Apple Cake with Custard Sauce (Irish)

One of the best Irish desserts I have come across as of yet is this apple cake. It is so very tender and soft and is jam packed with apples. The apples hold their shape very well when baked and still almost have a little crisp to them. There is just the teeniest tiniest bit of spice and the top is crusted crunchy sugar. The cake is excellent all on it's own, but what really turns it into a decadent dessert is the custard sauce. Poured warm over the top of a slice of apple cake, its creamy sweetness is the perfect addition to the thick fruit filled cake. The custard sauce is not a thick, pudding like sauce. It should have a pour-able, just thickened consistency when done.

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
⅛ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
6 oz butter
¾ cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular)
4 large Granny Smith or golden delicious apples
2 eggs
¾ cup milk

Custard:
6 large egg yolks
6 Tbsp. sugar
1½ cup whole milk
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
2 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Grease and flour an 8" or 9" round springform pan. Using an 8" pan will give you a taller cake.

Make the Cake:
Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Make sure the bowl is very large to allow room for the apples to be folded in.

Cut the butter into the flour using your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Add the ¾ cup sugar to the flour mixture and mix in.

Peel the apples and slice them into uniform pieces. This cake works best and gets that 'chunky apple look' if the slices are about ¼" wide and then cut into 3 pieces. Toss the apples into the flour mixture and combine them thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together. Add to the apples and flour and mix in with a large spatula until just combined. Batter will be thick and dough-like.

Transfer the dough into the prepared cake pan and flatten the top surface using the back of your spatula. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the cake.

Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test the center for doneness. The top of the cake should be golden brown.

Make the Custard Sauce:
Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale yellow, 2-3 minutes. Place the milk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and stir over medium heat until custard thickens, about 4 minutes. Custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Mix in the vanilla. Transfer to bowl or serving saucer.

Serve apple cake slices with custard sauce.

Makes 12 servings.