Irish apple cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 250 gplain flour
• 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoonground cloves
• a pinch of salt
• 125 gbutter, softened
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 2eggs
• 100 mlwhole milk

Apples

• 4Bramley apples, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 tablespoonscaster sugar
• 1 teaspoonlemon juice

Crumble topping

• 80 gplain flour
• 50 gbutter, cold and cubed
• 50 gdemerara sugar

To serve

• hot custard
• or lightly whipped cream

Directions

1. Peel and core all of the apples. Cut them into thick slices, about a centimetre. Thin slices disappear entirely into the cake. Toss them with the sugar and the lemon juice. The lemon stops them browning as you work.
2. Set them aside while you make the batter. Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt together. Beat them until pale and noticeably fluffy. This takes about four minutes with a mixer.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat it well after each addition. Add a spoonful of the flour if it starts to curdle. Fold in the flour mixture in two additions. Add the milk in between the two. Fold gently with a spatula rather than beating. The batter should be thick and dropping. Put the flour in a bowl with the cold cubed butter.
4. Rub it in with your fingertips. Work until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in all of the demerara sugar. Keep it in the refrigerator until you need it. Cold crumble stays crisper in the oven.
5. Butter a deep round cake tin and line the base. Spread half the batter into the tin. Arrange half the apple slices over it. Spoon the rest of the batter over the apples. Spread it as evenly as you can. Lay the remaining apples on top. Scatter the crumble over the whole surface. Baking it takes about fifty minutes.
6. Heat the oven to 180C with a shelf in the middle. Bake it for fifty minutes to an hour. The top should be deep golden and crisp. Cover it loosely with foil if it browns too fast. The apple should be completely soft.
7. Let it stand in the tin before turning it out. Serving it is done while warm. Dust it with a little caster sugar if you like. Cut it into generous thick wedges. Pour hot custard over each slice. It is also good cold with tea. Warm slices briefly in a low oven to serve again.

Technique

• Irish apple cake exists in many household versions, some closer to a pastry tart and some to a sponge.
• The version with a crumble top and served with custard is among the most common.

Substitutions

• Any tart cooking apple works in place of Bramley.
• The crumble topping can be left out entirely for a plainer cake.

Variations

• Some households bake it in a pastry case as an apple cake tart.
• Adding blackberries in autumn is common.
• A version with oats in the crumble gives a nuttier topping.

Frequently asked questions

What is Irish apple cake?

Irish apple cake is a dessert from Ireland: spiced apple cake served warm with custard.

How long does Irish apple cake take to make?

Irish apple cake takes 25 minutes of preparation and 50 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes one cake, 10 slices. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Irish apple cake?

Yes, within limits. Any tart cooking apple works in place of Bramley. The crumble topping can be left out entirely for a plainer cake.

What is the most important thing to get right in Irish apple cake?

Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat it well after each addition. Add a spoonful of the flour if it starts to curdle. Fold in the flour mixture in two additions. Add the milk in between the two. Fold gently with a spatula rather than beating. The batter should be thick and dropping. Put the flour in a bowl with the cold cubed butter.