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This year I’m really into traditional Irish recipes when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day. I’m sure my kids think I’m terribly boring for not dying anything green and making rainbow topped cupcakes and what not(Hey, it could still happen). But I’ve been very interested in what foods are truly eaten over in that magical green land and have been making a lot of them lately.
Part of it is just that that part of the world seems to always be calling to me. A piece of my history lies across the sea and the closest I can get to it right now is in the food I make. Holy Cow, you guys. I want to visit the Brittish Isles SO. Stinking. Bad. Someday I’ll get there =)
For more Irish and St. Patrick’s Day related recipes, check out these posts(HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE).
ITEMS USED TO MAKE THIS CAKE:
One of the best Irish desserts I have come across as of yet is this apple cake. It is so very tender and soft and is jam packed with apples. The apples hold their shape very well when baked and still almost have a little crisp to them. There is just the teeniest tiniest bit of spice and the top is crusted crunchy sugar.
The cake is excellent all on it’s own, but what really turns it into a decadent dessert is the custard sauce. Poured warm over the top of a slice of apple cake, its creamy sweetness is the perfect addition to the thick fruit filled cake. I am also very concerned that you are aware that the lovely thumb and fingers pouring the custard over the cake a few pictures above belong to my husband. Lest you be caught up in the impression that I have man-hands.
This cake is very dense and heavy, almost bread like. Take extra care to make sure the middle is cooked all the way through, the top can be very firm when you pull it out of the oven, giving it the impression that it’s all the way cooked. Stick a toothpick or knife into the middle to make sure that no batter clings to it.
The less the batter is mixed the more tender the cake will be. Toss in the apples only until they are distributed and avoid excess mixing to get the best end result.
Check out these other fabulous cake recipes:
Strawberries & Cream Cake (Made from scratch!)
Mini Double Chocolate Berry Cakes
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 3 C. Flour
- 2 t. Baking Powder
- ⅛ t. Salt
- ¼ t. Cloves, ground
- ¼ t. Nutmeg, ground
- 6 oz. Butter, (cold is fine)
- ¾ C. Sugar
- 4 large Granny Smith apples(I used golden delicious to great effect)
- 2 Eggs
- ¾ C. Milk
- 2 T. Sugar(for sprinkling on top of cake)
- FOR THE CUSTARD:
- 6 large Egg Yolks
- 6 T. Sugar
- 1½ C. Whole Milk
- 1½ t. Vanilla
- FOR THE CAKE:
- Grease and flour an 8" or 9" round springform pan. Using an 8" pan will give you a taller cake.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Make sure the bowl is very large to allow room for the apples to be folded in.
- Cut the butter into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Add the ¾ C. sugar to the flour mixture and mix in.
- Peel the apples and slice them into uniform pieces. This cake works best and gets that 'chunky apple look' if the slices are about ¼" wide and then cut into 3 pieces.
- Toss the apples into the flour mixture and combine them thoroughly.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Add to the apples and flour and mix in with a large spatula until just combined. Batter will be thick and dough-like.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared cake pan and flatten the top surface using the back of your spatula.
- Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test the center for doneness. The top of the cake should be golden brown. Serve slices with custard sauce.
- FOR THE CUSTARD SAUCE:
- *note that this sauce is not a thick, pudding like sauce. It should have a pour-able, just thickened consistency when done.
- Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale yellow, 2-3 minutes. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and stir over medium heat until custard thickens, about 4 minutes. Custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Mix in the vanilla. Transfer to bowl or serving saucer.
- Serve warm or cold over apple cake.
Apple Cake recipe adapted from Irish American Mom
WOW…looks Amazing 🙂
Thank you Lisa!
Lisa, do you think this could be made in a Bundt pan, as far as getting it out of the pan? I might try it in a 13 x 9 dish. Easy enough to cut a square out and drizzle on the sauce. YUM!
I made it in a bundt pan and I don’t recommend it. Also Granny Smith are way too tart for this cake since the recipe doesn’t call for adding sugar to the apples
Can you elaborate on why not a Bundt pan? What went wrong?
I’m thinking maybe angel food pan.
Thanks.
Lovely recipe! I have been more into the more traditional side of Irish cooking this year too. It seems a little hard to find more than just a few floating around the internet. Your photographs are beautiful, as always. : )
Thank you Crystal! It does seem like there aren’t a lot of real Irish recipes to be easily found, doesn’t it? I didn’t even know that corned beef and cabbage wasn’t a traditional Irish meal until recently!
I’ve just subscribed to your lovely blog and this was the first recipe email I received from you. Based on this gorgeous recipe, I must say I look forward to receiving many more in the future! YUM and YAY! And more power to you!
And a side note….that’s gonna sound really weird, but I gotta say it….every other blog post I get in my email requires me to press a link to continue reading the rest of the post. Your’s does not. I didn’t notice it until I got to the end and its actually nice to be able to read straight through without clicking anything. I know it’s an odd thing to notice, but don’t ever change! Ok, that’s it. Bake on!
