Irish apple custard cake (Printable)
Tender spiced apple cake baked to golden perfection, served with smooth, creamy custard.
# What You Need:
→ For the Apple Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1½ tsp baking powder
03 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
04 - ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
05 - ¼ tsp salt
06 - ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
07 - ½ cup granulated sugar
08 - 3 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
09 - 2 large eggs
10 - ½ cup whole milk
11 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
12 - 2 tbsp demerara or turbinado sugar
→ For the Custard
13 - 2 cups whole milk
14 - 3 large egg yolks
15 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
16 - 1 tbsp cornstarch
17 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
03 - Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
04 - Stir in the granulated sugar. Add the sliced apples and toss to coat evenly.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
06 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the top with demerara or turbinado sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
08 - While the cake bakes, prepare the custard. In a saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until just steaming.
09 - In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth.
10 - Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
11 - Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
12 - Serve the apple cake warm or at room temperature, drizzled with the warm custard.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The warmth of cinnamon and nutmeg fills your kitchen before the cake even hits the oven
- That moment when warm custard meets tender apple slices is worth every minute
02 -
- Cold butter is nonnegotiable for the right texture, warm butter gives you something closer to bread pudding
- Tempering the custard slowly prevents scrambled eggs, I learned this the unfortunate way
03 -
- Rub butter into flour with your actual fingertips, the warmth helps create the right texture
- Serve custard warm rather than hot, the temperature contrast with room temperature cake is part of the magic