Recipe: Irish Apple Cake (8-inch square)

IRISH APPLE CAKE

"Food historian and cookbook author Theodora FitzGibbon once said, "All Irish people have a very sweet tooth," and if you grew up in an Irish household you know this to be true. In the earliest times, the sweet was a simple concoction of fruit and honey; later, cooks found that fruit and berries were equally delicious baked in pies, puddings, and cakes. Apples are the basis of many traditional and contemporary Irish desserts."

4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and diced (2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (for serving)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8-inch square cake pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, apples, nuts, and vanilla and stir well.

Sift in the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the cake is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cook in the pan for 5 minutes, then unmold.

Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Makes 1 (8-inch) square cake, 10-12 servings
Source: The Irish Heritage Cookbook by Margaret M. Johnson