Rachel Allen’s Irish Apple Cake

Irish Apple Cake

(Makes 6 servings)

• 8 ounces (225 g) plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) butter
• 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) sugar, plus 2 tbsp
• 1 egg, beaten
• Approximately 3 1/2 ounces (100 mL) milk
• 1 large cooking apple, about 11 ounces (300 g) in weight
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Softly whipped cream, to serve

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch pie dish. Mix flour with baking powder. Rub in butter with your fingertips until texture resembles breadcrumbs. Add sugar, beaten egg and enough milk to form soft dough. Pat out half of dough in greased pie dish (don’t worry — it is supposed to be very wet).

Peel, core, and chop apple 3/4-inch cubes. Arrange apples on dough and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and cinnamon. Gently spoon out remaining dough on top of apples to cover them completely. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and cut a slit through middle of top dough. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until golden and crunchy on outside (apples should be soft on the inside). Serve with softly whipped cream.

Rachel’s Tip: If the butter is cold (just taken from the fridge), grate it into the flour and it will rub in within a couple of seconds.

Nutritional Information Per Serving

• Calories: 351
• Total Fat: 11 g
• Saturated Fat: 6 g
• Sodium: 140 mg
• Carbohydrate: 56 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Diabetic Exchanges: 3 starch, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat

If you think this is good, you should try Rachel Allen’s Sticky Cumin and Apricot Roast Carrots and Parsnips.

Recipe from Rachel’s Irish Family Food, by Rachel Allen, published by HarperCollins (2013); Photography © 2013 by Lis Parsons.

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