Healthy Irish Apple Cake Recipe with Oat Streusel Topping
Apple cake is orchard baking. It is made in September and October when the apples are coming off the trees and there are more than anyone can eat fresh. In Ireland, where orchards grow Bramleys that are too tart to eat straight but magnificent when cooked, apple cake is a farmhouse staple: made simply, eaten generously, improved by the oat streusel topping that creates a crunchy, caramelised contrast to the soft, yielding apple-studded crumb below. This healthier version replaces a portion of the plain flour with oats and almond flour, reduces the butter and sugar meaningfully, and adds a generous amount of warming spices that make the kitchen smell like something worth leaving work early for.
Why this recipe works
Bramleys collapse to a fragrant, tart puree when baked, filling the crumb with soft pockets of cooked apple rather than discrete chunks. A couple of Braeburn apples mixed in provide a little structural contrast, with pieces that remain slightly firm. Cinnamon, cloves and a small amount of nutmeg provide the classic autumn spice profile that apple cake relies on. The oat streusel topping, made from oats, almond flour, coconut oil and a small amount of coconut sugar rubbed together, creates an irregular, crunchy surface that bakes to a deep golden and provides a textural contrast that a plain sponge top cannot match.
Getting it right
Toss the apple pieces in a small amount of the dry ingredients before folding them into the batter. This helps them stay suspended throughout the cake rather than sinking to the bottom during baking.
Scatter the streusel topping unevenly over the batter surface rather than spreading it in a flat layer. An uneven surface caramelises more dramatically and creates more interesting texture.
Common mistakes
Using only Bramley apples produces a cake that is almost entirely soft inside, with no textural contrast. The mix of Bramley and Braeburn gives the right balance of puree and chunk.
Adding too much apple makes the batter too wet and the cake takes much longer to bake through than expected. Weigh the apple after peeling and coring.
Substitutions
Pears can replace some or all of the apple for a softer, more fragrant result. Rhubarb mixed with the Bramley in early spring produces a sharper, pink-tinged version. The streusel topping can be replaced with a simple dust of cinnamon sugar for a plainer finish.
Serving suggestion
Serve warm with a generous pour of warm custard made with oat milk and vanilla, or a dollop of thick clotted cream for a more traditional Irish afternoon tea experience. Also excellent cold the next day with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 200 g whole spelt flour (plus a little extra for dusting)
- 80 g rolled oats (divided, 40g for batter and 40g for streusel)
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
- 0.3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 0.3 tsp fine sea salt
- 90 g coconut sugar (divided, 70g for batter and 20g for streusel)
- 2 large free-range eggs (at room temperature)
- 120 ml unsweetened oat milk (or any plant-based milk)
- 60 ml cold-pressed coconut oil (melted and slightly cooled, plus extra for streusel)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (pure, not imitation)
- 400 g Bramley or Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored and thinly sliced, roughly 3 medium apples)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed, to toss with apple slices)
- 3 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil (solid state, for the streusel topping)
- 2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional, for extra crunch on streusel)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 175C fan or 190C conventional. Lightly grease a 20cm round springform cake tin with a little coconut oil and dust with a small amount of spelt flour, tapping out any excess.
A springform tin makes it much easier to remove the cake cleanly without disturbing that lovely streusel topping.
- 2
Peel, core and thinly slice the apples to roughly 3mm thickness. Toss them immediately in the lemon juice to prevent browning, then set aside.
Uniform thin slices cook evenly inside the cake. A mandoline slicer speeds this up considerably if you have one.
- 3
In a large bowl, whisk together the spelt flour, 40g of the rolled oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, the nutmeg, salt and 70g of the coconut sugar until evenly combined.
- 4
In a separate jug, whisk together the eggs, oat milk, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
Make sure the coconut oil is not piping hot when you add the eggs or it may start to cook them.
- 5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky.
A few small lumps are completely fine. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cake tough.
- 6
Make the streusel topping by combining the remaining 40g of oats, 20g of coconut sugar, 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon and the flaked almonds if using. Rub in the 3 tablespoons of solid coconut oil with your fingertips until the mixture clumps into rough, pea-sized crumbs.
Cold solid coconut oil works better here than melted. If your kitchen is warm and the oil has melted, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes first.
- 7
Spoon roughly half the cake batter into the prepared tin and spread it out to an even layer. Arrange two thirds of the apple slices evenly over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top and spread gently to cover the apples.
- 8
Arrange the remaining apple slices over the top of the batter in a simple overlapping pattern if you like, then scatter the streusel topping evenly over everything.
Pressing the streusel very gently into the surface helps it stick rather than slide off when you slice the cake.
- 9
Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until the streusel is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too quickly after 30 minutes, loosely tent with foil.
Every oven runs a little differently. Start checking at the 40-minute mark to be safe.
- 10
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before carefully releasing the springform clip. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least a further 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Slicing while the cake is still very hot can cause it to crumble. A little patience goes a long way here.
Nutrition per serving
228kcal
Calories
5g
Protein
30g
Carbs
10g
Fat
4g
Fibre
12g
Sugar
145mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Bramley apples give the most authentic sharp flavour. Granny Smith is a great alternative and easier to find year-round.
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Whole spelt flour can be swapped for whole wheat flour in equal amounts if that is what you have in the cupboard.
- ✓
Toasting the flaked almonds for the streusel in a dry pan for 2 minutes before using them adds a lovely depth of flavour.
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This cake tastes even better the day after baking once the spices have had time to mellow and meld.
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For a special occasion, serve warm slices with a spoonful of thick natural Greek yogurt mixed with a little honey and vanilla.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Apple and Pear Version
Replace half the apple with ripe but firm pear slices for a slightly sweeter, floral twist on the traditional recipe. Bosc or Conference pears hold up well to baking.
- •
Warming Ginger Spice
Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger and a small pinch of ground cloves to the batter alongside the cinnamon for a spicier, more warming flavour profile that works brilliantly in autumn and winter.
- •
Citrus Zest Lift
Stir the finely grated zest of one unwaxed orange or lemon into the batter for a bright, fragrant note that lifts the whole cake. This pairs especially well with Granny Smith apples.
- •
Seed and Nut Streusel
Add 2 tablespoons of mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds to the streusel along with the oats for extra crunch, healthy fats and a nutritional boost.
Substitutions
- •Whole spelt flour → Whole wheat flour (Use the exact same quantity. The flavour will be slightly more earthy but the texture is very similar.)
- •Coconut sugar → Light muscovado sugar or maple syrup (If using maple syrup, reduce the oat milk by 2 tablespoons to compensate for the extra liquid.)
- •Coconut oil → Unsalted butter or light olive oil (Butter gives a richer flavour. Light olive oil keeps the recipe dairy-free and adds a subtle fruitiness.)
- •Oat milk → Any plant-based milk or regular semi-skimmed milk (Almond, soy or regular dairy milk all work well here in equal quantities.)
- •Eggs → Flax eggs (For a vegan version, use 2 flax eggs: 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons of water, left to gel for 10 minutes. The texture will be slightly denser.)
🧊 Storage
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. The streusel will soften slightly in the fridge. To refresh individual slices, warm in a 160C oven for 8 to 10 minutes to crisp up the topping again.
📅 Make Ahead
This cake can be baked a day in advance and actually improves overnight as the spices deepen. Store covered at room temperature. You can also prepare the streusel topping up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge in a sealed container until you are ready to bake.
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