This Irish apple cake with vanilla custard sauce is a wonderfully tasty cake with the perfect moist crumb studded with fresh apples! Serve this not-too-sweet apple cake up on its own, or drizzle some of my amazing custard sauce over the cake slices when serving! It is a well-loved apple cake that’s the perfect dessert for any day of the year!

Best Irish Apple Cake Recipe

This Irish apple cake can be enjoyed as a breakfast cake, with tea or coffee, and is especially wonderful after dinner when served as an Irish dessert - complete with custard!

Like so many other traditional recipes, the variations to this apple cake are as numerous as Grandmas baking it in farmhouses across the Irish countryside in the fall apple harvest season!

Tasty Irish Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce will be a favorite for the whole family!

Make sure to make this amazing Irish Apple Cake this Saint Patrick’s Day with some of my other Irish recipes!

🥘 Irish Apple Cake & Vanilla Custard Ingredients

Grab your pantry staples, some heavy cream, and a bunch of fresh apples to make this tasty cake! Don’t skip the custard sauce - it’s so darn tasty, you’re sure to love it!

Irish Apple Cake

  • Butter - 1 cup of room temperature, softened butter.Sugar - 1¼ cups of sugar.Baking Powder - 2 tablespoons of baking powder.Salt - A pinch of salt (or use ¼ teaspoon if using unsalted butter).Cinnamon - ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.Nutmeg - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.Flour - 4 cups of all-purpose flour.Apples - 4 large apples that have been peeled, cored, and sliced. Choose your favorite apple variety that is sweet and firm. Milk - 1½ cups of whole milk (or 2% milk).Eggs - 2 large room-temperature eggs.

Vanilla Custard Sauce

  • Egg Yolks - 6 large room-temperature egg yolks.Heavy Cream - 1½ cups of heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream).Sugar - ½ cup of sugar.Vanilla Extract - ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!

Our delicious Irish Apple Cake is freshly baked and out of the oven, set on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

🔪 How To Make Irish Apple Cake

This recipe is as easy as can be! Just make sure you have a springform pan, mixing bowls, and a knife!

This recipe will make you 12 servings, so it is great for any get-togethers!

  • Prep oven and pan. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and generously coat your 9-10 inch springform pan with butter (or butter and flour), or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the 1 cup of room temperature butter and 1¼ cups of sugar.Add dry ingredients. Next, add a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg to the same bowl. Stir to combine. Add 4 cups of flour and mix until evenly distributed.Wash, slice, and add apples. Prepare the 4 large apples as desired. I washed and sliced my apples (peeling them is optional), then placed them in my food processor and pulsed a few times for smaller pieces (but not finely chopped). If chopping your slices, cut the slices about ¼ inch thick then cut each slice into 1-inch chunks. Add the chopped apples to the bowl, then mix until evenly distributed as well.Combine with wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, add 2 eggs to 1½ cups of milk, and stir until eggs are broken and mixed into the milk. Pour the milk and eggs mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and lumpy.

Bake the Cake

  • Bake. Transfer the batter to your buttered springform pan, then smooth the top of the batter. Place the springform pan in the center of the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until an inserted knife or cake tester comes out clean. Start checking at about 50 minutes to ensure you don’t overcook it!Cool and serve. Remove the cake from your oven and allow it to cool slightly (about 5 minutes). Then, remove from the springform pan and allow to cool slightly, if serving warm. Or allow cooling completely if serving later.

How To Make Vanilla Custard Sauce

  • Heat and stir. In a saucepan, heat 1½ cups of heavy cream and ½ cup of sugar over medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Stir the heavy cream occasionally as it heats, rapidly if needed to prevent the heavy cream from boiling too rapidly. If needed, remove your saucepan from the heat to keep your cream at a low boil.Add eggs. Meanwhile, whisk the 6 egg yolks in a separate bowl. Then slowly add the heated heavy cream mixture into the eggs (very slowly at first to prevent cooking the eggs!). Drizzle in a tablespoon portion initially, whisk, and repeat until the egg yolks have been tempered with the heated cream. It should take a few minutes of whisking to fully incorporate the heated cream and egg yolks.Thicken the sauce. Return the cream to your saucepan. Continually whisk the mixture over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in ½ tablespoon of vanilla extract.Serve. Transfer to a glass bowl, jar, or small creamer carafe with a sheet of plastic wrap laying on the surface to prevent ‘skin’ that will form. Serve warm over cake if desired, or store in the refrigerator.

If you want to make this an extra indulgent dessert, pair it with a scoop of some creamy ice cream! Check out some more apple recipes for even more great ideas! Enjoy!

💭 Angela’s Tips & Recipe Notes

  • Your baking time will be shorter if using larger pieces of apple, or a less juicy variety. My finely chopped apples are a preference, but add about ten minutes to my baking time.Your apple varieties will also make a difference in taste, and we like a good firm apple with a sweet flavor such as Ambrosia (used here), Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Cameo. You can also use a combination of sweet and tart, such as using a Granny Smith apple or two, but firm apples will work best for baking.Larger chunks of apple can be used as well, just be sure to soften them on the stovetop by sauteing in some melted butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Allow the apples to cool slightly before combining them into the batter.Check the cake at 50 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned, if needed, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil.When storing your custard sauce, keep the cling film directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent skin from forming.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Store both the cake and your vanilla custard sauce in the refrigerator. Cover the cake with a sheet of plastic cling film and transfer the sauce into an airtight storage container.

Reheating Irish Apple Cake

You can warm your custard sauce on the stovetop, but a short burst in the microwave on a lower heat setting works equally well. Stir between each short 30-second heating increment until warm to your satisfaction.

The same is true for taking the chill off a slice of your Irish apple cake. Heat in short bursts until slightly warmed before serving. Cover with a damp towel to keep moist.

See all of my recipes HERE««

Should Irish Apple Cake Be Served Warm Or Cold? Overall, an Irish Apple Cake is best served warm (and it is so very fragrant right out of the oven). The thick cream or custard sauce that is customarily served with an apple cake can be served cold, which is convenient if you have made the custard sauce ahead of time, or you can warm it. What Is The Best Apple For Baking? Make sure to choose a variety of apples that is firm enough to hold up in the oven as well as one that has a great flavor. My personal favorites are Honey-crisp apples, but you can check out my posts about the best apples for apple pie and the best apples for apple crisps for more ideas! Should I Peel My Apples For An Apple Cake? It is completely up to you! During the baking process, the peels will soften significantly so don’t worry too much about that. They will add some beautiful color and extra flavor! However, your cake will still be delicious if you leave out this step.

😋 More Tasty Irish Recipes

  • Irish Lamb Stew - A hearty stew made with tender, buttery lamb meat and vegetables. Irish Oatmeal Cake with Caramel Pecan Frosting - An old-fashioned oatmeal cake with made-from-scratch caramel pecan frosting.Traditional Irish Soda Bread - Homemade soda bread with just 4 ingredients!Irish Barmbrack - A 4-ingredient raisin bread made with buttermilk.Potato Leek Soup - This warm and comforting potato leek soup is an Irish classic.Apple Blackberry Crumble - Fresh apples and blackberries in one easy-to-make dessert.

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📋 Recipe

Print Recipe Leave A Comment Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It! 5 from 22 reviews

Irish Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce

This Irish apple cake with vanilla custard sauce is a wonderfully tasty cake with the perfect moist crumb studded with fresh apples! Serve this not-too-sweet apple cake up on its own, or drizzle some of my amazing custard sauce over the cake slices when serving! It is a well-loved apple cake that’s the perfect dessert for any day of the year!

Author | Angela

Servings: 12 servings Calories: 596kcal Prep 10 minutes Cooking 1 hour 15 minutes Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Pin Recipe Share on Facebook Ingredients US CustomaryMetric1x2x3xIrish Apple Cake▢ 1 cup butter (2 sticks - softened, at room temperature)▢ 1 ¼ cups sugar▢ 2 tablespoon baking powder▢ 1 pinch salt (or use ¼ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is suggested)▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour▢ 4 large ambrosia apples (peeled, cored and sliced or finely chopped)▢ 1 ½ cups whole milk (or 2% milk)▢ 2 large eggsVanilla Custard Sauce▢ 6 large egg yolks▢ 1 ½ cups heavy cream▢ ½ cup sugar▢ ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

