Irish Apple Cake
Local name: Cáca úll
In short: A soft, buttery cake dough layered around slices of tart apple with a hint of clove, baked under a sugar crust. Serve warm with custard or cream. It takes about 1 h 20 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Resting
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Irish apple cake is a soft, buttery cake dough pressed around layers of sliced tart apples, with a crackly sugar crust on top. It sits somewhere between a tart and a tea cake, and it is served warm with custard or cream, especially in autumn when apples are plentiful. A pinch of ground cloves in the filling is a traditional touch.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 20 cm (8 in) springform pan and line the base with baking paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then stir in the 100 g sugar.
- Beat the egg with the 100 ml milk and mix it into the flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Toss the apple slices with the 50 g sugar, cloves and lemon zest.
- Press half the dough into the pan to cover the base. Spread the apples over it, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 in) border.
- Pat the rest of the dough out on floured baking paper to a round the size of the pan, flip it over the apples and press the edges to seal. Brush with milk and sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden and a skewer pushed through the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then release.
- Serve warm in wedges, with custard or cream.
Tips
- Tart cooking apples soften and keep their flavor. Granny Smith apples are a good substitute. Slice them evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- The dough is soft, so pat it out on floured baking paper and use the paper to lift and flip it over the apples without tearing.
Questions and answers
What apples are best for Irish apple cake?
Tart cooking apples, such as Bramley in Ireland and the UK. Granny Smith or another firm, tart apple works well elsewhere.
Can I make Irish apple cake ahead of time?
Yes. Bake it a day ahead and keep it covered at room temperature. Warm slices for 10 minutes at 160°C (325°F) before serving.
Is Irish apple cake more like a pie or a cake?
Somewhere in between. The top and bottom are soft, scone-like cake dough rather than pastry, and the apples stay juicy in the middle.
How long does it take to make Irish Apple Cake?
About 1 h 20 min in total: 25 min of preparation and 55 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Irish Apple Cake?
About 360 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 54 g of carbohydrates and 14 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 360 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Fat | 14 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 28 g |
| Sodium | 250 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
