Kerry Apple Cake, also known as Irish Apple Cake, is a moist cake with a crunchy top, and can be served cold or warm with chilled cream or custard.
An Irish Apple Cake is technically not a cake at all. Apple bread is a better description, but I suppose our ancestors assigned the title cake to any baked good with a little bit of precious sugar added.
Known as Kerry Apple Cake in many parts of Ireland, I thought it was high time to share my recipe, especially since we took a lovely photo tour of County Kerry in an earlier blog post this week.
This cake was traditionally cooked in a bastible, a black wrought iron cooking pot. The bread was covered in the pot and hung over the fire to cook.
Here’s a quick video recipe tutorial which shows how simple this cake is to bake…
I remember my granny’s kitchen in County Cork, with a black iron kettle singing over the fire, or the bastible cooking potatoes or bread. The day the open fire was replaced with a big range, complete with oven and cooktop, has left an indelible mark on my memory. On that day I witnessed the end of an era. But that’s a story for another day.
Ingredients for Kerry Apple Cake:
Here’s a list of the simple ingredients you’ll need. If you check out the printable recipe at the end of this post, you’ll find the US amounts and metric amounts for each ingredient.
- cake flour
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cloves
- nutmeg
- butter
- sugar
- Granny Smith apples
- eggs
- milk
- sugar (to sprinkle on top of cake)
The apples I use are Granny Smiths. If I was in Ireland I would use Bramley cooking apples, the best apples in the world for baking. But alack and alas I can’t find my favorite cooking apple here in America.
But why are they better than an eating apple, you may ask? When cooked they retain a lovely tangy flavor, and with heat develop a perfect ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture, since they contain more acid and less sugar than other apples.
Granny Smiths are my chosen substitute when baking this cake in America, because they are the tangiest of American apples I can find.
You’ll notice I stuck one small apple into my ingredient shot, just to prove every apple is not created equally. They come in all the same shapes, but different sizes. The amount of sliced apples used is key to apple cake success so really check your apple size. Three apples means three large Granny Smiths. If you can only get small apples, then you will need to use at least six.
Directions for Irish Apple Cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch round baking pan by spraying with oil or coating with butter.
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Trust me – you need a big bowl, because once the sliced apples are added you’ll have a large amount of cake mix.
I like to prepare the flour and rub in the butter before I peel and slice my apples. This avoids adding browning apple slices to the cake.
All-purpose flour works for this recipe, but I prefer cake flour. This lighter flour produces a softer crusted cake, which better resembles an apple cake made in Ireland.
You’ll notice I don’t use any cinnamon. I prefer to add a hint of cloves and nutmeg, spices more closely associated with apples in Ireland. If you can’t imagine cooked apples without cinnamon, feel free to toss some in.
When I first came to America I was overwhelmed by the amount of cinnamon used in so many breads and cakes. It took many years for my taste buds to adjust to apple pie with cinnamon. Irish apple pies or tarts are made without spice or with a hint of cloves.
Cut the butter into the flour and rub it in using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
I confess I don’t own a pastry cutter. Throughout my childhood I watched my mom and grannys rubbing butter into flour using their bare hands, so there’s no modernizing me at this stage. You can’t teach an old horse new tricks.
If you use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour, I would increase the amount of butter to 6 ounces. This helps keep the crust from getting too hard.
Next toss in the sugar and mix it through the flour.
Now it’s time to wash your hands and prepare the apples. Use a minimum of 3 large apples, but in my opinion, it is hard to have too much apple in this cake, so feel free to add an additional one.
Peel and slice the apples into similar sized pieces.
My apple slices are about ¼ inch thick. Lie each slice flat and cut them into triangular quarters. The thinner rectangular side slices can be cut in half.
Some cooks like to dice the apples into smaller pieces and add walnuts. I prefer larger apple slices and as my granny would have said – “It’s far from walnuts you were reared.”
Toss the apples into the flour mixture and combine them thoroughly.
My advice is to work quickly because apples turn brown pretty fast. The faster they are covered in flour mixture the better. You can see how my apples are beginning to go a little brown at the edges, but I did have to pause to take photos.
Beat the eggs and add a dash of milk. Add to the apples and flour and combine well with a large spoon.
Add more milk as needed to fully moisten the flour. The result is a pretty sticky dough.
