I wanted to make Todd my Irish Apple Cake for Saint Patricks Day. He loves apple anything, and I have been wanting to re-do some of my earlier recipes and take new photos of them, so today, in honor of Saint Patrick, I re-did my Irish Apple Cake Recipe.
The original photos are not so great as it was about 5 years ago now that I first posted this recipe. The dough for the cake is very similar to a scone type of dough. You rub the butter into self rising flour, just like you would for a scone. It is a bit damper however.
This gets spread in the bottom of a tin with a removable bottom. I like to make an edge all the way around to encase the sliced apples. Use a good cooking apple that will hold it's shape. This gets tossed together with some brown sugar and cinnamon.
Pop that into the center of the cake base. Don't slice the apple too thick or it won't cook. You want it cooked through but not falling apart, if you know what I mean.
My original recipe had you divide the cake dough in half and put half on top and half on the bottom. Today I chose to put it all on the bottom and up the edges. The original version was nice, but I wanted to improve upon it if I could and I had seen other Irish Apple Cakes done this way.
I also created a streusel topping to scatter over the top instead of a crust like the original one. I thought it would update it a bit and be like a cross between a cake and a crumble. I do love an apple crumble, don't you? Serve this warm with either some custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Todd likes his custard. Both are good. You can find my custard recipe here.
*Irish Apple Cake*Serves 6 to 8
Printable Recipe
A delicous version of an apple cake, baked with tasty apple slices sandwiched in the center. Serve warm with or without custard.
280g self raising flour (generous 2 cups) (You may need extra
so don't put the flour away just yet)
125g butter (1/2 cup)
1 large free range egg, lightly beaten
100g caster sugar (1/2 cup)
80ml milk (1/3 cup)
Filling:
2 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
60g soft light brown sugar (4 1/2 TBS)
Streusel Topping:
105 g plain flour (3/4 cup)
20g old fashioned oats (1/4 cup)
100g sugar (1/2 cup)1/2 tsp cinnamon6 TBS butter, cut into bits
You will also need:
Icing sugar to dust, warm custard to serve or a scoop of ice cream (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Butter a deep flan tin, with a loose bottom, roughly 9 inches in diameter. Set aside.
Make the Streusel. Measure the flour and oats and sugar into a bowl. Stir in the cinnamon. Drop in the butter. Rub together with your fingers until it clumps together and you have a crumble mixture.
Place the flour and butter into a large bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips to form a breadcrumb texture. Stir in the sugar. Add the beaten egg and milk and mix together with a round bladed knife. If the dough seems a bit too sticky add a bit more flour. You want a soft dough. Spoon the dough into the prepared pan, making it higher around the edges, about 1 inch into the center with a hollowed out space to put the apples. Spread the apple slices evenly over the center of the base. Press them down lightly. Sprinkle with the soft light brown sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle the streusel over top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.
Let stand in the tin for about 10 minutes before removing the sides.
Place the tin on top of a jar and push the sides of the pan down and remove. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool to warm. Dust with icing sugar before cutting into wedges to serve, with or without ice cream or custard.
Happy Saint Patrick's Day! May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Bon Appetit!
