Irish Apple Cake with Whisky Cream Sauce

St Patricks Day doesn't have to be all about the green beer and late nights, add a couple Irish recipes and celebrate the entire day! This cake recipe has become a favourite of mine; apples, cinnamon and crumble, how can it get any better..... drizzle it with a whisky cream sauce!

This rustic cake is perfect for tea, dessert and lets face it even breakfast. It is a quick recipe that is worth learning and having as a part of your repertoire. The first time I made an Irish apple cake it was from the Fraiche Food Full Hearts cook book and it was so tasty I wanted to make my own version of it. Apples paired with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves is such a winning combo then adding crumble and this recipe will soon become a family favourite. To make it just a little more Irish I made a super quick and easy whisky cream sauce and it was a fantastic addition to an already delicious cake.

Now lets talk apples, some apples are not create equal when it comes to baking, and knowing which apples work best make a difference in flavour, texture and the over all outcome of your recipe. Just like some apples are not as good for baking there are also apples that are just meant to be eaten fresh. Below are some of my favour apples to bake with:

1. Granny Smith - the tart flavour of a Granny Smith apple gives any of your baked goods a great flavour, and they cook down so well while maintaining their shape.

2. Honeycrisp - these giant, crisp and juicy apples are perfect for baking with a honey sweet tart flavour.

3. Gala - this crisp apple with a mellow sweetness is perfect for baking and can even reduce sugar in recipes because of its natural sweetness, these apples also keep their shape when baked.

Irish Apple Cake with Whisky Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

For cake

- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

- 1/2 cup while wheat flour

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

- dash of cloves

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 cup butter, room temp

- 2 large eggs

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

- 4 Granny Smith apples - 2 shredded, 2 sliced thinly

For Crumble

- 5 tablespoons butter, melted

- 3/4 cup all purpose flour

- 1/8 cup white sugar

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan and set aside. In a medium bowl combine all crumble ingredients and set aside.

2. In a large bowl stir together flours, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. Mix in dry ingredient alternatively with buttermilk until both are added and mixture is just combined. Add the shredded Granny Smith apples and fold until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared springform pan and evenly press cake batter to fill the pan evenly. Cover the cake batter in a layer of Granny Smith apples that you sliced thinly (I made three circles with apple slices).

4. Top the apple layer with your crumble mixture, crumbling it over the cake evenly, leaving some larger chunks of crumble. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out just slightly damp.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove the springform ring and let the cake cool. Slice and drizzle with whisky cream sauce, it can be served slightly warm or completely cooled.

Whisky Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 cups heavy cream

- 1/2 cup Jameson Whisky

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium heat, cook until butter is fully melted then bring to a boil, let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and cover until cooled. Store in fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.

Impress your family and friends with this Irish tea time favourite this St Patricks Day.

Enjoy!

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