This isn’t a fancy cake you show off at a competition.
Mary Berry’s Apple and Almond Cake is about honest, proper home baking: juicy apples, toasted almonds, and that sweet smell that floats through the house while it bakes.
It’s the cake you cut into thick slabs. The one you eat warm with your fingers when no one’s looking.
Why This Apple and Almond Cake Just Works
Fresh apples keep it juicy all the way through.
Almonds give it that nutty, rich backbone — not too sweet, not too heavy.
And the little warm spice hit? Cinnamon, ginger, just enough to make you feel like putting the kettle on.
No icing, no layers, no stress.
Just real flavors, baked into something that feels like a hug.
Ingredients (And Why They Matter)
Fresh apples: The soul of the cake. Sweet, sharp, soft.
Lemon juice: Stops the apples turning brown and wakes up the flavor.
Superfine sugar: Melts easily, gives a smooth bite.
Whole blanched almonds: Toasted and ground — builds that rich, nutty crumb.
Almond extract: Tiny splash. Big flavor.
Eggs: Six of them. Feels like a lot, but you need every one for that rich, silky batter.
Cinnamon and ginger: Warm spice, not Christmas levels. Just a nudge.
Baking powder: Gives it the gentle lift it needs.
Corn starch: Makes the crumb tender, not heavy.
Confectioner’s sugar: For that dusty snow finish on top.
How to Make It
1. Get Set
Crank the oven up to 375°F (190°C).
Grease the tin properly — bottom, sides, everywhere.
Line it with parchment too. Trust me: almond cakes stick like mad otherwise.
2. Cook the Apples
Peel ‘em, core ‘em, dice ‘em small.
Chuck into a pan with lemon juice and a couple spoons of superfine sugar.
Low heat. Stir now and then. Smells unreal already.
After about 10–15 minutes, they should be soft but not watery.
If you see liquid, cook a bit longer.
Cool them fully. Seriously — don’t rush. Hot apples will wreck your batter.
3. Toast the Almonds
Spread them out on a tray.
Oven for about 5–8 minutes until golden.
Watch them like a hawk — they’ll burn if you even blink wrong.
Cool them.
Blitz them in a food processor until they look like rough sand. Not powder. