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Cozy Irish Apple Cake Recipe with Easy Creamy Custard Sauce

Irish apple cake - featured image
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A warm and comforting Irish apple cake with tender apple chunks and warm spices, served with a silky, smooth creamy custard sauce. Perfect for cozy occasions and easy to make with simple pantry ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
  • 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½-inch pieces (Granny Smith or Bramley)
  • Optional: zest of 1 lemon
  • For the custard sauce:
  • 2 cups (480ml) whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract.
  5. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined.
  6. Fold in chopped apples and optional lemon zest gently with a rubber spatula.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
  8. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are golden.
  9. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove to cool completely.
  10. For custard sauce: Heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering.
  11. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and pale.
  12. Temper eggs by slowly adding hot milk to egg mixture while whisking vigorously.
  13. Whisk egg mixture back into saucepan with remaining milk.
  14. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes.
  15. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
  16. Serve slices of cake warm with a generous spoonful of custard sauce.

Notes

Fold apples gently to avoid dense or gummy cake. Use buttermilk for tender crumb or substitute with milk and vinegar. Whisk custard constantly to prevent lumps or scrambling. Use a heavy-bottomed pan for custard to avoid hot spots. Start custard while cake bakes for fresh serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: Irish apple cake, apple cake recipe, creamy custard sauce, easy apple dessert, cozy cake, homemade apple cake, warm dessert

Find it online: https://blairrecipes.com/cozy-irish-apple-cake-recipe-with-easy-creamy-custard-sauce/