Irish Apple Cake with Whiskey Creme Anglaise

A moist and comforting Irish apple cake drenched in a sweet Irish whiskey crème anglaise. This simple cake is the perfect way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in a more traditional way.

Why you'll love it

Key ingredients

This is a traditional recipe with no complicated ingredients. 

• Spices - This cake doesn't use a ton of spice, but there is some to enhance the flavors of the apples and whiskey. I like just a hint of cinnamon and clove, but a touch of nutmeg would also be amazing here 
• Sugar - I typically prefer to make this cake using granulated sugar, but if you want to add more depth and dimension to the cake, you can substitute half of the white sugar with brown sugar
• Apples - To balance out the sweetness and the richness of the creme anglaise, I recommend using a firm, tart apple like Granny Smith which is what is traditionally used in this type of cake. But any of your favorite crisp apples will work. 
• Egg - You'll notice that the creme anglaise uses a lot of egg yolks. Yes, it is necessary. I recommend saving the whites to make French macarons or mini pavlova. 
• Vanilla -  In the crème anglaise, I used a leftover vanilla bean pod that I saved after using the beans in another recipe as well as a bit of vanilla extract. Using either vanilla beans or the extract works, but if you happen to have any leftover pods, this is a great use for them.

How to make

Making the cake is a very easy process, it is easier than most traditional cakes with a higher success rate because of the order in which the cake is built. 

1. Prepare your springform pan and preheat your oven. 
2. Add the dry ingredients for the cake into a large mixing bowl 
3. Add in the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. You can also use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer. 
4. Dice and fold the chopped apples into the mixing bowl. 
5. Mix the wet ingredients in a small bowl and then stir into the rest of the ingredients, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. 
6. Pour the cake batter into your springform pan and bake until golden brown. 

The warm custard sauce is completely optional, but makes a delicious addition. 

1. Add half the sugar to the milk and warm over medium-low heat until gently simmering. Turn off heat.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar together until light in color. 
3. Drizzle in about a third of the hot milk into the egg mixture. 
4. Transfer everything back into the milk pan and heat on medium-low stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. 
5. Remove from heat and strain. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and whiskey. 
6. Pour over sliced cake only when ready to serve

Note: The Irish apple cake recipe is made by reverse creaming, which means you mix the flour and butter together. It helps prevent too much gluten from forming and keeps the cake nice and tender. I like seeing large apple chunks, which is how it is traditionally served, so I recommend dicing cubes that are about half an inch big.  

Amanda's expert tips

A springform pan is important because it makes removing the cake easier and preserves the beauty of the top of the cake when it is finished baking. I recommend greasing and flouring the pan and/or lining it with parchment paper. 

The baking time is always going to be dependent on your particular oven. Many ovens are off by a few degrees and that can affect baking time. This is why it is important to pay attention to the visual cues and not just the timing when baking a cake. 

It is important that you taste as you add the Irish whiskey to the sauce. You can always add more, but you can’t take any away. So, add it only one tablespoon at a time.

Storage notes

Keep the cake in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days. The creme anglaise should be left in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can gently warm it back up by placing it in a heatproof bowl and placing the bowl in hot, but not boiling water. You may also try using the microwave. 

FAQs

Recipe Card

Irish Apple Cake

Amanda Powell

Fluffy and moist Irish apple cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 462 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large Granny Smith apples peeled and diced
• 3 lightly beaten large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Creme Anglaise

• ¾ cup granualted sugar divided
• 2 cups whole milk room temperature
• 1 vanilla bean
• 6 large egg yolks room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 - 3 tablespoons Irish Whiskey optional

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Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper.
• Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed butter into the flour and cut the butter in using your fingers or a pastry cutter. (You can also transfer to a food processor to speed up the process).
• Stir in the baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and Whole Earth Sweetener Baking Blend.
• Dice the apples into large chunks and fold into the flour.
• In a smaller bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
• Stir in the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Ensure there are no streaks of flour, but do not over mix.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• Start the creme anglaise. Add half the sugar to the milk in a small saucepan and whisk well. Heat until the milk is steaming and simmering around the edges of the pan. Do not allow to boil.
• Once it is beginning to simmer, turn off the heat and add the vanilla bean pod (please see notes regarding the vanilla bean)
• Add the remaining sugar and egg yolks together. Whisk until the yolks are slightly lighter in color – about a minute of vigorous whisking.
• Slowly drizzle in about ⅓ of the hot milk to the egg yolks while continuously whisking the egg yolks.
• Slowly add the egg yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk. Continuously whisk the milk mixture while adding in the yolks.
• Turn the heat back on medium-low and stir until the mixture thickens. When you stick a wooden spoon in and run your finger down the back of the spoon you should see a line where you run your finger. This is when you know the mixture is thickened enough.
• Remove from heat and put the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the vanilla bean pod.
• Stir in the vanilla extract if needed, the salt, and the Irish whiskey one tablespoon at a time.
• Serve with the crème anglaise. The cake is best the day it is made, but will keep for about 3 days.

Notes

The vanilla bean pod is optional, but adds amazing flavor. you can omit the vanilla bean and just use the vanilla extract. 

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 195mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 464IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2mg

Keyword apple, creme anglaise, irish

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