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Irish Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Light and fluffy cinnamon sponge, topped with a layer of sweet apple and a crunchy, oaty, buttery crumble, this Irish Apple Cake served with Salted Caramel Sauce, will ensure you have a very happy St Patrick's Day!

Serves 8 - 10

Course afternoon tea, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert, Morning Coffee
Cuisine Irish
Keyword Apples, cake, Cinnamon, dessert, vanilla
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Author Susan

Ingredients

For the crumble topping:

  • 85g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 40g porridge oats
  • 50g caster sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
  • 85g unsalted butter, fridge cold and cut into cubes

For the sponge base:

  • 130g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 130g caster sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
  • 2 eggs
  • 180g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 1½ tablespoons milk
  • plus, 4 Granny Smith apples, or more if desired. Prepared weight approximately 300g – 400g

For the Salted Caramel Sauce:

  • 70g unsalted butter
  • 100g light brown sugar
  • 80g double/heavy cream
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9inch deep, round cake tin.

  3. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4

  4. First make the crumble topping – weigh the flour, oats, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl, mix and add the cubes of butter.

  5. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips and set aside.

  6. Make the sponge base – it is important to make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat easily with the other ingredients. If not at room temperature, beat well before adding the remaining ingredients. See here for information on softening butter.

  7. Weigh all the remaining ingredients directly into the bowl with the butter.

  8. Use an electric whisk to beat until combined – this should take less than a minute. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly mixed.

  9. Bring it all together - fill the prepared cake tin with the cake batter and level the surface.

  10. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Lay over the sponge mix in an even layer.

  11. Scatter the crumble over the apples ensuring it covers evenly and to the edge of the tin.

  12. Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 50 – 55 minutes, or until slightly risen, the sponge is cooked and the crumble is golden.

  13. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes and then transfer to a serving plate.

  14. Make the Salted Caramel Sauce - heat the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over a moderate heat, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved and is mixed thoroughly with the butter.

  15. Stir in the cream and salt and heat gently to warm through. Taste and add more salt if necessary. (Be careful it will be very, very hot.)

  16. Serve - the cake is delicious warm, either on its own, with natural yoghurt for breakfast, or with Salted Caramel Sauce (see below), cream and/or ice cream, for dessert.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • chopping board and knife
  • mixing bowl for the crumble
  • mixing bowl and electric whisk for the sponge
  • small saucepan for the salted caramel sauce
  • 23cm/9inch deep, round cake tin, greased and lined 

Where is this recipe from?

The light and fluffy sponge is yet another dessert based on my Sponge Cake – Core Recipe. I have added extra flour to ensure the apples do not sink into the cake batter, and also added some cinnamon powder and vanilla paste.