irish food comes smothered or encased in cheese, potatoes, beer or pastry. So…. yum.

Plus, the Irish really like their sweets. And, apparently Irish Apple Cake tops the list. If that’s true – or even close to true – I’m in. Because Irish Apple Cake is the bomb.

The cake itself is not overly sweet, and gently spiked with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It also somehow manages to be both light and dense. I know, that doesn’t make any sense….

But try it and you’ll see what I mean. All those chunks of apple have a lightening effect on the cake, adding moisture and flavor while breaking up the thick batter so that every perfect bite is a delicious combination of tender cake and tart apples.

But, my favorite part of Irish Apple Cake is the crunchy, sugary top.

Right before baking, Irish Apple Cake is sprinkled with sugar, creating a thin, crackly layer that contrasts nicely with the soft, tender cake. I baked this cake yesterday in a completely empty house. It was a challenge to not pick off that delicious sugary layer and eat it before my family got home.

Don’t worry. I didn’t. They all got slices of cake with the sugary topping still in tact. I can, occasionally, summon up some restraint. 

And then there’s the vanilla custard sauce.

I’m sure this cake is also delicious with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I beg you to try it at least once with custard sauce. Custard sauce, also known as crème anglaise, is basically unfrozen vanilla ice cream. It’s a thin sauce, not thick like pudding. The sauce soaks right into the tender cake creating a texture that’s almost like bread pudding. 

What is it about apple desserts that begs for a rich, creamy vanilla accompaniment of some sort? A scoop of vanilla ice cream with warm apple pie or apple crisp is a given. Apple Slab Pie, with it’s pâte brisée crust, spiced apple filling, and brown sugar topping is even more gooey and delicious slathered in custard sauce.

And, a drizzle of custard sauce on a slice of Irish Apple Cake somehow make this classic comfort food even better.

Also, custard sauce is a cinch to make and will keep in your refrigerator for about 2 weeks. If you have some left over after the apple cake is eaten and gone, drizzle it on pretty much any other pie, cake, or brownie. Or, stir in some cream and pour it into an ice cream maker to make vanilla ice cream.

What Kind of Apples are Best for this Cake?

It’s important to use tart, crisp apples in this cake. I used Granny Smith, but any kind of tart apple will do. If the apples are crisp, they’ll retain some of their crunch even after baking. The contrast of textures in Irish Apple Cake is one of the best things about it –  slightly crispy apples, crunchy sugar topping, tender cake and smooth custard sauce.

Be very careful to not overwork the batter.

For a super tender cake, it’s important not to overwork the cake batter. Beating or kneading flour into dough strengthens the gluten – those strands of protein that give bread it’s sturdy structure and chewy texture. That’s not the effect you’re going for here.

In order to create a cake with a super tender crumb, stir the flour gently into the batter by hand. Be sure to mix only long enough to combine the ingredients and moisten all of the flour. Then, to create even more lightness, fold in beaten egg whites right before sprinkling the cake with sugar and popping it into the oven.

This recipe calls for buttermilk even though I believe fresh milk is more traditional.

I like the subtle tang the buttermilk gives to the cake. Buttermilk also reacts with the baking soda to create an even lighter and more tender crumb. However, if you’d rather use fresh milk, your cake will still be delicious.

It can be a bit challenging knowing exactly when this cake is done baking. In my oven, Irish Apple Cake takes approximately 56 minutes. In yours, it might take a few minutes less, or a few minutes more. To test for doneness, poke a toothpick into the cake in a few different place to check for evidence of uncooked batter. Because the cake is super moist, you might have some cake crumbs clinging to the toothpick, which is perfectly fine. But, if you see any batter on the toothpick, keep baking for a while longer.

Bake Irish Apple Cake in a Spring Form pan.

The sides of spring form pans are tall enough to contain the cake without batter spilling out over the sides. A spring form pan also makes removing this cake from the pan super easy.

If you’d rather bake this cake in a regular cake pan, I’m sure it will be fine as long as the sides are at least three inches tall, and you butter and flour the sides and bottom of the pan really well. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before flipping it out to cool completely on a wire rack.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.

Happy baking!

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