Transfer the dough into the prepared cake pan and flatten the top surface using the back of a large spoon.
I use a 9-inch round pan. An 8-inch round pan will simply yield a taller cake. However, moving up to a 10-inch round pan is not advised. With these specific ingredient ratios, the cake would be way too flat.
Next comes the final touch for a crispy top layer.
Sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar over the top of the cake.
In Ireland I recommend using caster sugar, but regular American sugar is just perfect. Regular Irish sugar is far grainier than the American variety.
Bake the cake in the preheated 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. A toothpick or knife will come out clean when it is cooked and the top will be a lovely golden brown.
Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire wrack to finish cooling.
I love to see the slices of apple peeping through the top layer. Just yummy!
My family love this cake served still slightly warm. Lovely with butter melting on top, or a dollop of cream or smothered in custard, you’ll certainly be licking your fingers and asking for seconds.
Here’s the printable recipe ….
Kerry Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 ounces butter
- ¾ cups sugar
- 4 large Granny Smith apples
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup cup milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar to sprinkle on top of cake
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch round baking pan by spraying with oil or coating with butter.
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into the flour and rub it in using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Toss in the sugar and combine it with the flour mixture.
- Peel and slice the apples into similar 1" to 2" sized pieces.
- Add the apples into the flour mixture and mix them thoroughly.
- Beat the eggs and add a dash of milk. Add to the apples and flour and combine well with a large spoon. Add more milk as needed to fully moisten the flour. The result is a pretty sticky mixture.
- Transfer the dough into the prepared cake pan and flatten the top surface using the back of a large spoon.
- Sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar over the top of the cake.
- Bake the cake in the preheated 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire wrack to finish cooling.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Hope you all enjoy this little taste of rural Ireland.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some other posts you might enjoy…
What The Irish Eat For Saint Patrick’s Day
For Pinterest fans, here’s a Pinterest friendly graphic.
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Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig ort, Mairéad. Greetings from County Waterford.
I have a lovely 8.5 inch/22cm Denby Dutch oven. I’m going to bake this cake in it in the oven but don’t know if I should put the lid on it.
I suspect the lid in the open hearth allowed for the banking of coals on top, plus kept out any ash. My cousin in Mayo used to bake the cake daily in the open hearth, but did I think to ask for details??? Nope.
What do you think–lid or no lid? I’m probably going to try baking something in the open hearth sooner or later, but I’d better pick the brains of my older cousins first…
Nice blog. I find it helpful as I convert my Mayo grandmother’s recipes back into Irish ingredients and cooking methods now that I’ve immigrated back to Ireland. She had to convert them to US ingredients when she emigrated.
I would recommend cooking without the lid in the oven. Too much steam could be generated as the cake heats and with the lid on it might steam rather than bake. Hot coals on the lid of a bastible created an oven with heat all around the cake. I believe my granny would remove the lid towards the end of cooking to make sure the outer crust would dry.
I hope you have a lovely Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
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It was delish! We really enjoyed it! And, I chose not to add any cinammon. Actually, your comment about how much of that spice the US uses made me stop and think. When I think of apples I just naturally think of cinammon but for this recipe it was clove and nutmeg only. It was truly a hit with ages 3-74! However, I do have a question. Not sure if I have a slow oven or, if I left the cake in too long or, if the cake is a dryer texture. In order to achieve the browned top as shown in your picture I left the cake in the oven for 60 minutes. While it was delicious and very flavorful, it was a dryer cake and, I could see why it would be served with cream.
Hi Elizabeth – The texture of this cake is closer to a scone than a cake. Your oven could be a little slower than mine, since 60 minutes was quite a long time to brown the top. A little extra sugar sprinkled on top may help it brown faster. Thanks so much for taking the time to rate this recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
I was looking for something irish to make for a st.patricks day treat. I found this and made it. Oh my gosh! it was so easy and so delicious. I plan on making this very often! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Shannon – I’m so glad you found this Irish recipe – it truly is simple and delicious and a rustic tribute to the cooking of ancestors. I hope you had a lovely St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
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Mairéad, we’re getting ready for St. Pat’s and I’m making this lovely cake for the second year now–new tradition! That, and Guinness cottage pie instead of corned beef….my Irish ancestors were well and truly Americanized I have to say, but after our trip to Clare, Kerry, and Cork last year, I’m going back to my roots :D.
