Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce (Printer-friendly)

Tender spiced apple cake served warm with creamy homemade custard sauce. A classic Irish dessert perfect for any occasion.

# 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 the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fingertips until mixture 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 surface.
07 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
08 - While cake bakes, heat 2 cups milk in a saucepan until just steaming, without boiling.
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 Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between the warm, spiced cake and cool, silky custard creates a texture experience that store-bought desserts simply cannot match.
  • Unlike fussy pastries that demand precision, this forgiving cake actually improves when made with slightly imperfect measurements and rustic apple chunks.
02 -
  • The batter will seem unusually thick and almost dry compared to most cake batters - this is exactly right and creates the signature texture.
  • Never rush the custard by turning up the heat, as youll end up with sweet scrambled eggs instead of silky sauce.
03 -
  • Line the cake pan with parchment paper that extends above the edges to create handles for easy removal - no more broken cakes or damaged edges.
  • For the silkiest custard, strain the finished sauce through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any tiny bits of cooked egg that might have formed during heating.