Thank you so much for your nice comments, Beverly! I really appreciate them =) I am glad you like the subscription email format and I’m glad it makes for smooth reading, I will certainly make note of that through the future of this blog 😉
I totally agree with Beverly. I like getting there in a hurry. Thank you.
(It’s a beautiful presentation once you get there too.)
Doris
I can’t even begin to tell you how perfect this apple cake looks. And that custard…that custard. It’s getting pinned quite a bit on my bakery board. Thanks for the great recipe, looking forward to trying it!
Thank you so much Lisa! I hope you get to try it, the custard really does make it! 🙂
Hi
This looks lovely and I really want to make it but what measure is T? teaspoon, tablespoon?
Thanks
Em x
Thank you Emma! T stands for tablespoon. I hope you get to try it soon! 🙂
Since both are in the recipe, just to be clear, “T” is for tablespoon and the ingredients measuring with “t.” are teaspoon measurements.
Jenny, You got it! =)
Lovely apple cake!
Thank you Timea!
Made this today and the cake is superb. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing how it turned out! =)
Oh my goodness! I just took this out of the oven a 1/2 hour ago and it made our home smell heavenly! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe.
Kristen, you are welcome! Now I want to make another apple cake just so my home will smell good too =)
This cake brings good memorys of my grand mom peters,she always made aa lotof aapple cake and would frez them every time we would she her, she would send you home, with her home made apple cake love this new magazine love the food, pictures and the learning with this
I love that story of your grandmother. I someday want to be that mom or grandma that makes yummy home made things to send home. I’m only 32, but with 4 kiddos so far, I’m hoping for a bunch of grandkids to spoil someday.
I have been to Ireland many times (my grandmother lives there) and one of the best things is roaming the grocery store there. ALL the food is better than here! And you can get REALLY good custard sauce right next to the yoghurt. No icky ingredients at all. Now, I’m all for home made, but in a pinch, it’s good stuff. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I love that Rosie! And am envious that you’ve been to Ireland! I can’t wait to go there someday!
oh my! that looks gorgeous! i love the sauce.
Thank you Dina! The sauce is the best part =) well….and the cake.
I only have a 10 inch spring form pan, do you have any tips on how to modify this awesome recipe to fit that size? Thanks!!
Hi Melissa!
You could still bake it in the 10″pan but it would be a bit flat. If you want more height you could make 1 1/4-1 1/3 recipe and adjust the cooking time.
To compensate for a large pan, I would try placing a coffee mug in the center and pour the cake batter around and then bake.
Plain or self raising flour
All purpose flour works great =)
Hi Kayley- Will this cake be a disaster without a springform? I’ve just got regular 9″ round cake pans.
Amy, you don’t necessarily need a springform pan, but a round pan with high sides would be ideal. I used an 8″ round pan for the pictured cake, but the sides were 4″ tall. If your round pans are not that tall you will have to put less batter in them and reduce the cooking time a little. =)
I saw this around 9 am and made it 4 hours later… It is soooooo good!
I made just 1/2 a recipe -had only 2 apples on the fridge 😉
I’m so glad you liked it, Elsa! It has become one of my favorites and now I’m itching to make another =)
I have a question.
The ingredients mention 3/4 C. Sugar, then more for the top…
Now, I don’t see in the instructions where should I add those 3/4 cups of sugar…
And I realized this AFTER making the cake!!!
Thank so much for pointing that out! I have fixed it in the recipe, so sorry about that! =)
Great!!!
I am making another one tonight (whole recipe this time)
haha, I’m glad you’ll have all the ingredients this time! So sorry about that! 😉
The cake was fabulous! I will be making this again.
Thank you Lys, I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi,
Your cake looks delicious and the custard sauce is the perfect topping. I am wondering if instead of apples I could use peaches. Do you think it is possible?
Thank you Laura! I’m sure using peaches would be just fine, though you might want to pat the peach slices dry before you add them to the batter so they don’t add too much moisture to the cake =)
OMG I’m so making this today. Yum!
Awesome, I hope you like it! =)
We always do traditional Irish food for St. Patty’s Day, and this cake may just have to be for dessert!
You won’t regret it! It’s sooo good =) I’m definitely making it a St. Patty’s tradition =)
When do you add the vanilla to the custard? I ended up adding it to the milk, but I was just guessing.
Right after the custard has thickened. Thank for catching that =)
I’m dying to try this over the weekend sounds delicious!!
Thank you! I hope you get to make it =)
Just made it and it is very delicious…I ended up having to add more liquid and maybe I’m blind but when do I add the vanilla to the custard ? I did it after and it still turned out so hoping I did it right
I’m glad you liked it, Ginger =) The vanilla is added after the custard is cooked. The cake batter is meant to be very thick, much thicker than a normal cake batter would be.
