Irish Apple Cake

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper — this prevents sticking and makes removal easier.

Step 2

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 0.25 teaspoon fine sea salt. Set this dry mixture aside.

Step 3

Peel 4 medium Granny Smith apples using a vegetable peeler, then cut them in half and scoop out the cores with a melon baller or small spoon. Slice each half into thin half-moons, about 1/4-inch thick, and set aside in a bowl.

Step 4

In a large mixing bowl, cream together 0.5 cup softened unsalted butter and 0.75 cup granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color — this incorporates air that helps the cake rise.

Step 5

Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition for about 1 minute. The mixture should look smooth and creamy, not curdled.

Step 6

Pour in 0.5 cup full-fat Greek yogurt and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then mix on low speed just until combined — do not overmix, or the cake will be tough.

Step 7

Add the reserved dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter should be thick and smooth with no streaks of flour visible.

Step 8

Gently fold the sliced apples into the batter with a few sweeping motions of the spatula — be gentle so the apples don't break apart and turn to mush.

Step 9

Pour the apple batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula so it bakes evenly.

Step 10

In a small bowl, combine 0.75 cup rolled oats, 0.5 cup packed light brown sugar, 0.25 cup all-purpose flour, and 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Add 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed, and using your fingertips, rub the mixture together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized clumps remaining — this creates a crispy, buttery topping.

Step 11

Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter, pressing it down very gently so it adheres but doesn't compress into a solid layer.

Step 12

Place the pan in your preheated 350°F oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cake (avoiding the apples) comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, and the top is golden brown. The cake should smell fragrant and cinnamon-forward.

Step 13

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes — this allows the crumb to set and makes removal easier. Then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes, before slicing.

Step 14

Slice into 8 wedges and serve at room temperature or slightly warm, with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like.