Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake Recipe

This Mary Berry-style apple and cinnamon cake is a soft, buttery traybake packed with tender apple pieces and a warm cinnamon swirl. It bakes up light yet moist, with a gently spiced crumb and a crisp, sugary top. It’s an easy, classic home-baking cake that suits beginners, and it comes together in about 1 hour 15 minutes including cooling time.

What Is Apple and Cinnamon Cake Like?

This is a simple British-style apple cake baked as a traybake, so you get generous slices with very little fuss. The crumb is soft and buttery, the apples turn tender and jammy at the edges, and the cinnamon gives a warm, bakery-style aroma. The demerara sugar on top adds a light crunch that makes each bite extra satisfying.

Ingredients

For the apple cake batter

• 225g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2–3 tbsp milk
• 3 medium apples (about 450–500g), peeled, cored, diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (to stop the apples browning)

For the cinnamon swirl

• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the topping (and optional glaze)

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)
• 75g icing sugar (optional, for a drizzle)
• 1–2 tbsp milk (optional, for a drizzle)

How to Make Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Grease and line a 23 x 30cm traybake tin with baking parchment, leaving a little overhang so you can lift the cake out easily.
• Get the apples ready: Peel, core, and dice the apples into small chunks (about 1–1.5cm). Toss with the lemon juice and set aside so they stay fresh while you mix the batter.
• Mix the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, stir together the light brown sugar and cinnamon. Keep it near the tin as you’ll layer it in a moment.
• Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale, fluffy, and well combined. This takes 2–3 minutes with an electric mixer and helps the cake rise evenly.
• Add the eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks like it might curdle, add a spoonful of the flour. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the dry ingredients: Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Fold gently until you can’t see any dry flour, then add 2 tbsp milk. The batter should be thick but drop easily from a spoon. Add the extra 1 tbsp milk only if it feels very stiff.
• Stir in the apples: Fold the diced apples through the batter so they’re evenly distributed. Try not to overmix once the flour is in.
• Layer and top: Spoon half the batter into the lined tin and level it gently. Sprinkle over the cinnamon swirl mixture, then add the remaining batter and smooth the top. Finish with demerara sugar (and flaked almonds, if using).
• Bake: Bake for 35–45 minutes, until golden and springy in the centre. A skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean or with a few soft crumbs, but no wet batter.
• Cool and slice: Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment and cool completely on a wire rack. For the neatest slices, wait until fully cool before cutting into 12 squares.
• Optional glaze: Mix the icing sugar with just enough milk to make a thick drizzle, then spoon it over the cooled cake. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Results

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

The most common causes are underbaking or opening the oven door too early. Bake until the centre feels springy and a skewer comes out clean, and try not to check before 30 minutes.

How do I stop the apples from sinking?

Dice the apples fairly small and fold them through a thick batter. If your apples are very juicy, pat them dry after dicing. You can also toss them with 1 tsp flour (taken from the measured flour) before folding in.

How can I keep the cake moist for days?

Do not overbake it. Pull it out as soon as the centre is set, then cool and store airtight. The apple pieces help retain moisture, but the cake will dry out if left uncovered.

What apples work best for apple and cinnamon cake?

A mix is lovely: one tart cooking apple for flavour and two sweeter apples for texture. If you only have dessert apples, the cake will still taste great, just slightly sweeter and less sharp.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve slightly warm with custard for a cosy dessert.
• Pair with vanilla ice cream and a pinch of extra cinnamon.
• Enjoy at room temperature with tea or coffee.
• Add a spoonful of crème fraîche for a tangy contrast.

Storage

Room temperature

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is warm, keep it in the coolest spot and avoid direct sunlight.

Refrigerator

For longer keeping, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring slices back to room temperature before serving, or warm gently for 10–15 seconds in the microwave.

Freezing

Freeze individual slices wrapped well, then placed in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature.

Nutrition

• Calories: 330 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 44 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated fat: 9 g
• Sodium: 180 mg

Disclaimer: Nutrition values are estimates and will vary depending on ingredients and portion size.

FAQs

Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Total time

75

minutes

Calories

330

kcal

1

hour 

A soft, buttery apple and cinnamon traybake with a sweet cinnamon swirl and a crisp sugar topping. Easy to make, beautifully spiced, and perfect with a cup of tea.

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)

• 225g caster sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp fine salt

• 2–3 tbsp milk

• 3 medium apples (about 450–500g), peeled, cored, diced

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (to stop the apples browning)

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tbsp light brown sugar (for the swirl)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (for the swirl)

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar (for the topping)

• 1 tbsp flaked almonds (optional)

• 75g icing sugar (optional glaze)

• 1–2 tbsp milk (optional glaze)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 23 x 30cm traybake tin with baking parchment.
• Toss the diced apples with lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix the swirl sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.
• Beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and enough milk to make a thick, dropping batter.
• Fold in the diced apples. Spoon half the batter into the tin, sprinkle over the cinnamon swirl, then add the remaining batter and gently level.
• Sprinkle with demerara sugar (and flaked almonds if using). Bake for 35–45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Optional: mix icing sugar with a little milk and drizzle over the cooled cake before slicing.

Notes

• Dice the apples fairly small so they soften evenly.
• Don’t overmix once the flour goes in, or the cake can turn tough.
• For neat slices, cool fully before cutting.