Derry Apple Cake with Custard
A comforting Northern Irish apple sponge cake studded with tart Bramley apples, baked until golden and served warm with rich pouring custard.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 440 kcal
Equipment
- •20 cm round cake tin
- •electric hand mixer
- •mixing bowl
- •small saucepan
- •balloon whisk
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- fat
- 23 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 440 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 20 cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.
- 2
Beat the softened butter and 110 g of caster sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
- 3
Add the beaten eggs gradually, whisking well after each addition to prevent curdling.
- 4
Fold in the sifted flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and 50 ml of milk until smooth.
- 5
Stir the chopped Bramley apples through the batter until evenly distributed.
- 6
Spread the mixture into the tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden and springy.
- 7
Heat the remaining 300 ml milk and double cream in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming.
- 8
Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 40 g sugar, and vanilla extract in a heatproof bowl until combined.
- 9
Pour the hot cream mixture slowly into the eggs, whisking constantly to keep the custard smooth.
- 10
Return the custard to the pan and stir over low heat until thickened enough to coat a spoon.
- 11
Slice the warm apple cake into wedges and serve immediately with generous warm custard.
Chef's tips
Cut the apples into neat, even dice so they cook through at the same rate as the sponge. Cook the custard over gentle heat and do not let it boil, otherwise the eggs will scramble.
Ingredient substitutions
- Bramley cooking apples → tart dessert apples like Granny Smith
- double cream → an equal quantity of whole milk for a lighter custard
Storage
Store leftover cake in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two days and keep leftover custard refrigerated.
Reheating
Warm cake slices in a low oven at 150°C for 8 minutes and gently reheat custard on the hob over low heat.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Chopping the apple pieces too large, which leaves hard pockets in the sponge.
- •Boiling the custard rapidly, causing the eggs to separate.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Derry Apple Cake with Custard?
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