Description
Traditional Irish Apple Cake is a lightly spiced, tender cake filled with juicy apples and topped with a buttery crumble. It’s perfect with a cup of tea or served warm with custard for a cozy dessert.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Crumble Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, cubed
Optional for Serving:
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
- Warm custard or whipped cream
Instructions
Prepare the Cake Batter
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Add the cold butter cubes and rub them into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in the sugar and chopped apples.
2. Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
3. Make the Crumble Topping
In a small bowl, mix flour and sugar for the topping.
Add cold butter cubes and rub with your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs.
4. Assemble & Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly.
Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the batter.
Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool & Serve
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with custard or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
For extra flavor, mix ¼ cup chopped walnuts into the batter.
This cake tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together.
If you prefer a softer crumble topping, use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.