InstructionsIrish Apple CakePreheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and generously coat your 9-10 inch springform pan with butter (or butter and flour), or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and sugar. Add salt, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add the all-purpose flour and mix until evenly distributed.1 cup butter, 1 ¼ cups sugar, 2 tablespoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 4 cups all-purpose flourPrepare the apples as desired. I washed and sliced my apples (peeling them is optional), then placed them in my food processor and pulsed a few times for smaller pieces (but not finely chopped). If chopping your slices, cut the slices about ¼ inch thick then cut each slice into 1 inch chunks. Add the chopped apples, then mix until evenly distributed as well.4 large ambrosia applesAdd the eggs to your milk, and stir until eggs are broken and mixed into the milk. Pour the milk and eggs mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and lumpy.2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups whole milkTransfer the batter to a your buttered springform pan, then smooth the top of the batter. Place the springform pan in the center of the oven and bake for about a hour and 15 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. *Check the cake at 50 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned, if needed, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.Remove the cake from your oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire cooling rack, about 5 minutes. Then remove from the springform pan and allow to cool slightly, if serving warm. Or allow to cool completely if serving later.Vanilla Custard SauceIn a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and sugar over a medium temperature until it comes to a low boil. Stir the heavy cream occasionally as it heats, rapidly if needed to prevent the heavy cream from boiling too rapidly. If needed, remove your saucepan from the heat to keep your cream at a low boil.1 ½ cups heavy cream, ½ cup sugarWhisk the egg yolks while the heavy cream is heating. Then slowly add the heated heavy cream and sugar slowly (very slowly at first to prevent cooking the eggs!). Drizzle in a tablespoon potion initially, whisk, repeat until the egg yolks have been tempered with the heated cream. It should take a few minutes of whisking to fully incorporate the heated cream and egg yolks.6 large egg yolksReturn the cream to your saucepan. Continually whisk the mixture over medium-low temperature until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.½ tablespoon vanilla extractTransfer to a glass bowl, jar, or small creamer carafe with a sheet of plastic wrap laying on the surface to prevent ‘skin’ that will form. Serve warm over cake if desired, store refrigerated. Equipment You May Need9" Springform PanMixing BowlSilicone Spatula Set Video Notes Your baking time will be shorter if using larger pieces of apple, or a less juicy variety. My finely chopped apples are a preference, but add about ten minutes to my baking time. Your apple varieties will also make a difference in taste, and we like a good firm apple with a sweet flavor such as Ambrosia (used here), Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Cameo. You can also use a combination of sweet and tart, such as using a Granny Smith apple or two, but firm apples will work best for baking. Larger chunks of apple can be used as well, just be sure to soften them on the stovetop by sauteing in some melted butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Allow the apples to cool slightly before combining them into the batter. Check the cake at 50 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned, if needed, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. When storing your custard sauce, keep the cling film directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent skin from forming.

NutritionCalories: 596kcal (30%) | Carbohydrates: 73g (24%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 30g (46%) | Saturated Fat: 18g (113%) | Cholesterol: 207mg (69%) | Sodium: 182mg (8%) | Potassium: 399mg (11%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 37g (41%) | Vitamin A: 1160IU (23%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 172mg (17%) | Iron: 2.6mg (14%) Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love! apple cake, dessert, Irish Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce, Irish desserts, St. Patrick’s Day, vanilla custard Course Cake Recipes, Dessert, St. Patrick’s DayCuisine Irish

Angela @ BakeItWithLove.comAngela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma’s kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love! bakeitwithlove.com/about/

Overall, an Irish Apple Cake is best served warm (and it is so very fragrant right out of the oven). The thick cream or custard sauce that is customarily served with an apple cake can be served cold, which is convenient if you have made the custard sauce ahead of time, or you can warm it.

What Is The Best Apple For Baking? Make sure to choose a variety of apples that is firm enough to hold up in the oven as well as one that has a great flavor. My personal favorites are Honey-crisp apples, but you can check out my posts about the best apples for apple pie and the best apples for apple crisps for more ideas!

Should I Peel My Apples For An Apple Cake? It is completely up to you! During the baking process, the peels will soften significantly so don’t worry too much about that. They will add some beautiful color and extra flavor! However, your cake will still be delicious if you leave out this step.

Make sure to choose a variety of apples that is firm enough to hold up in the oven as well as one that has a great flavor. My personal favorites are Honey-crisp apples, but you can check out my posts about the best apples for apple pie and the best apples for apple crisps for more ideas!

It is completely up to you! During the baking process, the peels will soften significantly so don’t worry too much about that. They will add some beautiful color and extra flavor! However, your cake will still be delicious if you leave out this step.

Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!

5 from 22 reviews

Irish Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce

Author | Angela

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 596kcal

Prep 10 minutes

Cooking 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric1x2x3xIrish Apple Cake▢ 1 cup butter (2 sticks - softened, at room temperature)▢ 1 ¼ cups sugar▢ 2 tablespoon baking powder▢ 1 pinch salt (or use ¼ teaspoon if using unsalted butter)▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon▢ ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is suggested)▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour▢ 4 large ambrosia apples (peeled, cored and sliced or finely chopped)▢ 1 ½ cups whole milk (or 2% milk)▢ 2 large eggsVanilla Custard Sauce▢ 6 large egg yolks▢ 1 ½ cups heavy cream▢ ½ cup sugar▢ ½ tablespoon vanilla extract

InstructionsIrish Apple CakePreheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and generously coat your 9-10 inch springform pan with butter (or butter and flour), or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and sugar. Add salt, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add the all-purpose flour and mix until evenly distributed.1 cup butter, 1 ¼ cups sugar, 2 tablespoon baking powder, 1 pinch salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 4 cups all-purpose flourPrepare the apples as desired. I washed and sliced my apples (peeling them is optional), then placed them in my food processor and pulsed a few times for smaller pieces (but not finely chopped). If chopping your slices, cut the slices about ¼ inch thick then cut each slice into 1 inch chunks. Add the chopped apples, then mix until evenly distributed as well.4 large ambrosia applesAdd the eggs to your milk, and stir until eggs are broken and mixed into the milk. Pour the milk and eggs mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick and lumpy.2 large eggs, 1 ½ cups whole milkTransfer the batter to a your buttered springform pan, then smooth the top of the batter. Place the springform pan in the center of the oven and bake for about a hour and 15 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. *Check the cake at 50 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned, if needed, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.Remove the cake from your oven and allow to cool slightly on a wire cooling rack, about 5 minutes. Then remove from the springform pan and allow to cool slightly, if serving warm. Or allow to cool completely if serving later.Vanilla Custard SauceIn a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and sugar over a medium temperature until it comes to a low boil. Stir the heavy cream occasionally as it heats, rapidly if needed to prevent the heavy cream from boiling too rapidly. If needed, remove your saucepan from the heat to keep your cream at a low boil.1 ½ cups heavy cream, ½ cup sugarWhisk the egg yolks while the heavy cream is heating. Then slowly add the heated heavy cream and sugar slowly (very slowly at first to prevent cooking the eggs!). Drizzle in a tablespoon potion initially, whisk, repeat until the egg yolks have been tempered with the heated cream. It should take a few minutes of whisking to fully incorporate the heated cream and egg yolks.6 large egg yolksReturn the cream to your saucepan. Continually whisk the mixture over medium-low temperature until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.½ tablespoon vanilla extractTransfer to a glass bowl, jar, or small creamer carafe with a sheet of plastic wrap laying on the surface to prevent ‘skin’ that will form. Serve warm over cake if desired, store refrigerated.

Equipment You May Need9" Springform PanMixing BowlSilicone Spatula Set

Video

Notes Your baking time will be shorter if using larger pieces of apple, or a less juicy variety. My finely chopped apples are a preference, but add about ten minutes to my baking time. Your apple varieties will also make a difference in taste, and we like a good firm apple with a sweet flavor such as Ambrosia (used here), Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, or Cameo. You can also use a combination of sweet and tart, such as using a Granny Smith apple or two, but firm apples will work best for baking. Larger chunks of apple can be used as well, just be sure to soften them on the stovetop by sauteing in some melted butter over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Allow the apples to cool slightly before combining them into the batter. Check the cake at 50 minutes to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned, if needed, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil. When storing your custard sauce, keep the cling film directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent skin from forming.

Nutrition

Calories: 596kcal (30%) | Carbohydrates: 73g (24%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 30g (46%) | Saturated Fat: 18g (113%) | Cholesterol: 207mg (69%) | Sodium: 182mg (8%) | Potassium: 399mg (11%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 37g (41%) | Vitamin A: 1160IU (23%) | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 172mg (17%) | Iron: 2.6mg (14%)

Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!

Course Cake Recipes, Dessert, St. Patrick’s DayCuisine Irish

US CustomaryMetric