Thank you for all these wonderful recipes and your website, and stay safe and well!
Hi Patricia – I’m so glad you discovered my cake recipe. Your menu for Saint Patrick’s Day sounds delicious. Thank you for checking out my recipes and ramblings and have a lovely Saint Patrick’s Day. Sending good wishes to you and yours that you too may stay safe and well.
All the best,
Mairéad
One of our favorite desserts in Apple Season. Make it so often yet we never get tired of it.
Thank you so much for giving this apple cake your seal of approval. It’s a simple yet delicious recipe and definitely one to be made over and over again.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Growing up in Galway, one of our neighbours used to make this cake and share it, but she never shared the recipe. I’ve tried many different versions, and this is the closest to what I remember!
Hi Aine – That’s wonderful. I’m delighted my recipe is close to the apple cake your neighbor made.
All the best,
Mairéad
My husband grew up in Ireland and was craving Kerry Apple Cake like his ma and nan used to make.
I used this recipe and it turned out perfect according to him.
I didn’t have ground clove so used cinnamon. I also cheated with the apples as we didn’t have any in the house but we did have a tin of pie apples so I used the whole tin (just cooked it a little longer and lower at the end).
Thank you for the recipe and helping me give my husband a taste of home. Living in hAustralia I was very thankful for the metric conversions too.
Hi Mel – Thanks for sharing your approval and great rating for this recipe. I’m so glad it helped you create a taste of home for your Irish husband. Thanks also for sharing your changes to the recipe – it’s great to have tips to help other readers be creative when they make this recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Great
Hi Ann – Glad you like this Irish apple cake. Best wishes for a very happy New Year.
Mairéad
Hi Mairéad,
My granddaughter and I made your Apple Kerry cake tonight for New Years Eve, and it came out absolutely perfect. We did use light brown sugar and a little cinnamon for the topping, and it worked just great. The cake was a big hit for sure, and we will be making this a lot in the future.
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you and your family
Hi Ken – I’m thrilled to hear my Kerry Apple cake was a success and a big hit in your house. It’s one of my favorite recipes. Thanks so much for checking out my recipes and ramblings.
Best wishes to you and yours for a very happy New Year.
All the best,
Mairéad
This is traditional Irish baking at its best. Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Hello,
I would love to make this cake. I am Australian and use weights for all my cooking. When I clicked on the Metric tab it just kept taking me to the beginning of the post rather than converting the ingredients.
Could you please tell me the weight of 3 cups of cake flour?
Warm regards from Australia,
Angela
Hi Angela – sorry to hear you had trouble toggling to the metric version of this recipe. I’ll check out what’s happening. In the meantime here are the ingredients, in metric measurements.
375 g cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
110 g butter
150 g sugar
4 large Granny Smith apples
2 large eggs
60 ml cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
I hope this cake turns out well for you.
All the best,
Mairéad
This was my first time making apple cake and it was a huge hit. Apart from being delicious, I love that it was simple enough for the kids to help make. I used Pink Lady apples since they’re my husband’s favorite. I was a little unsure when making the batter because it felt like it was mostly apples and just a bit of flour, but it baked up perfectly and the ratio of apples to cake was spot on. I made the egg custard too (also a first) and it was a fantastic pairing. What an amazing blog. I’m so glad I stumbled upon it! I plan on making this cake many more times. Thanks for sharing your heritage and your recipes.
Hi Amanda – I’m so glad your Irish apple cake was a great success. Pink Lady applies are a great choice for this cake. Custard sauce is the perfect pairing with this cake. I’m delighted you found this little Irish American corner of the internet. Thanks for checking out my recipes and I hope you’ll find many more Irish favorites in my recipe library. I hope you had a lovely Saint Patrick’s Day.
All the best,
Mairéad
An absolute win! I made this (the first time) for my family’s St. Patrick’s Day dinner this year. Your cake was an instant hit, and they’ve all asked me repeatedly to make it again. Thanks for sharing this delightful recipe.
Hi Rachel – I’m so glad this cake was approved by your family – it’s a simple yet delicious recipe, and a family favorite for me too. Thanks so much for rating my recipe. I really appreciate it.
Best wishes,
Mairéad