I made it! It was sooooo, good. Especially the custard. Thank you! I loved it;)
Awesome, I’m so glad you liked it! =)
Hi
I was hoping you could clarify I thing. Above you say T=tableapoon. Does this mean that t=teaspoon?
Thanks! :). I am going to make this for our St. Patrick’s Day potluck at work.
Amanda 🙂
Hi Amanda!
You are absolutely right! T= tablespoon and t.= teaspoon =) Happy baking!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made this yesterday for our weekly get-together with friends. I used a bundt pan, as I didn’t have tall enough cake pans; well greased and sugared before adding the cake batter worked great.
The custard was HEAVENLY! I had never made custard anything before, so was a little nervous but it turned out perfect. I literally could have drank it all by myself and not cared that I didn’t share. I did…and everyone loved it. The simple cake with the rich custard is a perfect combination!
You are welcome! I’m glad it turned out so well =) That custard sauce really takes it up a notch, doesn’t it? Thanks for commenting about the bundt pan, that sounds like a great solution for those who don’t have tall pans!
Looks wonderful! Do I have to sift the dry ingredients? I dont have a sifter and want to make this for a dinner party tonight.
Thanks Maureen! A sifter is not absolutely necessary, just mix those dry ingredients together well =)
Making this tomorrow for a family dinner. Can’t wait! Looks divine!
Thanks Emily! I hope it turns out great! =)
Could I use a Bundt pan instead and how would that effect the cooking time?
A bundt pan will work just fine, cooking time should still be close to the same…maybe check it a little earlier for doneness =)
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! A huge hit at a dinner party. However, I could not get the custard to thicken. After it was all back in the saucepan it just curdled. My husband made a second batch and the same thing happened. We ended up sticking it in a blender and it was okay but not sure where we went wrong. It’s much thicker today! HOwever, even despite that snafu, we inhaled it. delicious!
I’m so glad it went over well, Maureen! The custard sauce is not a super thick sauce, quite thin, actually. If it reaches a boil it can easily curdle, so it’s a little touchy. I’m seeing that a thicker sauce is the preference, so I will look at thickening the sauce when I make it again tonight. Thanks for the feedback! =)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🙂
The custard curdled when I made it too. It tasted wonderful though! If you make a thicker custard, will you email us?
Oh Oh how much is 6oz butter? Soften? Can I use margarine~I am prepared to make it now~ Thanks
6 oz. of butter is 1 1/2 sticks of butter, or 12 tablespoons. It can be cold, since you will be cutting it into the dough. You could use margarine…butter will produce the best results, but you could certainly use margarine in it’s place. Happy baking! =)
I have been making a variety of apple cakes but this picture tops all of them.
I’m exited to make it, and compliments for your blog.
Thank you so much! I hope you gat a chance to make the cake 🙂
Made this today for dessert. It came out perfect. Planning on making this a yearly St. Patrick’s Day tradition. Thank you!
So glad you liked it. Tania!
Made this tonight and it came out perfect! Excellent follow up to my corn beef and cabbage. Delicious! Thanks for sharing! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
I’m so glad it turned out well, Danielle! Thank you for sharing your results, I love hearing how things turn out! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you too!
I love that the cake itself isn’t overly sweet, and the recipe was super easy to follow! I will definitely be making this again 🙂
I’m glad you liked it, Samantha! That’s one of my favorite things about the cake too! The custard sauce brings the sweetness up to just the right level 😉
Oh, my. This is such a yummy recipe!! I modified it to be gluten-free for our family, but kept the custard sauce as-is. We loved it!!
Thank you Gina! I’m glad you liked it and that it worked well with the gluten-free changes!
Bahaha I didn’t even notice the “manly” fingers until you mentioned them! Kayley, this cake looks incredible!!!! I’ve been dying to make Smitten Kitchen’s apple cake (have you ever tried it?) for the longest time, but this might have to go first. Bread-like apple cake with custard sauce sounds like my ultimate weakness!!
Well, I guess it’s good that you didn’t wonder about the fingers. I won’t tell my husband, though. He was pretty proud of his role of ‘temporary hand model’ and will be crushed if he finds out that they don’t stand out as much as he was hoping. Haha. I kid.
I guess I need to go check out Smitten Kitchen’s apple cake!
The cake was absolutely delicious!! Although I did have some trouble with the custard sauce, it curdled and wasn’t sure if I could still use it so I tossed it. It smelled good but didn’t look very appetizing lol. I will try it again next time and take it off the heat a little sooner. But even without it, the cake was wonderful! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
I’m glad you liked the cake, Rashida! That custard sauce can be touchy, I’m sorry it curdled =( It is still fine to eat if that happens, though. Thanks for letting me know how you liked it! =)
This looks yum diddly umptious! Popping this on my Pinterest page 🙂
Haha, Thanks Milly!
I love it.it is spectacular. Thanks
I’m glad you liked it, Rosa!
