Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake Recipe

The smell of this cake baking is one of the best smells a kitchen can produce. Warm cinnamon, sweet apple, brown butter — it fills the house from the moment the tin goes into the oven and it does not fade until the last slice is eaten.

My children appear from wherever they have been the moment they smell it and hover near the kitchen pretending to have always been there.

Apple and cinnamon is one of those combinations that has been working in British baking for centuries and continues to work because it is simply right.

The slight sharpness of a good cooking or eating apple against the warm, slightly sweet heat of cinnamon — in a moist, generous sponge that is better the next day than the day it is made — is genuinely one of the finest things you can bake.

Mary Berry’s apple and cinnamon cake uses diced apple throughout the batter rather than grated, which gives distinct pieces of soft, tender apple in every slice rather than moisture alone.

The cinnamon sugar sprinkled over the top before baking gives a slightly crunchy, caramelised crust that makes this cake completely irresistible.

Diced Apple Versus Grated Apple — Why Both Approaches Work

In the best apple cake recipe on this site I use grated apple for maximum moisture distribution. In this apple and cinnamon cake I use diced apple for distinct pieces that you can see and taste in every slice.

Both are right for different things. Grated apple gives a uniformly moist, dense crumb. Diced apple gives pockets of soft, tender fruit throughout a slightly lighter sponge. They are different cakes made with the same fruit and both are completely wonderful.

For this particular recipe — the cinnamon cake — diced apple is the right choice. You want to taste the apple as well as the cinnamon and the sponge, and diced gives you that.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake

For the Cake

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225g self-raising flour, sifted
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350g eating apples (Cox, Braeburn, or Russet — about 3 medium), peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice

For the Cinnamon Sugar Top

• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional but Lovely)

• 200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 75g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

How to Make Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease a deep 20cm round springform tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

Mix the demerara sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 2 — Make the Batter

Beat the softened butter and soft light brown sugar together with an electric hand whisk for four to five minutes until pale and fluffy. The brown sugar gives a deeper, more molasses-like flavour than white caster — this is exactly what you want.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, and baking powder. Add the milk. Fold gently until just combined.

Step 3 — Fold in the Apple

Add the diced apple to the batter and fold through gently. The batter will be quite thick — this is correct. The diced apple will soften and release some of its moisture during baking, which keeps the cake wonderfully moist.

Step 4 — Fill and Top

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and spread evenly. Scatter the cinnamon demerara mixture generously over the entire surface — this is what gives the cake its beautiful crunchy, caramelised top.

Step 5 — Bake

Bake on the middle shelf for 45 to 55 minutes until deep golden, the top is set and crunchy from the cinnamon sugar, and a skewer inserted into the very centre comes out clean.

Check at 45 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly before the centre is done, cover loosely with baking parchment and continue baking.

Leave to cool in the tin for twenty minutes before releasing the springform and transferring to a wire rack.

Step 6 — Serve or Frost

This cake is wonderful completely plain — the cinnamon sugar top is all the decoration it needs. But if you want something more elaborate for a celebration, the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is genuinely excellent.

For the frosting — beat the cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and light. Spread generously over the cooled cake.

My Top Tips For Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake

Use eating apples not Bramleys for this recipe. Unlike the apple crumble where Bramleys are essential, this cake benefits from eating apples that hold their shape slightly during baking. Bramleys collapse completely into the batter and give moisture but no distinct apple pieces. Cox, Braeburn, or Russet give soft, tender pieces that hold their shape and taste genuinely of apple.

Brown sugar is better than white here. The soft light brown sugar gives the cake a warm, slightly caramel note that suits both the apple and the cinnamon beautifully. It also gives a darker, more attractive crumb.

Do not skip the demerara cinnamon top. This is the detail that makes the cake. The demerara crystals do not fully dissolve during baking — they stay slightly crunchy and caramelise into a beautiful, sugary crust. It is the best part.

Use a springform tin. The crunchy cinnamon top makes this cake very difficult to turn out from a regular tin without damaging it. A springform tin allows you to release the sides while keeping the beautiful top intact.

This cake is better on day two. The apple moisture migrates through the sponge overnight and the whole cake becomes more evenly moist and more deeply flavoured. Make it the day before if you can.

Serving Suggestions

Warm with a spoonful of clotted cream or crème fraîche — the combination of warm cinnamon cake and cold cream is genuinely excellent. At room temperature as an afternoon tea cake.

Cold from the tin on day two — arguably the best moment. With a cup of tea on a grey October afternoon when everything outside is wet and you need something that reminds you that autumn has its compensations.

How to Store Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake

At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The cake genuinely improves over the first two days.

In the freezer: Freeze unfrosted slices individually for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's apple and cinnamon cake is moist, warmly spiced, and packed with apple — the perfect autumn bake.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Cooling Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 10 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 335

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Cake:
• 225 g unsalted butter softened
• 200 g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 225 g self-raising flour sifted
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 350 g eating apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
• Cinnamon Sugar Top:
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Optional:
• 200 g full-fat cream cheese room temperature
• 75 g unsalted butter softened
• 200 g icing sugar sifted
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

CHECK THIS RECIPE  Mary Berry Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a deep 20cm springform tin. Mix demerara and cinnamon — set aside.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
3. Sift in flour, spices, and baking powder. Add milk. Fold gently until just combined.
4. Fold in diced apple.
5. Spoon into tin — spread evenly. Scatter cinnamon demerara over entire surface.
6. Bake 45–55 minutes until golden, top is crunchy, and skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely if browning too quickly.
7. Cool in tin 20 minutes. Release springform. Cool on wire rack. Serve plain or frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Notes

Use eating apples not Bramleys — they hold their shape and give distinct pieces.

Soft light brown sugar gives a better, warmer flavour than white.

Do not skip the demerara cinnamon top — it gives the crunchy caramelised crust.

Use a springform tin — the crunchy top makes removal from a fixed tin difficult.

This cake is better on day two — make it ahead if possible.

Stores in an airtight container for 4 days. Freezes unfrosted for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add raisins or sultanas to this cake?

Yes — 75g of sultanas or raisins folded in with the apple give an extra sweetness and a more traditional fruit cake character. They work very well.

Can I make this as a traybake?

Yes — pour the batter into a greased and lined 30x23cm traybake tin. Scatter the cinnamon demerara over the top. Bake at the same temperature for 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares to serve.

Can I use gluten-free flour?

Yes — substitute the self-raising flour with a good quality gluten-free self-raising flour blend. The result is virtually identical.

Why is my cake sinking in the middle?

Either the oven door was opened too early, the batter was overmixed, or there was too much liquid from the apple. Make sure the apple is properly diced rather than grated and do not open the oven before 40 minutes.

Can I use pears instead of apples?

Yes — ripe but firm pears give a slightly sweeter, more delicate result. The cinnamon pairs beautifully with pear. Use the same quantity and method.