Mary Berry Apple and Lemon Cake Recipe

This apple and lemon cake is a light yet comforting bake with a moist crumb, gentle sweetness, and a fresh citrus lift. Soft cooked apples run through the sponge, while lemon zest adds brightness without overpowering the flavour. It is an easy, reliable cake that suits confident beginners and experienced bakers alike. From start to finish, it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes including cooling.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp milk

For the apple layer

• 3 medium eating apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

To finish

• Icing sugar, for dusting

How to Make Mary Berry Apple and Lemon Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking parchment and place it on the middle shelf.
• Prepare the apples: Toss the diced apples with the lemon juice and caster sugar. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
• Make the cake mixture: Place the softened butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and milk into a large bowl. Beat well until pale, smooth, and fully combined.
• Assemble: Spoon half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level gently. Scatter over the apples evenly, then carefully spread the remaining mixture on top.
• Bake: Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until well risen, golden, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
• Cool: Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips for Best Results

How do I stop the apples sinking?

Cut the apples into small, even dice and pat them dry if very juicy. Layering them between the batter rather than stirring them in helps keep them evenly distributed.

Can I make the flavour more lemony?

You can add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice to the milk, but avoid adding too much liquid or the cake may become heavy.

Why is my cake browning too quickly?

If the top colours before the centre is cooked, loosely cover with foil for the final 10 minutes of baking.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with lightly whipped cream
• Enjoy with a cup of tea as an afternoon cake
• Add custard for a simple dessert

Storage

Room temperature

Keep the cake in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator

Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.

Freezing

Freeze the cooled cake, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature.

Nutrition

• Calories: 385 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 19g
• Saturated fat: 11g
• Sodium: 180mg

Nutrition values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients used.

FAQs

Mary Berry Apple and Lemon Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A moist apple and lemon sponge with a light citrus flavour and soft texture. An easy, reliable cake for everyday baking.

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened

• 225g caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Zest of 2 lemons

• 2 tbsp milk

• 3 apples, diced

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp caster sugar

• Icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 23cm cake tin.
• Toss apples with lemon juice and sugar.
• Beat all cake ingredients until smooth.
• Layer batter and apples in tin.
• Bake for 45–50 minutes until cooked through.
• Cool before turning out and dusting with icing sugar.

Notes

• Use eating apples for best texture.
• Do not overmix the batter.
• Cake freezes well once cooled.