Wow this reipe is literally amazing! And it looks so beautiful ! I definately going to give it a try 😉
Best wishes Chrissi
from http://chrissitallys.blogspot.de/
Thank you Christin! I hope you do give it a try =)
This recipe was beautiful and fun to follow, thank you!
The only issue I had (and I see that I am not the only one) is that I couldn’t get the custard to thicken and it curdled. So I would greatly appreciate some ideas on how to thicken it without the unfortunate effect.
Thanks!
Lisa
Hi Lisa!
I’m glad you liked the cake! When I make the custard it turns out thick, so it could have to do with the freshness of your eggs? I would make sure to get really fresh eggs, and if it still isn’t thickening as much as you would like try reducing the milk by 1/2 cup or so =)
I subscribed to your website but still cannot get the full recipe for this amazing Irish Apple Cake with Custard cream sauce. HELP…I must have a piece of this beauty 🙂 Thank you!!!
Hi Patti! Try checking one more time, the recipes were down for about an hour this morning, but should be working now! =) So sorry about that!
So excited to make this cake! Any suggestions for adjusting it if I live at a high altitude?
Hi Katie! Here is an article that might help you out! =)
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/article-3-03.html
I would like to make this a day in advance – will this be okay?
Hi Laura! Because it has fresh apples inside, they may start to make the cake a bit soggy if it sits too long. I’m not too sure how great it will be the next day, but if you try, let me know how it works out! Keeping it refrigerated may help a bit.
Hi Kayley
So glad I found your website. This cake is delicious! Can’t wait to make your poppy seed dressing for a bridal shower this coming week. I love the design on your fork that is displayed with the Irish apple cake. Please let me know where i can purchase. Thanks!
Thank you Shirley! I’m so glad you liked the cake and hope you like the dressing…its my favorite! The fork in the picture is actually part of an antique set that was purchased at an estate sale, so its one of a kind. They are my parents forks, so I wish they were available to purchase somewhere. I will miss using them when we leave!
Try sending a picture of the silverware to http://www.replacements.com/ . They have all kinds of rare and discontinued tableware, and might very well be able to identify your pattern and offer pieces for you to buy.
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it! Where did you buy your serving pitcher? It is beautiful!
Thank you Natalie! I got the pitcher awhile ago at T.J.Maxx. It’s one of my favorites!
YES! I just made this wonderful cake for my lil girls . Let me tell you, this is the most delicious cake I ever made! It came out and taste just as I imagined it would. You cant go wrong with this one ladies. My picky daughter had like 3 big slices of this already. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it, Harriette! My kids are big fans too, which is great since the cake is half fruit, haha!
Help! Ive tried to make this twice now and I just cant get the center to come out cooked!? 9inch cake pan, followed directions, gas oven for now, for 80 minutes, and still raw only on the middle…im baffled….
Hi Sabrina!
I’m sorry the cake middle is giving you trouble! The most likely culprit for cakes not cooking all the way through is oven temperature. Your’s may possibly run a bit hot? Try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and cooking longer than the recipe states. If worse comes to worse, you could try baking it in a bundt pan…no middle to worry about there! =)
Thank you! The third time (‘s the charm?) I think I did lower the temp and cook longer, it came out PERFECT!!! But im absolutely going to try the bundt pan…and muffins 😉
Thanks again, for both the recipe and response 🙂
You’re welcome, Sabrina! I’m so glad it finally worked out! =)
Your photographs are stunning! I am literally going to try this recipe right now. Screw the January diet!
Im born and bred Irish (still here (un)fortunately!) and I do agree – there aren’t that many traditional Irish recipies. Corned beef and cabbage isn’t traditional but boiled salted ham with parsley sauce, mash and boiled curly kale is. From a fellow foodie – if you want some traditional recipe advice feel free to hit me up.
My fave Paddys Day cake recipe (not traditional but there are no set traditional Paddys day recipies but still fun and delicious!):
https://m.facebook.com/notes/eilises-best-recipies/chocolate-guinness-cake/315288108532992/
I have a dark 8″ springform, so I lowered the temperature by 25 degrees but I still had the same problem. It was still raw in the middle after 12 extra minutes so I increased the temperature to 375. After another five minutes it was finally done. With your 375 degrees, are you using a dark pan or a regular pan?
Hi Elizabeth!
My springforms are light, but how long it takes to cook can so often just depend on individual ovens. For some, the cook time is right on, and for some, it has to be extended =)
This sounds and looks so delicious! I look forward to baking this wonderful cake! I have added it to my recipe files. I would like to share this on Celebrate and Decorate next week. Visitors will have to click a link to come over to your blog. I hope that helps some folks discover your wonderful blog and recipes!
Thank you Chloe! It is one of my all time favorites! Thank you for sharing, I so appreciate it! =)
I have just now found this recipe, and it looks wonderful! And with apple season just beginning, I think the timing is perfect. One question though…do you cool the cake in the pan, and for how long before removing the sides? Thank you.
