Irish apple cake with whiskey caramel sauce

12

Serves

-

Prep Time

-

Cook Time

Serve this spicy apple cake warm with lashing of whipped cream or ice cream and the decadent caramel sauce.

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Ingredients

For the Irish apple cake

  • 6 apples — peeled, cored and cut into 1cm cubes
  • 2½ cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1½ teaspoons mixed spice
  • 2¾ cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup Irish whiskey
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 4 eggs
  • ⅔ cup chopped walnuts

For the whiskey caramel sauce

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ⅓ cup Irish whiskey
  • ½ cup cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Method

For the Irish apple cake with whiskey caramel sauce

  • Preheat the oven to 175°C (160°C fan bake). Line a 23cm-diameter, 9cm-deep round cake tin with baking paper.
  • Mix the diced apples with the cinnamon, mixed spice and ½ cup of the sugar. Set aside.
  • Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in an electric mixer or large bowl. Set aside.
  • Combine the remaining 2 cups of sugar, with the oil, whiskey, vanilla and orange zest and juice in another bowl.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat to combine. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions.
  • Pour half the batter into the prepared tin. Top with half the apples. Add the remaining batter, then top with the remaining apples, including their juice. Top with the walnuts.
  • Bake for 1¼–1½ hours or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes then transfer to a serving platter.
  • To make the Whiskey Caramel Sauce, heat the sugar and water in a pan over a medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally so the sugar melts evenly and becomes a dark amber. The mixture may seize, but then comes back.
  • Add the whiskey and carefully ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. When the flame dies out, stir in the cream and bring to the boil. Boil, whisking continuously, until reduced by a third. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour over the apple cake to serve.