Classic Irish Apple Cake with Streusel Topping and Custard Sauce

Introduction & Inspiration

This Irish Apple Cake is the epitome of homey comfort, a traditional dessert often enjoyed with a cup of tea in Irish households. It features a simple, tender butter cake generously filled with thinly sliced tart apples, topped with a delightful crunchy streusel, and served alongside a rich, homemade vanilla custard sauce (crème anglaise).

My inspiration for sharing this recipe comes from a love for traditional, unpretentious baking that focuses on simple, quality ingredients. Apple cakes are universally loved, and the addition of a proper custard sauce elevates this humble cake into something truly special. It is a family favorite.

This cake is perfect for a cozy afternoon, a family gathering, or any time you crave a comforting, satisfying dessert. It’s less about fancy decoration and more about delicious flavor and texture combinations. It’s perfect to celebrate St Patrick’s Day!

Nostalgic Appeal

Apple cake, in its many forms, is deeply nostalgic for people worldwide. It evokes feelings of autumn, warmth, home kitchens, and family traditions. The addition of a streusel topping adds another layer of familiar comfort, reminiscent of crumbles and coffee cakes.

Serving it with a homemade custard sauce, or crème anglaise, adds a touch of old-world European charm, perhaps reminding some of classic desserts enjoyed with family or in cozy cafes. It feels both rustic and slightly elegant.

This recipe captures that blend of simple comfort and quiet elegance perfectly. It’s a taste of tradition, perfect for creating warm, comforting moments. A perfect dessert to share.

Homemade Focus

This Irish Apple Cake celebrates the satisfaction of making everything from scratch. We’re crafting a simple butter cake batter, preparing a crunchy streusel topping, and, most notably, making a classic vanilla custard sauce (crème anglaise) which requires careful attention to technique.

Making the custard sauce involves tempering eggs and gently cooking the mixture until it perfectly coats the back of a spoon – a fundamental technique that yields a rich, velvety sauce far superior to any store-bought version or simple glaze. The homemade streusel also adds a textural element that packaged toppings can’t match.

It’s about appreciating the process and the quality that comes from preparing each component yourself. The combination of the homemade cake, streusel, and especially the luscious custard sauce makes this dessert truly special. The homemade taste is incredible.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal is a harmonious blend of tender, buttery cake, sweet-tart apples softened by baking, warm cinnamon notes, crunchy brown sugar oat streusel, and rich, creamy vanilla custard.

The cake itself should be moist and tender, providing a simple backdrop for the apples. The Granny Smith apples offer a pleasant tartness to balance the sweetness of the cake and streusel. The streusel should provide a satisfying crunchy, buttery, and sweet topping.

The vanilla custard sauce is key – it should be smooth, velvety, rich with egg yolk and vanilla flavor, and sweet but not cloying, perfectly complementing the apple cake. The overall experience is comforting, balanced, and texturally diverse. A perfect balance between flavour and texture.

Ingredient Insights

For the Cake:

• Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature): Provides richness, flavor, and tenderness. Must be properly softened for creaming.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and aids creaming.
• Large Eggs: Provide structure, richness, binding. Room temperature preferred.
• Whole Milk or Cream: Adds moisture and richness. Cream will make it richer. Room temperature preferred.
• All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure.
• Baking Powder: Leavening agent.
• Cinnamon: Classic pairing with apples, adds warmth.
• Salt: Balances sweetness, enhances flavors.
• Granny Smith Apples: Tart apples hold their shape well when baked and provide a good flavor contrast to the sweet components. Peeled and thinly sliced.

For the Streusel Topping:

• All-Purpose Flour: Base of the streusel.
• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Add texture and a nutty, wholesome flavor.
• Unsalted Cold Butter (Cut in small pieces): Creates the crumbly texture. Must be cold to be cut into the dry ingredients properly.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the topping.

For the Custard Sauce (Crème Anglaise):

• Large Egg Yolks: Provide richness, color, and thickening power.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the sauce and helps stabilize yolks.
• Whole Milk (or Half-and-Half/Cream): The liquid base. Using richer options like half-and-half or cream will result in a richer, thicker sauce.
• Vanilla Extract: Essential flavor component. Use pure vanilla extract.

For Serving:

• Confectioner’s Sugar: For dusting.

Essential Equipment

• 9-Inch Springform Pan: Allows for easy removal of the cake. A regular 9-inch cake pan could work, but removal is trickier.
• Electric Mixer (Stand or Handheld): For creaming butter/sugar and mixing cake batter.
• Mixing Bowls (Multiple Sizes): For cake dry ingredients, streusel, custard components.
• Pastry Blender or Fork (or Fingers): For cutting butter into streusel ingredients.
• Saucepan (Medium, Heavy-Bottomed Recommended): For making the custard sauce.
• Whisk: Essential for making the custard sauce smoothly.
• Silicone Spoon or Spatula: Ideal for stirring custard and scraping the pan bottom.
• Fine-Mesh Sieve: Crucial for straining the finished custard sauce to ensure smoothness.
• Heatproof Jar or Bowl: For chilling the custard sauce.
• Plastic Wrap: To press onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin.
• Wire Cooling Rack: For cooling the cake.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp whole milk or cream, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• About 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (approx. 1 lb / 450g after slicing)