Thank you Darla! I usually let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then loosen the edges with a knife and remove the sides =)
What lovely pictures! You must be a professional. Adding this recipe to my to-bake list. Thanks for sharing the recipe and for your lovely photos!
Thank you so much for the compliment, Michelle!
This looks so delicious, going to try it soon
Thank you Chichi! I hope you do! =)
The custard I made curdled also. Perhaps it would be good to mention in the recipe instructions that it will not get very thick at all and to keep the heat quite low also. I was expecting it to get much thicker so waited and then it split. A real waste of 6 yolks 🙁 Cake is delicious though. X
Glad you liked the cake, Judith. The custard sauce is not intended to be a thick sauce, as you’ll notice in the pictures. It’s very pour-able. Custard is a tricky sauce to make and is very sensitive. The recipe states that it must be taken off the heat as soon as it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Cooking any longer will result in curdled sauce. =( I will edit the recipe to state the custard is not intended to be thick. Thanks for your feedback!
Thanks so much. The cake, by the way, was delicious! And I’m irish (from Belfast, Northern Ireland) so I can vouch for its authenticity 🙂
I made this cake tonight and oh my – it is so good! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I think I might try it with pears next time… which also sounds delicious. 🙂
Your apple cake looks wonderful. Do you have the nutritional info on it? Thanks!
Thanks Susie! I don’t run the nutritional information on my recipes, but here is a good website where you can enter the data in yourself: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
could this cake be made using a bundt pan??
Yes! I know several people have used a bundt pan with this recipe and it’s turned out great =)
The cake looked beautiful but it needed more salt. The1/8 teaspoon didn’t give it enough flavor.
I love everything custard. I just made a clients birthday cake with a custard buttercream. I love using fresh eggs from our chickens. http://www.bygracecakes.com
That is one absolutely gorgeous cake. Perfect!
http://www.ciastko-joli.blogspot.com
To the MaCabes, Thank You for sharing ALL your wonderful recipes. God Bless
Thank you Colleen!
Made this cake today to serve tomorrow. It looks lovely. The only problem was the custard. Went beautifully until I turned around to get a serving piece and it curdled. I cooked it in a Le Creuset pot, and I am afraid it held the heat too long. Do you think that that’s what happened? I am hoping a whizz in the blender will cure the problem.
Thanks
Hi Michelle! The custard is definitely the tricky part. If it is heated too long it will curdle, so you are on the right track =) Hopefully the blender will help! =)
Just to let you know, the blender did the trick beautifully. Thanks for the prompt reply!
Well, sad to say, I made this cake for a dinner party last night, followed the directions to a tee and it looked lovely. Unfortuneately, it was dry as a bone. Just re-checked the recipe. Did I omit something? Not a thing. It was just plain dry and tasteless. Maybe my Granny Smith’s weren’t good, but they were fresh. I even added vanilla and cinnamon to the batter. Sorry!
I used a bundt pan – and lowered the temp 25 degrees (350) and added 10 minutes cooking time— and it came out PERFECTLY! I used PAM Baking Spray (the one with a little flour added in!) and sugared the pan before pouring the batter in. Now.. the CUSTARD sauce … I’m still learning how to make a custard without turning it into scrambled eggs! 1 dozen eggs later I settled for a few teaspoons of it over my husband’s portion.. I’ll try again next time!
I have a question. I have two smaller cake pans. Im wondering if I could split this and layer with with a cream cheese icing in the middle. Serve it with the custard anyways?
Hi Anona! You could definitely split the batter between two cake pans…it may not turn out quite as dense but should still be fine. Just remember to cook it for a shorter amount of time =)
Made this for St. Patrick’s. What a hit! My boyfriend has already requested it for his birthday next year! I loved that it wasn’t super sugary: It made me think of sweet soda bread, but surprisingly spongy and moist. I made it in an 8inch cake pan and it came out just fine. It’s actually pretty easy to make, too. Definitely adding to the list of regular desserts!
…added a couple teaspoons of whiskey to the custard sauce along with the vanilla. 😉
Your photographs are stunning! I am literally going to try this recipe right now. Screw the January diet!
Im born and bred Irish (still here (un)fortunately!) and I do agree – there aren’t that many traditional Irish recipies. Corned beef and cabbage isn’t traditional but boiled salted ham with parsley sauce, mash and boiled curly kale is. From a fellow foodie – if you want some traditional recipe advice feel free to hit me up.
My fave Paddys Day cake recipe (not traditional but there are no set traditional Paddys day recipies but still fun and delicious!):
https://m.facebook.com/notes/eilises-best-recipies/chocolate-guinness-cake/315288108532992/
Do you need to line the springform pan with parchment paper? If not, do you just grease the pan or grease and flour? I’m going to guinea pig myself and make this for my birthday. Do I need to adjust flour or liquid for higher elevation? I live in Iowa
Excellent recipe!
