Description
A tender, buttery sponge cake layered with soft apples, a hint of cinnamon, and a delicate sugar crust, inspired by Mary Berry’s timeless style.
Ingredients
- Baking Apples: 450 g, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted Butter: 200 g (14 tbsp), softened
- Caster Sugar: 180 g (about 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- Eggs: 3 large, room temperature
- Self-Raising Flour: 225 g (1 3/4 cups leveled)
- Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Whole Milk: 2 tablespoons
- Demerara Sugar: 2 tablespoons, for topping
- Fine Sea Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line the base of a 23 cm (9-inch) springform tin with parchment and lightly grease the sides.
- Beat butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in vanilla and milk until just combined.
- Toss apple slices with lemon juice, fold two-thirds into the batter.
- Spoon batter into prepared tin, level with a spatula, and arrange remaining apples on top in overlapping circles.
- Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool 10 minutes in tin, then release and transfer to a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Use firm, tart apples like Bramley or Granny Smith for the best texture and flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter, it keeps the crumb soft.
- If the cake browns too quickly, cover loosely with parchment during baking.
- Note: This cake is best enjoyed fresh but keeps well for 2–3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg