Irish Apple Cake

Drizzle each slice with vanilla custard sauce.

Ingredients

Streusel Topping

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Cake

• Baking spray with flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 3 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Vanilla Custard Sauce

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 3/4 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Directions

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• 1. 1For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, and salt. Using your fingers, rub the cold butter into the ingredients until the mixture is well combined and easy to pinch together. If the dough appears sandy, continue working the butter in until you can form it into a dough ball. Cover and refrigerate the streusel for at least 15 minutes before using, or up to 1 day.
  2. 2For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with baking spray with flour and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  3. 3In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. 4In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
  5. 5Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 parts, alternating with the milk, folding until just combined after each addition.
  6. 6Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with the sliced apples, arranging them so they lie in an even layer. Remove the cold streusel from the refrigerator and break it into dime-sized pieces. Cover the apples with the cold crumbled streusel.
  7. 7Bake until golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  8. 8Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a plate, remove the parchment paper, and turn it over again onto a wire rack, allowing it to cool completely, streusel-side up.
  9. 9For the vanilla custard sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is lightened in color, about 1 minute. Place a fine-mesh sieve over another empty medium bowl.
  10. 10In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the half-and-half, salt, and remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Heat, stirring frequently, until steaming (do not boil).
  11. 11Whisking constantly, slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm half-and-half mixture into the egg mixture. Add the warm egg mixture back to the remaining half-and-half mixture, whisking to combine. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken, coat the back of a spoon, and an instant read thermometer registers 175°F to 180°F, 2 to 3 minutes.
  12. 12Immediately pour the mixture through the prepared fine-mesh sieve. Stir in the vanilla bean paste. Set the bowl over a bowl of ice water and stir to cool the mixture to room temperature.
  13. 13Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the vanilla custard sauce and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 1 hour.
  14. 14Serve the cake in slices, drizzled with vanilla custard sauce, if you like.