Irish Apple Cake Vanilla Custard (Printable)

Lightly spiced Irish cake filled with apples and topped with golden crust, served warm with vanilla custard.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Irish Apple Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 3 large apples (Granny Smith or Bramley), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - 1/4 cup milk
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling

→ For the Vanilla Custard

13 - 2 cups whole milk
14 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
15 - 4 large egg yolks
16 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
17 - 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
18 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the 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, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
03 - Add cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and the sliced apples, tossing to coat the apples evenly with the mixture.
05 - In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk, and vanilla extract together until combined.
06 - Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top evenly. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
08 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - While the cake bakes, heat milk and cream in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering.
10 - In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is pale and smooth.
11 - Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
12 - Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Do not let it boil.
13 - Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool slightly.
14 - Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving warm slices with generous spoonfuls of vanilla custard.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The texture is somewhere between cake and pudding, with tender apples melting into every bite
  • That golden sugar crust on top creates the most delightful crunch against the soft custard
  • It comes together faster than you would expect from something so impressive
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter makes the cake tough, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • The custard can go from perfect to scrambled in seconds, so keep the heat low and stir constantly
  • Let the custard cool slightly or it will be too thin to spoon over the cake
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate more easily into the batter
  • If the custard develops lumps, simply whisk it vigorously or press it through a sieve

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