Irish Apple Cake Vanilla (Printable Version)
Tender spiced apple cake served with warm vanilla custard, ideal for cozy afternoons or special occasions.
# What You Need:
→ Apple Cake Components
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
07 - ½ cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - ½ cup whole milk
10 - 3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 2 tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar for topping
→ Warm Vanilla Custard
13 - 2 cups whole milk
14 - 3 large egg yolks
15 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
16 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
17 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - Pinch of salt
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Rub cold butter into flour mixture with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
04 - Stir granulated sugar into the butter-flour mixture until evenly distributed.
05 - Whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until well blended.
06 - Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture. Stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
07 - Gently fold sliced apples into batter until evenly distributed throughout.
08 - Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top surface, and sprinkle with demerara sugar.
09 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden brown.
10 - Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool further.
11 - Heat milk in saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, being careful not to boil.
12 - Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
13 - Slowly pour hot milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
14 - Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened enough to coat a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not boil.
15 - Remove custard from heat and serve warm alongside slices of apple cake.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The texture strikes that perfect balance between tender cake and soft, sweet apple chunks that feel like home
- Warm vanilla custard transforms an already lovely cake into something absolutely magical
- This is the kind of dessert that makes people ask for seconds while asking for the recipe
02 -
- Overmixing the batter will make the cake tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
- The custard can go from perfect to scrambled eggs in seconds, so keep the heat low and stir without pause
- Tart apples are essential because sweet apples become mushy and lose their identity in the batter
03 -
- Freeze butter and grate it into the flour mixture for the most tender crumb possible
- Toss apple slices in a teaspoon of flour before folding them in to prevent them from sinking to the bottom
- Room temperature eggs incorporate more easily into the batter, so set them out about 30 minutes before you start