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Mary Berry’s Wonderful Apple and Almond Cake

Mary Berry's autumnal almond and apple cake has the feel of a sponge pudding and is best served with your choice of cream or custard for the perfect post-roast dessert.

Introduction

A sponge dessert crammed with apples and with a hint of almond, too. This is ideal served warm with custard or cream for pudding.

Find all of the recipes from Mary 90 on BBC 2 in our recipe round-up, updated weekly.

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Ingredients

225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
225g (8oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
150g (5oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
350g (12oz) cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced (225g/8oz prepared weight)
25g (1oz) flaked almonds

Essential kit

You will need: a 20cm (8in) deep, loose-bottomed cake tin.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas 3. Grease the base of a 20cm (8in) deep, loose-bottomed cake tin and line with non-stick baking paper.

Measure the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Stir in the eggs, almond extract and butter. Beat well with an electric hand whisk until smooth.

Spoon half the mixture into the base of the prepared tin. Arrange the apple slices on top in a neat pattern – overlap the slices and pile them up slightly in the centre. Spoon over the remaining cake mixture, then level the surface.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the flaked almonds and bake in the preheated oven for about 1½ hours, until pale golden brown and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. The centre of the cake may have a slight dip, depending on the variety of apples used. Remove from the oven and release from the sides of the tin. Leave to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes.

Turn out the cake on to a serving plate and serve while it is still warm.

Mary’s Tips: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Freezes well.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

21 Ratings

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24 Comments

    default user avatar Dee

    I wonder if it is possible for this to be made in the Airfryer?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Dee,

    Thanks for your comment. Yes you could make this in the air fryer, baking at 160°C for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

    The Happy Foodie Team.

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    default user avatar Carol McCaffery

    How can I make this gluten free ?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Carol,

    Thanks for your comment. You could use gluten-free self-raising flour, using the same amount as stated in the recipe. Hope this helps!

    The Happy Foodie Team

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    default user avatar Anjella

    The best apple cake ever….
    Easy recipe and with the apples from my garden a family winner.

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    default user avatar Diane Moody

    Can you use eating apples?

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    default user avatar The Happy Foodie Team

    Hi Diane,

    Thanks for your comment. Yes absolutely, though the best apples to use would be Granny Smith and Braeburn as they hold their shape after baking.

    The Happy Foodie Team.

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    default user avatar Wendy Marsh

    Just made this cake and had a slice while it was still warm. Oh my goodness it was absolutely delicious! Love this recipe 💜

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    default user avatar Caroline Smith

    Fantastic! In fact going to make it this weekend for giests

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    default user avatar Gloria Lolly Hutton

    Going to make this at the weekend to Impress new man 👨

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    default user avatar Paela

    Sounds like a great cake, will find out when I bake it.

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    default user avatar Elizabeth

    Excellent Recipe. I use lemon zest (1 whole organic lemon) & it lifts this cake to an eben higher level!

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    default user avatar J J B

    I’ve made this cake several times. It’s delicious. I have found that 60 minutes is the maximum cooking time required. At 1 1/2 hours it’s over baked

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    default user avatar Irene

    Sounds perfect
    For this time of the year.

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    default user avatar Carys Mills

    Tastes lovely and wonderful with custard.

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    default user avatar Kevin john miller

    Easy to make tastes wonderful!

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    default user avatar Wolfgang Bohl

    Looked a very nice cake just to much sugar not good for diabetis

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    default user avatar Tricia Whiting

    This has been my favourite apple recipe since the 1980s but do not know if it was a Mary Berry recipe.

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    default user avatar Lazydaisy

    Really lovely. I sprinkled golden granulated sugar on the top as well which gave an added crunch.

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    default user avatar Sue Lloyd

    Been making this recipe for about 40 years, it is easy to make, tastes fantastic and we can’t get enough of it. Mary Berry had it published in a magazine in the early 1980’s it became a firm favourite from then on.

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    default user avatar Elaine Smith

    Excellent – Warm or cold. A family favourite 🍏🍎

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    default user avatar Lynda

    Cannot wait to make this

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    default user avatar Jane

    Excellent, I found it in Mary’s biography when she was 80. The book I picked up second hand! I have since shared the recipe with friends.

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    default user avatar Wendy Haigh

    I’ve been making this cake for years,it’s a big favourite with my family, l got it from an old recipe book of Mary’s in the eighties

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