Mary Berry Apple Cake Traybake Recipe

The apple cake traybake is the most practical version of an apple cake for anyone feeding a large group. All the flavour and moistness of a great apple cake — plenty of apple throughout, warm spices, a buttery sponge — in a format that cuts into twenty-four neat squares, travels perfectly, and keeps for four days in an airtight container.

This recipe sits alongside the best apple cake, the Dorset apple traybake, and the apple and cinnamon cake on this site — each one slightly different in approach.

This traybake version uses a combination of grated and diced apple for both maximum moisture throughout the sponge and distinct, soft apple pieces in every bite. The cinnamon demerara topping caramelises during baking into a lightly crunchy crust.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Apple Cake Traybake

For the Traybake

• 300g unsalted butter, softened
• 275g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 300g self-raising flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g eating apples (Cox or Braeburn), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated — include all juice
• 200g eating apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
• Juice of ½ lemon — toss with the diced apple to prevent browning

For the Cinnamon Demerara Topping

• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Frosting (Optional — for a more indulgent version)

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

How to Make Mary Berry Apple Cake Traybake

Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease a 33x23cm traybake tin and line with baking parchment, leaving overhang at both long sides.

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

Toss the diced apple with the lemon juice immediately after cutting. Set aside with the grated apple.

Step 2 — Make the Batter

Beat the softened butter and soft light brown sugar together for four to five minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, mixed spice, ginger, and salt directly into the bowl. Add the milk and vanilla. Fold gently until just combined.

Step 3 — Fold in the Apple

Add the grated apple — including all its juice — and the diced apple to the batter. Fold through gently until evenly distributed. The batter will be quite thick and heavy with apple. This is correct — the apple releases moisture during baking and keeps the traybake exceptionally moist.

Step 4 — Fill and Top

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Spread evenly to the corners — the batter is thick and needs a palette knife or offset spatula to reach the edges.

Scatter the cinnamon demerara mixture evenly over the entire surface.

Step 5 — Bake

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the traybake is deep golden, the top is slightly crunchy from the demerara, and a skewer inserted into the very centre comes out clean.

Check at 35 minutes — if the top is browning too quickly cover loosely with baking parchment and continue baking until the skewer is clean.

Step 6 — Cool and Serve

Leave to cool completely in the tin — at least one hour. The apple releases a lot of moisture during baking and the traybake needs time to set properly before cutting.

Lift out using the parchment overhang. If frosting, spread the cream cheese frosting over the completely cooled traybake. If not, the demerara top is all the decoration it needs.

Cut into 20 to 24 squares.

My Top Tips For Perfect Apple Cake Traybake

Use both grated and diced apple. Grated apple distributes moisture throughout every part of the sponge — no dry bits, every bite moist. Diced apple gives distinct, identifiable pieces of soft fruit. The combination gives a traybake that is both uniformly moist and texturally interesting.

Include all the juice from the grated apple. Every drop of that juice is flavour and moisture. Do not drain it. It goes directly into the batter.

Toss diced apple in lemon juice immediately. Eating apples oxidise quickly once cut. Even five minutes without lemon juice gives browning that is visible in the finished traybake.

Soft light brown sugar gives better flavour than white caster. The molasses note in brown sugar suits the apple and spice combination far better than plain white sugar.

Cool completely before cutting. One hour minimum. The apple moisture needs time to distribute evenly through the sponge as it cools. Cut too early and the squares are slightly wet and do not hold their shape.

Serving Suggestions

At room temperature as an afternoon tea cake. Warm with clotted cream or crème fraîche alongside. As a bake sale item — the demerara top looks very attractive. As a crowd-pleasing birthday cake alternative when a large group needs feeding.

How to Store Apple Cake Traybake

At room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The apple keeps the traybake moist throughout.

In the freezer: Freeze in squares individually wrapped for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

Mary Berry Apple Cake Traybake Recipe

Mary Berry's apple cake traybake is a moist, warmly spiced traybake packed with apple and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar crust.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 20 Squares

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 220

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Traybake:
• 300 g unsalted butter softened
• 275 g soft light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• 300 g self-raising flour sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 4 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g eating apples peeled, cored, and coarsely grated — all juice included
• 200 g eating apples peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
• Juice of ½ lemon toss with diced apple immediately
• Cinnamon Demerara Topping:
• 3 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp ground 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 vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

CHECK THIS RECIPE  Mary Berry Coffee and Walnut Traybake Recipe

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line a 33x23cm tin. Mix demerara and cinnamon — set aside. Toss diced apple in lemon juice immediately — set aside.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Sift in flour, baking powder, and spices. Add milk and vanilla — fold gently until just combined.
3. Fold in grated apple (with all juice) and diced apple until evenly distributed.
4. Spoon into tin — spread evenly to corners. Scatter cinnamon demerara over entire surface.
5. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden and skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely if browning too quickly.
6. Cool completely in tin — at least 1 hour. Lift out. Frost if using or serve with the demerara crust as decoration. Cut into 20–24 squares.

Notes

Use both grated and diced apple — grated gives moisture throughout, diced gives distinct pieces.

Include all juice from grated apple — every drop is flavour and moisture.

Toss diced apple in lemon juice immediately after cutting — prevents browning.

Soft light brown sugar gives better flavour than white caster.

Cool completely before cutting — at least 1 hour. Apple moisture needs time to settle.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Bramley apples instead of eating apples?

Yes — for the grated apple, Bramleys give extra tartness and collapse completely into the batter. For the diced apple, use eating apples — Bramleys collapse too much and give no distinct apple pieces. Use Bramleys for the grated portion and eating apples for the diced portion.

Can I add walnuts?

Yes — 75g of roughly chopped walnuts folded in with the apple gives a pleasant crunch and a slight bitterness that balances the sweet apple beautifully.

Can I make this without frosting?

Yes — the demerara cinnamon top is all the decoration this traybake needs. The cream cheese frosting is an option for a more indulgent version.

Why is my traybake 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. Do not open the door before 30 minutes and make sure the grated apple is well distributed rather than sitting in a wet mass in one area.