I made this for Easter and it was a nice change from sugary cakes. My husband pointed out that it had a bread pudding consistency. I didn’t have enough whole milk to make the sauce but we paired it with vanilla ice cream and it was very good. I made it the night before and it kept very well in a cake carrier. Easy to make. I might add some cinnamon if it make it again.
This cake sounds amazing. I’d like to know though….the recipe calls for milk and whole milk. What’s the difference? Can while milk be used for both? What did you do?
Love the cake!! Question: I tried the custard twice and up until
The very end, it is great but it curdled both times. Taste amazing but it wasn’t smooth. I made sure the second time
Around I added the milk slowly. I think I may have cooked it too long?
Glad you liked it Beka! It sounds like you definitely cooked it too long. You want to cook it only until it just thickens and take it off the heat immediately =)
We had some leftover apples and decided to make this cake. Kayley, it’s amazing! We are putting our second one in the oven to give to my mom for her birthday!
So glad you liked it, Jesseca! =)
What a lovely cake. Decided to get baking at midnight and now 2am and am enjoying a delicious serving! Well done, thank you for sharing.
Cake turned out looking just like the picture and was delicious. I had three different types of apples and was worried about different cooking times, but they all turned out perfectly. I increased cooking time by about 15 minutes. I know it sounds silly, but this apple cake is so “apple-y” smelling and tasting, it really stands out.
This is a wonderful recipe. I have been looking at it on my Pinterest board for months now, and I finally want to make it for my office bake sale.
I just have one question. I plan to make it on Sunday and then bring it to work on a Monday. Is the cake good on a second day too? Also, do you store it in an airtight ocntainer outside or just in the fridge?
Thank you,
Ana
Hi Ana,
If possible, I would make the cake as late as possible on Sunday(the closer to when you’ll eat it its made, the less time the apples will have to make the cake soggy). Store it in an airtight container in the fridge =)
Hope you like it!
hi! I was just wondering if you have ever used raw sugar for sprinkling on top or do you use white sugar? my father in laws 65th birthday is on sunday and he asked for me to make the best apple pie i could find. looking at your photo i believe its yours!!!!
second question… do the clove and nutmeg have a strong presence? he was hope for a more vanilla flavoured dough. little hints of flavour is ok i guess but when i asked if he wanted the dough to taste like cinnamon, he said no, plain like vanilla.
thanks!!!
i meant apple cake, not pie!
This cake is divine. I subbed Gluten free flour (equal parts rice flour, tapioca flour, and cornstarch) and it came out perfectly. So delicious! I will admit my custard came out a bit clumpy at first (but tasting amazing!) so we just ran our immersion blender through it and it came out beautifully! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Do you use the same flour proportion using gluten free flour ?
Yes, I believe you can keep the proportions the same. 🙂
The custard needs no cornstarch? I am going to print this. It looks divine. Thanks!!
I didn’t use any cornstarch. Used whole milk. Constant stirring and no turning my back on a custard that’s cooking, it will thicken. 🙂
My goodness, that was so good! Wonderful recipe; everything turned out wonderfully.
I will definitely make this again!
I can’t wait to try this! My great grandmother used to make an apple cake with what she called “sour gravy”. Yummy.
Looks wonderful. Im making it for St. Patrick’s dinner with one shortcut…very soft Hagen Dazs vanilla ice cream for sauce.
Thanks Terry! Hope you like it. Vanilla ice cream sounds perfect!
Made this for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration dinner and it was perfection! I pretty much followed the recipe with very minor modifications:
1. Baked it at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes.
2. Used turbinado sugar for sprinkling on top of cake for a nice golden sugar crust effect.
3. I like a thicker custard so I cooked the custard with constant stirring on medium heat for longer than 4 minutes.
For the custard sauce, should the eggs be at room temp. Or straight from the fridge?
Either or. The custard will cook faster with room temp eggs but it is not necessary.
Made this tonight and it was incredible. Like another commenter said, the order of the instructions seemed off, so I adjusted and went in the order I would use for any other cake. I sifted dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs to butter/sugar mixture and beat until combined. Then add milk until combined. add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined. Fold in apples.
The cake was a bit dense and dry for my personal preference. It wouldn’t stand alone without the custard sauce. So I’ll be tweaking the recipe and maybe trying to add a little more fat to the recipe. There’s nothing wrong with a dense cake, it’s just not my preference.
The custard sauce is Incredible. Overall I give this recipe a 9. Thank you SO much for sharing this authentic recipe – it’s terribly difficult to find traditional Irish desserts. This one is easy to make and very rewarding!!
I don’t know what I did wrong but I made the custard sauce twice because the first time it got all grainy. It appeared the hot milk cooked the eggs. I threw it out and tried it a second time, this time not adding the milk while it was hot but cold and it was grainy again. What am I doing wrong?
