Traditional Irish Apple Cake – Authentic Old-Fashioned Dessert Recipe

Hi there, food lover! 👋 Ready to bring a taste of Ireland into your kitchen? Today we’re baking something truly special — a humble, heartwarming dessert that has graced farmhouse tables for generations. This is not a fancy patisserie creation or a modern fusion twist. This is the kind of cake you’d find cooling on a wooden table in a cozy Irish cottage, with the scent of cinnamon and baked apples drifting through the air.

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This beloved cake is deeply rooted in Ireland’s rural cooking traditions. Long before electric mixers and elaborate frostings, Irish home bakers relied on simple pantry staples: flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and the treasured apples harvested from backyard orchards. The result? A tender, lightly spiced cake packed with juicy apple slices and topped with a sweet crumbly finish.

Often served with warm custard sauce or a generous pour of cream, Irish Apple Cake is comforting, rustic, and beautifully straightforward. It’s the kind of recipe passed from grandmother to granddaughter, written on flour-dusted recipe cards and baked for Sunday dinners, holidays, and everyday treats alike. Let’s bake it the traditional way — simple, honest, and delicious.

Traditional Irish Apple Cake Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 4 cups tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced

For the Topping:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional Traditional Custard Sauce:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Traditional Irish Apple Cake Step-by-Step Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easier removal.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These warm spices give the cake its gentle Irish character.
3. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. This step creates the cake’s signature tender, slightly crumbly texture.
4. Stir in the granulated sugar until evenly combined.
5. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. The batter will be thick — that’s exactly what we want.
6. Fold in the sliced apples carefully, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. Don’t worry if it seems like a lot of apples — they soften beautifully while baking and make the cake wonderfully moist.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over the surface.
8. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
10. If making the custard sauce:

• In a saucepan, heat the milk and cream until just steaming (do not boil).
• In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until pale.
• Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly.
• Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently over low heat, stirring continuously until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Serve the apple cake slightly warm with a generous drizzle of custard sauce or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Traditional Irish Apple Cake Nutritional Information

⏰ Prep Time: 20 minutes
🔥 Baking Time: 55 minutes
⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

⚡ Calories per serving: 320
🍽️ Servings: 8 slices

Estimated per serving (without custard):

• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 24g
• Sodium: 150mg

This cake is moderately sweet and naturally rich in fruit fiber from the apples. Using tart apples balances the sugar beautifully, keeping the dessert comforting rather than overly indulgent.

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Bon appétit and happy cooking!