Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Traditional Irish apple cake

Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 10m
Cook Time: 1h
Total Time: 1h 10m
Temp.: 375 °F
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (43 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

For the cake:

For the custard:

Nutritional Information

380
Calories
16.2g
Fat
53.3g
Carbohydrates
7.3g
Protein
167mg
Cholesterol
117mg
Sodium
Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Recipe Description

Does it get more Irish than this Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce? This recipe is a simple cake that my Irish grandmother used to make on St Patrick’s Day each year. She would make her signature homemade custard sauce which we absolutely adored as kids. It was such a treat. And now I can finally share the recipe with you.

Start by making the apple cake which is a pretty standard cake batter which incorporates chunks of apple. To make the custard sauce, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl while milk comes to a boil in a medium saucepan.The hardest part when making custard is whisking the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture without scrambling the eggs. My tip is to take it very slow! Once combined, return the mixture to the saucepan and stir until the sauce thickens.

To make Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

Recipe Features

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Heat the oven and prepare a pan

    Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Grease and line an 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

  2. 2

    Sift dry ingredients

    1 min
    Step 2 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Sift 3 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon each of ground cloves and nutmeg into a very large mixing bowl.

  3. 3

    Cut in butter

    2 min
    Step 3 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Cut 6 ounces of butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

  4. 4

    MIx in sugar

    1 min
    Step 4 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Add ¾ cup of sugar to the crumb mixture and stir well.

  5. 5

    Add apple chunks

    2 min
    Step 5 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Fold the apple chunks into the flour and sugar mixture until fully combined.

  6. 6

    Combine milk and eggs and add to flour mixture

    2 min
    Step 6 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard SauceStep 6 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Beat 2 eggs and ¾ cup of milk together in a separate bowl. Pour the egg mixture into the flour and apples and mix until just combined. The batter will resemble a thick dough-like mixture.

  7. 7

    Transfer the cake mixture to the pan

    1 min
    Step 7 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared baking pan and flatten the top using a spatula. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

  8. 8

    Bake

    50 min
    Step 8 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

  9. 9

    Make the custard sauce

    5 min
    Step 9 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard SauceStep 9 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard SauceStep 9 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Bring 1½ cups of milk just to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk 6 large egg yolks in a bowl with 6 tablespoons of sugar for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is pale yellow. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture.

  10. 10

    Thicken the sauce

    5 min
    Step 10 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard SauceStep 10 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard SauceStep 10 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Return the mixture to the saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the custard sauce thickens. When the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or serving jug.

  11. 11

    Serve

    Step 11 - Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce

    Serve the cake with a warm or cold custard sauce poured over.

This Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce is a real taste of my grandmother’s kitchen. I love it and I hope you do too! If you make it, post some pics! Just don’t forget to tag #CookMeRecipes.

About the author

Dasha Vakulova

Dasha is an enthusiastic and cheerful mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Dasha is going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (43 reviews)
Katie
February 17, 2025
Verified

I made this Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce last weekend and it was a hit! It reminded me of my childhood when my grandma would bake it for us on St. Patrick’s Day. The steps were easy to follow, and the sauce was sooo creamy. I felt so proud to share this family recipe with friends!

Daisy
December 30, 2024
Verified

OMG, this Irish Apple Cake is a total winner! 🤩 I made it for my fam last St Patrick’s Day, and they went bananas for it! The custard sauce is legit, just like my gran used to make! Can’t believe I nailed it on my first try! ❤️🍏

Olivia
October 1, 2024
Verified

This Irish Apple Cake is spectacular! I made it for St. Patrick's Day just like my grandma did, and my kids loved it!

Quinn O\'Sullivan
September 24, 2024
Verified

Absolutely love it!

Nate
May 12, 2024
Verified

This Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce is simply great! My kids loved it, just like I did with my grandma's version. Brings back sweet memories!

Tom
March 23, 2024
Verified

Tastes just right.

Zoe Thompson
November 12, 2023
Verified

Loved making this! Reminds me of grandma's kitchen.

Mary
October 22, 2023
Verified

This Irish Apple Cake with Custard Sauce is just like my grandmother used to make. The simplicity of the recipe makes it easy to recreate her magic. I loved watching her make custard, and now sharing it with my family brings back sweet memories.

Xena
October 10, 2023
Verified

Superb! This cake reminds me of my grandma's kitchen on St. Patrick's Day. I can still smell the apples and custard in the air. Such a comforting recipe; my kids loved it, just like I did back then!

Gavin
October 5, 2023
Verified

So stoked about this recipe! Brings back my grandma’s vibes. Best cake ever!

Tania
September 11, 2023
Verified

This Irish Apple Cake is truly exceptional! My grandmother made it every St. Patrick's Day, and the smell always brought back happy memories. The custard sauce is simple yet so delicious—it really takes the cake to another level. Definitely a must-try!

Will
July 11, 2023
Verified

Superb Irish Delight. I made this cake for our anniversary, just like my grandmother did. The custard was tricky, but worth it! We loved every bite.

Fiona
March 15, 2022
Verified

I made this Irish Apple Cake for my family last St. Patrick's Day, and it brought back such warm memories of my grandmother. The cake was soft and the custard was rich, just like I remembered. So thankful for this recipe.

Patricia O\'Connell
October 30, 2021
Verified

I made this Irish Apple Cake for my husband's birthday, and it was a hit! The cake was so light and the custard sauce brought back sweet memories of my grandma. Just like she used to make. My kids loved it too, we'll be making it again soon!

Belen83
April 2, 2021
Verified

Recetaaa fantastica, me recuerda a mi abuela.

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