Armagh Apple Cake

Name: Armagh Apple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 250 g Plain flour; 2 tsp Baking powder; 1 tsp Ground cinnamon; 115 g Unsalted butter; 150 g caster sugar; 300 g armagh bramley cooking apples; 2 large Eggs; 100 ml Buttermilk; 2 tbsp demerara sugar

A tender, spiced buttermilk sponge packed with tart Armagh Bramley cooking apples and finished with a crunchy sugar crust.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· County Armagh

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 310 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

250 g Plain flour — sifted
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
115 g Unsalted butter — chilled and diced
150 g caster sugar
300 g armagh bramley cooking apples — peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
2 large Eggs — beaten
100 ml Buttermilk
2 tbsp demerara sugar — for topping

Equipment

•20cm round cake tin
•mixing bowl
•greaseproof paper
•vegetable peeler
•wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 310 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 48 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 310 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2
Sift the plain flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.
3
Rub the cold butter into the flour mixture using your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4
Stir in the caster sugar and diced Bramley apples until evenly coated.
5
Whisk the beaten eggs and buttermilk together in a small jug.
6
Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and stir gently until a thick batter forms.
7
Spoon the batter into the lined tin and smooth the surface with a spatula.
8
Scatter the demerara sugar evenly over the top of the cake.
9
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre emerges clean.
10
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Cut the apples into uniform 1cm chunks so they soften without making the crumb soggy. Bramley cooking apples give the classic tart flavour, but ensure you do not over-mix the thick batter.

Ingredient substitutions

buttermilk → whole milk with 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Armagh Bramley cooking apples → firm tart cooking apples or Granny Smith apples
demerara sugar → granulated sugar or turbinado sugar

Storage

Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to three days.

Reheating

Warm individual slices in a 160C oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Dicing the apples too large, which causes raw pockets in the baked sponge.
•Over-working the batter after adding the buttermilk, resulting in a dense crumb.
•Skipping the demerara topping, which loses the traditional crunchy crust.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm with a generous jug of fresh warm custard.Enjoy cold with a spoonful of lightly whipped double cream.Slice thickly for afternoon tea alongside a strong Ulster brew.