Streusel Topping:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 6 Tbsp unsalted cold butter, cut in small pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Custard Sauce (Crème Anglaise):

• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or half-and-half or cream)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For Serving:

• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Custard Sauce (Ahead of Time):

• Heat Milk: Gently bring the milk (or cream/half-and-half) just to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil.
• Mix Yolks & Sugar: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until well combined and slightly pale.
• Temper Eggs: Once the milk is simmering, remove it from the heat. Slowly drizzle about half a cup of the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. This gently warms the yolks (tempering) to prevent scrambling.
• Combine and Cook: Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk. Return the saucepan to medium-low heat.
• Cook Gently: Cook, stirring constantly with a silicone spoon or spatula (scraping the bottom and sides), until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (Nappé consistency). If you draw a line through the coating on the spoon, it should hold its shape. This happens slowly; do not rush or increase heat too much, or it will curdle. The final consistency will be like thin cream, not thick pudding; it thickens upon cooling.
• Strain and Flavor: Immediately remove from heat. Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof jar or bowl to catch any potential lumps. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Chill: Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled (at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight).  

2. Make the Streusel Topping:

• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and rolled oats.
• Add the small pieces of cold butter.
• Using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a coarse, crumbly texture.
• Place the streusel mixture in the refrigerator to keep cold until ready to use.

3. Prepare Oven and Pan:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).  
• Grease a 9-inch springform pan well.

4. Make the Cake Batter:

• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the room temperature butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the milk or cream (start and end with dry). Mix gently until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Assemble the Cake:

• Spoon the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth it out evenly.
• Arrange the thinly sliced apples over the top of the batter in an even layer (no need for a perfect pattern).
• Sprinkle the chilled streusel topping evenly over the apples.

6. Bake the Cake:

• Bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is lightly browned, the streusel is crisp, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (not just apples) comes out clean or with only moist crumbs attached.
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes.

7. Serve:

• Carefully release and remove the sides of the springform pan.
• Dust the cooled (or slightly warm) cake with confectioner’s sugar just before serving.
• Serve slices warm or at room temperature with the chilled custard sauce poured alongside or over the top.

Troubleshooting

• Cake Dry/Dense: Overbaking, overmixing batter, or butter/eggs too cold during creaming. Use room temp ingredients, mix minimally, check doneness carefully.
• Apples Sank: Apples sliced too thickly, or batter too thin (unlikely with this recipe). Ensure even layering.
• Streusel Melted/Not Crumbly: Butter was too warm or mixture overworked into a paste. Keep butter cold and mix minimally until just crumbly.
• Custard Curdled: Cooked too quickly, too high heat, or not stirred constantly. Gentle heat and constant stirring are key. Straining helps remove minor lumps. If badly scrambled, it’s difficult to save.
• Custard Too Thin: Didn’t cook long enough to reach Nappé stage (coating back of spoon). Remember it thickens significantly when cold.

Tips and Variations

• Custard Sauce First: Make the custard sauce well ahead (even the day before) as it needs thorough chilling.
• Apple Choice: Granny Smiths provide tartness. Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Gala would offer a sweeter profile.
• Spices: Add a pinch of nutmeg or ground ginger to the cake batter or streusel for more warmth.
• Nuts: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel topping.
• Serving Temp: The cake is lovely slightly warm with the cold custard sauce.
• No Custard Sauce? Serve with vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream instead.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

• Serve Warm or Room Temp: With chilled custard sauce poured over or alongside.
• Tea Time: A perfect cake for an afternoon tea.
• After Dinner: A comforting dessert after a hearty meal.
• With Coffee or Tea: Classic pairings.

Nutritional Information

(Note: Estimated, per slice, assuming 10 slices. Includes cake and sauce.)

• Calories: 450-550+
• Fat: 25-35g+
• Saturated Fat: 15-20g+
• Cholesterol: 150-200mg+ (high due to yolks in custard)
• Sodium: 100-150mg+
• Total Carbohydrates: 50-65g+
• Dietary Fiber: 1-2g+
• Sugars: 35-45g+
• Protein: 6-8g+

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Summary: This Irish Apple Cake features a simple cinnamon-spiced butter cake base filled with sliced tart apples, topped with an oat streusel, and served with a homemade vanilla custard sauce (crème anglaise). The process involves making and chilling the custard sauce ahead, preparing the streusel, making the cake batter, assembling, baking, cooling, and serving with the sauce.

Q&A:

• Q: Is making the custard sauce difficult?
  • A: It requires careful attention to temperature and constant stirring to prevent curdling, but it’s a fundamental technique worth learning. Tempering the eggs properly and using low-medium heat are key. Straining is a good safety net.
• Q: Can I use a regular cake pan instead of a springform?
  • A: Yes, a 9-inch round cake pan (preferably deep) can work, but you’ll need to be careful when removing the cake. Let it cool longer in the pan before attempting to invert it, or serve directly from the pan if possible.
• Q: What apples are best?
  • A: Granny Smith are recommended for tartness and holding their shape. Other good baking apples like Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, or Gala would also work well, yielding a slightly sweeter result.  
• Q: How long does the custard sauce keep?
  • A: Stored properly (covered, refrigerated), homemade custard sauce should last for 2-3 days.