I’m sorry the custard is giving you trouble! It sounds like the issue is that you’re cooking it too long and the eggs are curdling. Try taking the pan off the heat when the sauce thickens slightly but hasn’t reached a boil. 🙂
I made this for our St. Patrick’s day dessert and it was wonderful! Everyone loved it! I had to bake it a bit longer, but that could just be my oven. Definitely making this again. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Well, I’ve learned a lot whilst baking this cake… I learned that the batter is pretty heavy, and if you don’t have a tight fitting springform pan, it falls through the bottom of the pan. Luckily, the batter is also really thick, so although I lost a bit to the oven bottom, it was still 90% salvageable. I also learned that if you leave batter at the bottom of the oven, black smoke billows out of the oven, and if you have a monitored alarm system, you need to open windows quickly before the fire department folks show up. When all was said and done, the cake and sauce still came out awesome, and my family loved it!
This looks very good! I am doing a project for a creative foods class I am taking currently in high school. This project we have to do a tri-fold with information on a country that you had to choose. I chose Ireland and for extra credit we can make a dish that has to come from the country. So is this dish actually traditional in Ireland? Also for the apples which would you recommend: granny smith or golden delicious?
Sorry for repeating the message.
Thank you Kennedy! Yes, this is an actual Irish Cake! Both apples work, but use granny smith for a more tart cake, and golden delicious for a sweeter one. Good luck with your project!
For a high school project I am doing, I had to choose a country to talk about plus make a food that is from the country. I chose Ireland of course and I want to make this Irish Apple Cake because it looks soooo good! I was wondering if this is actually a dish from Ireland or if it isn’t. Also what apples are best in it: Granny Smith or Golden Delicious?
I’m doing the exact same thing!! Ireland rocks.
Hallo Kayley,
ich habe diesen Kuchen heute gebacken und bin begeistert.
Da ich nicht sehr vertraut bin mit den Massangaben in cups (ich bin aus Deutschland), war es doch eine Herausforderung und ich hatte Angst, daß die Teigmenge nicht in eine 8″ Kuchenform passt. Aber: Ende gut – alles gut!
Vielen, vielen Dank für das Rezept. Ich werde den Kuchen ganz sicher nun oefter backen
Liebe Gruesse
Ulrike
lovely recipe…am gonna try it. thanks from the emerald isle! {and were not part of the british isles!}
My mom made a Irish Apple Cake but it was nothing like yours, which looks delish and I want to try it. I actually found the recipe my mom used on a Irish culture site. I don’t know where she got the recipe but she had been making it since the 1950’s. I would be happy to share with you.
This recipe popped up on Facebook recently. It’s on my menu for Thanksgiving week. My Dad is going to love this cake! Thanks for the recipe!!!
You caught me on the 6 ounces of butter, and I’ve been baking longer than you’ve been alive! Anyhow, for those of us working from a not-so-easy to read laptop, maybe you could put the Tablespoon equivalent in parenthesis? It’s in the oven as we speak and the custard sauce is ready to pour, by the way! Thanks from the grandkidlets and Gramma herself!
And, by the way, the cake (and custard sauce) turned out beautifully even with the reduced amount of butter (yes, we used 6 Tablespoons instead of 6 oz, which would be 12 T). Next time we make it, which will probably be tomorrow, we’ll try it with the proper amount of butter and see if it’s even better! It was a hit with everyone, so thanks again.
Girl! Forget St. Patrick’s Day! I’m making this for dessert for Thanksgiving this year! Thanks for the great idea. Cheers! C.
I made this, it turned out great. I made it gluten-free though. The sause I kept breaking it so I just used the one that was less of cooked custard.
I made this for my family last night and it was amazing. The sauce turned out perfect. I had to use a bundt pan because I don’t have a tall cake pan, but it worked perfectly. 🙂 Thank you for this!
I am not impressed with this cake ( if you can call it a cake) made today smelt nice but tasted awful
Very stodgy
جميل جداً
There is a lot of Irish in my family and I’ve made this twice now and it’s turned out great both times. I love that the cake itself is not too sweet but then there’s the nice sugary crust and sweet custard sauce to give you just a bit of extra sugary goodness. I’ll likely make it again around St. Patrick’s day. It’ll be nice to have something more traditional that’s not neon green. 😉 Thanks for the great recipe!
Can the cake be frozen?
Possibly. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how it would be, texture-wise, after thawing.
Just made this. I changed one thing. I added 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the cake. Absolutely scrumptious! Definitely need to make this more often!
How do you think the dough will hold up if made the night before? I saw you weren’t sure how the cake would do for a night/day in the fridge.
Just made this cake and it is absolutely delicious! Turned out fantastic for my third time baking at high altitude. No adjustments needed other than the oven temperature as we have a convection oven.
Thank you 🙂
I was pleasantly surprised at how moist and delicious this cake was! A big hit, came out perfectly.
