Mary Berry Apple and Walnut Cake Recipe

This Mary Berry inspired apple and walnut cake is a classic, homely bake with a tender crumb, sweet pockets of apple, and a toasty walnut crunch in every slice. It tastes gently spiced, buttery, and not overly sweet, the sort of cake that suits an afternoon cuppa just as well as a simple dessert. It’s an easy, one-bowl style sponge once your apples are prepped, so it’s friendly for beginners. Total time is about 1 hour 20 minutes, including cooling and optional icing.

Ingredients

For the apple and walnut cake

• 175g unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for greasing)
• 175g soft light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp milk
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 eating apples (about 300g), peeled, cored and diced into 1cm pieces
• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped (reserve a small handful for the top)
• 75g sultanas (optional, but lovely)
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar, to finish (optional)

For the maple cream cheese icing (optional)

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 120g icing sugar, sifted
• 200g full-fat cream cheese, cold
• 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

How to Make Mary Berry Apple and Walnut Cake

• Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C fan. Place a shelf in the middle so the cake bakes evenly. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin, then line the sides if you like extra insurance.
• Get the apples ready: Peel, core and dice the apples into 1cm pieces. Keeping them small helps them soften nicely and stops heavy chunks sinking to the bottom.
• Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy and a little lighter in colour. You can use a wooden spoon, hand whisk, or electric mixer.
• Add eggs and milk: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in the milk. If the mixture looks like it has curdled, don’t worry, it will come back together once the flour goes in.
• Fold in the dry ingredients: Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold gently until you can’t see dry flour. Stop as soon as it’s combined to keep the sponge tender.
• Stir through apples and walnuts: Fold in the diced apples, lemon zest, chopped walnuts and sultanas (if using). Make sure the apples are evenly distributed so every slice gets a good amount.
• Fill the tin: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle over the reserved walnuts and a little demerara sugar if you like a lightly crisp top.
• Bake: Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a couple of moist crumbs (not wet batter). If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 10 to 15 minutes.
• Cool properly: Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. If you ice it while warm, the icing will melt and slide.
• Optional icing and finishing: Beat the softened butter with the sifted icing sugar until smooth. Add the cold cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat briefly until thick and spreadable. Spread over the fully cooled cake and finish with extra walnuts if you’d like.

Tips

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 is properly set and keep the door shut for at least the first 35 minutes.

How do I stop the apples from sinking?

Dice the apples small (about 1cm) and fold them through at the very end. Very large chunks are heavier and tend to drop. Also, a slightly thicker batter helps, so measure the flour carefully.

How can I keep the crumb soft and not dry?

Don’t overmix once the flour is added, and don’t overbake. Start checking at 40 minutes, and pull it as soon as a skewer comes out clean. Using brown sugar also helps keep the cake moist.

Can I toast the walnuts first?

Yes, and it makes the flavour deeper. Toast chopped walnuts in a dry frying pan for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, then cool before adding to the batter.

Serving Suggestions

• A thick slice with tea or coffee
• Slightly warm with custard for dessert
• With a spoonful of crème fraîche or Greek yogurt
• Alongside fresh berries for a simple pudding plate

Storage

Room temperature

Store uniced cake in an airtight tin for up to 2 days. If your kitchen is warm, it’s safer to refrigerate, especially if you’ve iced it.

Refrigerator

If using cream cheese icing, keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring slices to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving for the best texture.

Freezing

Freeze the uniced cake (whole or in slices) wrapped tightly in cling film and then foil for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature, still wrapped, to prevent condensation making the cake sticky. If you plan to ice it, do that after defrosting.

Nutrition

• Calories: 390 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 45 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 21 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Sodium: 220 mg

Nutrition values are estimates and will vary based on ingredients, brands, and portion size.

FAQs

Mary Berry Apple and Walnut Cake Recipe

Recipe by Milli RoseCourse: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

12

slices

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

80

minutes

Calories

390

kcal

1

hour 

5

minutes

Moist, gently spiced apple and walnut cake with a tender crumb and optional maple cream cheese icing. An easy British-style bake for tea time or dessert.

Ingredients

• 175g unsalted butter, softened

• 175g soft light brown sugar

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• 2 tbsp milk

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• Pinch of fine salt

• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

• 2 eating apples (about 300g), peeled, cored and diced

• 100g walnuts, roughly chopped (reserve a handful for the top)

• 75g sultanas (optional)

• 1 tbsp demerara sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

• 200g full-fat cream cheese, cold (optional icing)

• 60g unsalted butter, softened (optional icing)

• 120g icing sugar, sifted (optional icing)

• 1–2 tbsp maple syrup (optional icing)

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional icing)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm round tin (springform is handy).
• Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until lighter and creamy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the milk.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until just combined.
• Fold through the diced apples, lemon zest, walnuts and sultanas (if using).
• Spoon into the tin, level the top, then sprinkle with reserved walnuts and demerara sugar (optional).
• Bake for 40–50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Optional: beat butter and icing sugar, then briefly beat in cold cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla. Spread over the cooled cake.

Notes

• Dice apples fairly small (about 1cm) so they soften evenly without sinking.
• If the cake browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the final 10–15 minutes.
• For neat slices with icing, chill the cake for 20 minutes before cutting.