Easy 5-Ingredient Irish Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Centers
A nostalgic and comforting Irish apple cake featuring tender apples and surprise cream cheese centers, made with just five simple ingredients. Perfect for quick weeknight baking or special occasions.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: 65-70 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium apples, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or Gala preferred)
- 1 ½ cups self-rising flour (or 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour + 2 tsp baking powder + ½ tsp salt)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or non-stick spray.
- Peel and dice 2 medium apples into ½ inch pieces. Optionally toss with 1 tablespoon sugar for extra sweetness.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups self-rising flour and ¾ cup granulated sugar. Stir to mix evenly.
- Add ½ cup melted unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and stir gently until the mixture looks sandy and starts to come together.
- Fold in the diced apples gently until just combined.
- Cut 4 oz cream cheese into ½ inch cubes. Press half the batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
- Arrange the cream cheese cubes evenly over the batter layer, spacing them to avoid clumping.
- Spoon the remaining batter over the cream cheese cubes, spreading gently to cover completely.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out clean (avoid the cream cheese centers).
- Remove from oven and let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely or serve warm.
Notes
Use room temperature cream cheese to help cubes keep their shape during baking. Don’t overmix the batter to keep the cake tender. If the cake browns too quickly, tent with foil halfway through baking. Cooling the cake helps the cream cheese centers set perfectly. For dairy-free or vegan versions, use dairy-free cream cheese and substitute butter with coconut oil or vegan margarine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: Irish apple cake, cream cheese centers, easy apple cake, 5-ingredient dessert, homemade apple cake, quick apple cake, nostalgic dessert