Irish Apple Cake Vanilla (Printable)

Tender spiced apples paired with rich warm vanilla custard. Perfect for cozy gatherings and teatime.

# What You'll Need:

→ Apple Cake Components

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
05 - ¼ teaspoon salt
06 - ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
07 - ½ cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - ½ cup whole milk
10 - 3 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 2 tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar for topping

→ Warm Vanilla Custard Components

13 - 2 cups whole milk
14 - 3 large egg yolks
15 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
16 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
17 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 - Pinch of salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with fingertips until coarse crumbs form.
04 - Stir the granulated sugar into the butter-flour mixture.
05 - Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
06 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Gently fold the sliced apples into the batter.
08 - Transfer batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with demerara or granulated sugar.
09 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
10 - Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
11 - Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, without boiling.
12 - Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
13 - Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
14 - Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let it boil.
15 - Remove from heat and serve warm custard alongside slices of apple cake.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cake stays incredibly moist for days, making it perfect for make ahead desserts
  • That warm vanilla custard transforms a simple cake into something restaurant worthy
  • It comes together with basic pantry ingredients you probably already have
02 -
  • Overmixing the cake batter makes it tough, so stop as soon as you see no dry flour
  • Tempering the eggs slowly prevents scrambled bits in your silky custard
  • The custard continues thickening off heat, so remove it when it looks slightly thinner than desired
03 -
  • Cold butter is nonnegotiable for that tender crumb texture
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for those 10 minutes or it might break apart
  • The custard can be made ahead and gently reheated, whisking in a splash of milk if it thickens too much

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