My custard also curdled, which I don’t understand, but it was still very yummy. I’ll probably make this again!
Make your custard in a double boiler. The custard itself never boils, just the water in the bottom pot. It takes a while, but your custard will be perfect.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to make it! How long do you think the cake will hold up? I plan to make the custard fresh, but would it be OK to make the cake 1-2 days in advance? I can imagine 1 day would be fine, but would 2 be pushing it?
Hi Michelle!
I think you could do at least a day…my concern is that since the cake has apples in it, it will eventually get soggy. One thing you can do to lessen the soggyness is chop your apples small so that more liquid will be released/soaked up during baking.
Thanks! My work messed me up so I’m actually making it last min for tonight’s dinner lol! I’m excited to see how it turns out 🙂
This looks delicious, and I was looking for a traditional dessert to make with dinner over the weekend! But I don’t have a springform pan or a Bundt pan, but I noticed that you suggested to someone else that they split it into two more shallow pans and reduce the baking time – my pans are more like 2 inches deep. What would you suggest for baking time?
If you have a deep round pan, you could cook it in that, just make sure to line the bottom with parchment paper. Or you could still bake it in 2 pans, I would reduce the baking time by 10 to 15 minutes. Since it really depends on your oven, though, I would just Give it a check after about 30 minutes. Hope you like it! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Was looking for an Irish dessert for tonight. Have to have something to bribe the kids on the corn beef and cabbage! Can’t wait to give this a try!
I guess I should have asked. I baked this cake yesterday evening for a gathering yonight. I’ve always been told that cakes with fresh fruit should be refrigerated. Well, it sunk and looks soggy. Would it have been okay on the counter for a day?
Hi Andrea, if it sunk, it was undercooked. But refrigerating it would have been a good idea since it has apples in it =)
I had my doubts as I was scraping the thick batter into the pan but this turned out great. I halved the recipe for the custard and added a solid shot of Salted Caramel-flavored Bailey’s….great match. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper.
I made mine in a bundt pan, with gluten free flour (I have a friend that is allergic) and it turned out kind of dense. Is it supposed to be dense? Or just because I used a different flour?
The gluten free flour may have contributed to a more dense cake, but yes, it is dense anyway.
Im a having a post-celebration dinner tomorrow for St. Patricks Day…a full blown Irish feast and just made this…my house smells wonderful!! I was wondering if anyone has weighed this cake…it makes a pound cake look wimpy!
Gorgeous and impressive looking! I baked it late last night for a dinner today but now my friend is stuck out of town until tomorrow;-( I left it cooling on a rack draped w/ cotton dish towel. I know I can refrigerate this Beto keep for tomorrow night but how/ what do I wrap it with to keep fresh in fridge? Foil? Seran wrap? I’m so afraid it won’t taste as good as it looks now!
Glad you liked! I just would wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate =)
I followed the recipe but my flour didnt get doughy 🙁 I baked it hoping for the best to no avail… ot came out like bajed flour N my apples ddnt cook 🙁 i dnt knw how two eggs and a little water was sullosed to turn it to doug… how could i have salvaged this??
I married a man of Irish descent, and it pleases him every time I come up with an Irish recipe. I can see this will be a favorite. It doesn’t seem overly sweet, but just enough to please my palate. The sugared crust is a favorite of mine. The custard sauce is something my grandmother used to make that you don’t see much anymore. Thank you for posting this gem of a dessert!
You’re welcome, Coreen!! Hope you like it =)
Anyone have any ideas how to make the custard vegan?
Anyone have any ideas how to make the custard vegan?
Just ran across this on Pinterest. I am 43% Irish so it stood out for me. Can’t wait to make it. I am going to try it soon as a trial and then will make this for Easter at our family get together. Thanks much.
Just ran across this on Pinterest. I am 43% Irish so it stood out for me. Can’t wait to make it. I am going to try it soon as a trial and then will make this for Easter at our family get together. Thanks much.
Omg I literally just got done making and trying this cake and my whole family is freaking out about it! Amaaaaaaaze balls!!!!!
Just made this lovely cake! It is actually in the oven. The smell of the cloves…wow! We are having our annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration tomorrow with friends and I cannot wait to try it! I am going to refrigerate the custard overnight and we will serve it in a creamer tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
I just made this and it looks really good, but it’s not as high as yours. The custard came out perfect. I’ll find out once dessert is served if it’s right lol
So I think I did something wrong…. my custard came out curdy….. what do you think I did wrong?
Not sweet enough . I may add some apple sauce next time. The custard was great as sauce
Looks and sounds delicious! what size pan did you use?
I have either cortland or honey crisp apples sliced in the freezer and skim milk. Can I make this without going to the grocery?
I plan on taking this to a friend’s house for dinner. If I makes the custard ahead of time, will it keep? Ideas?
I just made mine (in a bundt pan!) … OMG it’s a MUST for St. Patty’s Day! What a wonderful dessert!