Mary Berry’s Best Apple Cake Recipe

This classic apple cake is soft, moist, and gently spiced, with tender pieces of apple running through every slice. It is an easy, dependable bake that suits confident beginners and experienced home bakers alike. The texture is light yet comforting, with a delicate sweetness that never feels heavy. From start to finish, it comes together in under 90 minutes, making it perfect for a relaxed afternoon bake.

Ingredients

For the apple cake

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp milk
• 3 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored, and diced

For the topping

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

How to Make Mary Berry’s Best Apple Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Grease and line a 23cm square or round cake tin and set it aside.
• Mix the cake batter: Place the butter, light brown sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and milk into a large bowl. Beat together until smooth and well combined.
• Add the apples: Gently fold in the diced apples so they are evenly distributed through the mixture.
• Fill the tin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon.
• Add the topping: Mix the demerara sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the cake.
• Bake: Bake in the centre of the oven for 50–60 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 before slicing.

Tips

How do I stop the cake from sinking?

Make sure the oven is fully preheated and avoid opening the door during the first 40 minutes of baking.

Which apples work best?

Cooking apples such as Bramley give the best balance of sweetness and sharpness, but firm eating apples also work.

Can I make this lighter?

You can replace half the butter with baking spread, but the flavour will be slightly less rich.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm with custard
• Enjoy with a spoonful of softly whipped cream
• Pair with tea for a classic afternoon treat

Storage

Room temperature

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator

Keeps well for up to 5 days when chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Freezing

Wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before eating.

Nutrition

• Calories: 395 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 48g
• Protein: 5g
• Fat: 20g
• Saturated fat: 12g
• Sodium: 210mg

Nutritional values are estimates and may vary.

FAQs

Mary Berry’s Best Apple 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 soft, lightly spiced apple cake packed with tender apples and finished with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping.

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened

• 225g light brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp milk

• 3 medium apples, diced

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and prepare tin.
• Mix all cake ingredients until smooth.
• Fold in apples and spoon into tin.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping.
• Bake for 50–60 minutes until golden and cooked through.
• Cool before slicing and serving.

Notes

• Do not overmix once apples are added.
• Cover loosely if browning too quickly.