Scrumptious Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce

This scrumptious Apple Cake is moist and flavorful while the custard sauce is simply divine!

This Apple Cake with Vanilla Custard Sauce does not need much introduction. It is a show-stopper, indeed. So pretty to look at – my hubby says it looks like it came from a Patisserie!

When you make it you are sure to impress your guests and they will think you really fussed over it. It’s not really difficult (you don’t even need a mixer though you may use one for convenience) and it’s guaranteed to please apple lovers and even those who may not care much for them.

This fall season this delicious cake has become our family’s new favorite sweet treat – after all, I already made this 3 times and looks like I will be making this some more! 🙂

If you wish to make this as a dessert, serve this with the custard sauce but if you wish to just have it simply with coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon, you can serve it on its own.

Of course, no one will stop you if you wish to add a scoop of Vanilla ice cream, too! Please enjoy!

Note: You can make a smaller/thinner cake like the first photo or double it to make it more substantial.  The recipe below has measurements for each. They are both good either way.

When I fancy a bigger cake, I simply double the recipe but for convenience, I added in the recipe below how I adjusted it. The measurements in parenthesis would be for the bigger version of the cake.

Needless to say, baking would take much longer for the double version and you may want to cover the cake pan with foil after 35-40 minutes to prevent over-browning of the top and then continue to bake until fully cooked.

Below is what the cake looks like when the recipe is doubled. It still comes out so yummy and moist!

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Ingredients

2-4 Granny Smith or other tart Apples (use 4 apples for the bigger cake version)
Juice of half a lemon 
1 cup all-purpose Flour (2 cups)
1 teaspoon Baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup Sugar (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 teaspoon Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon (1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg (1/2 teaspoon)
8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) Butter, softened to room temp (For the bigger cake – 1 cup Butter, softened to room temp). Set aside about a tablespoon for use later to drizzle on the baked cake)
1/2 cup Milk (1 cup)
2 Eggs, beaten lightly (3 eggs)
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon-Sugar (for dusting) (1 tablespoon sugar plus a pinch of ground cinnamon, mixed together)

For the Vanilla Custard Sauce

1 cup Milk
4 Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  If I am making the bigger version of the cake, I use a springform pan otherwise I use an 8-inch cake pan lined with parchment paper.

Squeeze the lemon to get the juice. Pour the juice into a bowl. Peel, core, and then cut the apples into thin slices. An apple slicer would be handy for this. Place the apple slices in the bowl with the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. Set aside enough apple slices as topping (about 1 apple). For the rest of the apple slices, coarsely cut them into smaller chunks as they would be added to the batter.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the softened butter then using a pastry blender process/mix until the butter is fully broken up into small pieces (about 1/3 of the size of a pea) and is well coated by the flour mixture. You may use an electric mixer to do this if you wish.

Pour in the milk, beaten eggs, and the vanilla extract. Stir until blended and smooth (no more big lumps).  Fold in the coarsely chopped apple chunks. Pour into the prepared pan.

Arrange the remaining apples on top in an attractive manner. I just form a circle using the Apples but feel free to be creative.

Bake for about 40 minutes (about 60 minutes or so for the bigger version) or until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed. You can insert a toothpick in the center as well and it’s done when it comes out clean. If doing the bigger version, cover the cake pan with a tent foil after 35-40 minutes to prevent over-browning of the top, and then continue to bake until fully cooked.

Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Immediately after, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. While butter is melting, sprinkle/dust the cake with Cinnamon-Sugar mixture. I have a  Cinnamon Sugar grinder which I use for this. If you don’t have one just combine a little ground cinnamon with some granulated white sugar and then sprinkle/dust it all over the cake. Drizzle or brush the melted butter all over the cake. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.

When the cake has cooled a bit, lift the cake from the pan, remove the parchment paper, and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Vanilla Custard Sauce

Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat up to medium until bubbles appear along the edges of the pan. In the meantime, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until thickened and has a lemony color. Slowly pour in the hot milk while stirring. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook between low to medium heat (not any higher than low to medium to avoid curdling) just until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Immediately remove from the heat. Strain the sauce in a sieve and then add the vanilla to the sauce. Serve the cake with the warm sauce!!! Drizzle or smother it with sauce, that is your choice!!!

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Last updated on October 13th, 2023 at 08:50 pm