Irish Apple Cake

Irish apple cake is less a cake and more a shortbread sandwich: a rich, butter-heavy dough pressed into the pan, layered with spiced applesauce, and finished with a crumbled second layer of the same dough on top. The egg yolk dough bakes to a golden, tender crumb that falls somewhere between a shortbread and a scone.

Lemon zest brightens the richness of the butter and plays off the cinnamon and cloves. The warm spices do the heavy work of flavoring the applesauce, so don’t skip or skimp them.

Pressing half the dough into the pan to form a crust and sprinkling the other half on top in a rough crumble is the technique that defines this cake. Don’t overwork the top layer into a solid sheet; you want a patchy, rustic finish that bakes up with craggy edges.

Pro Tips

• Use unsweetened applesauce if you can find it, or a chunky applesauce for more texture. Heavily sweetened applesauce turns the cake cloying.
• The dough is crumbly and doesn’t form a traditional dough ball. That’s correct. Press it firmly into the pan to hold together.
• Test with a toothpick or skewer at 40 minutes. It should come out with a few moist crumbs.
• Serve warm, straight from the pan. The cake firms up as it cools and loses some of its rustic appeal.

Variations

• Stir ½ cup of raisins or currants into the applesauce for a more traditional finish.
• Swap applesauce for freshly peeled and sliced Bramley or Granny Smith apples for a chunkier version.
• Drizzle with a simple lemon glaze once cooled for a fancier presentation.