Irish Apple Cake

This is an authentic old fashioned Irish apple cake, the kind that would be made throughout the apple harvest season all over Ireland, where every farmhouse has its own prized version of the recipe.  It’s delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!

An authentic Irish Farmhouse Apple Cake ~ delicious with or without the traditional custard sauce!

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/2 cup or 113 grams unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup or 100 grams sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp or 45 ml milk or cream
• 1 1/4 cups or 150 grams all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• about 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced. Mine weighed a little over a pound after slicing.
• confectioner's sugar for dusting

Streusel topping

• 3/4 cup or 96 grams flour
• 1/4 cup or 25 grams old fashioned rolled oats
• 6 Tbsp or 85 grams unsalted cold butter cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup or 100 grams sugar

Custard sauce

• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp or 76 grams sugar
• 1 1/2 cups or 375 ml whole milk ~ you can also use half and half or cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Irish Apple Cake

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 350F
2. Make the custard sauce ahead of time. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile whisk the yolks and sugar until well combined. Drizzle a little of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking all the time. Drizzle a little more, then transfer that back into the pan of hot milk and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Do this slowly, over medium heat, and I like to use a silicone spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as it heats. The mixture will become velvety and thickend, but it will not be as thick as pudding. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't overcook or it can curdle. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the custard through a sieve (to catch any stray lumps) into a heat proof jar or bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface so it won't form a skin as it cools. Put in the refrigerator until completely chilled.
4. To make the streusel topping, blend the bits of butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a coarse crumbly texture. Put in the refrigerator.
5. To make the cake, grease a 9 inch round spring form pan.
6. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
7. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture, along with the milk or cream.
8. Spoon the batter in to the pan, and smooth out evenly. Top with the sliced apples, and then the streusel topping.
9. Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
10. Let cool a bit in the pan before removing. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.