Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Old Irish Apple Cake delivers a cozy, crispy, and golden treat. My family begs for this every autumn. After making this dozens of times, I know the trick to perfect texture. The cinnamon streusel adds a rich, sweet crunch. Try it with my Classic Seafood Stew with Creamy Rouille Sauce. Jump to Recipe If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Classic Seafood Stew with Creamy Rouille Sauce and Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes Recipe for Easy Dessert.

What You'll Need for Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 2 cups peeled and sliced apples
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Optional: whipped cream
• Optional: vanilla ice cream
• Optional: cinnamon sticks

How to Make Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add butter: Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix apples, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar.
5. Combine: Stir in milk until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake: Bake for 40–45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool: Let the cake cool completely before adding the streusel topping.
8. Make streusel: Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup butter until crumbly.
9. Add streusel: Sprinkle the streusel over the cooled cake.
10. Rebake for 10–15 minutes until the streusel is golden.:

Storing & Reheating Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Make-ahead tip: Make the cake up to 2 days in advance and add the streusel just before rebaking.

Freezing Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes. Microwave: Reheat in 30-second intervals until warm.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: Let the cake cool completely before adding the streusel to avoid melting.
• Best substitution: Use parchment paper to line the pan for easy release.
• Make-ahead: Prepare the streusel ahead and store in an airtight container.
• Scaling: Double the recipe for a larger pan or batch.
• Troubleshooting: If the cake is too dry, add a little more milk or drizzle with a bit of syrup.

Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

⏱

Prep

20 mins

🍳

Cook

45 mins

⏳

Total

1 hr 5 mins

🍽

Serves

8 servings

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 2 cups peeled and sliced apples
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk

Seasonings

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Optional Toppings

• whipped cream
• vanilla ice cream
• cinnamon sticks

Instructions

1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add butter: Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Mix wet ingredients: In another bowl, mix apples, nutmeg, cloves, and brown sugar.
5. Combine: Stir in milk until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
6. Bake: Bake for 40–45 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. Cool: Let the cake cool completely before adding the streusel topping.
8. Make streusel: Mix 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup butter until crumbly.
9. Add streusel: Sprinkle the streusel over the cooled cake.
10. Rebake for 10–15 minutes until the streusel is golden.:

Notes

• Chef tip: Let the cake cool completely before adding the streusel to avoid melting.
• Best substitution: Use parchment paper to line the pan for easy release.
• Make-ahead: Prepare the streusel ahead and store in an airtight container.
• Scaling: Double the recipe for a larger pan or batch.
• Troubleshooting: If the cake is too dry, add a little more milk or drizzle with a bit of syrup.

Storage

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat in 30-second intervals until warm.
• Make ahead: Make the cake up to 2 days in advance and add the streusel just before rebaking.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 320
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 12g
• Carbs: 43g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 22g
• Sodium: 45mg
• Cholesterol: 30mg
• Sat. Fat: 7g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Old Irish Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!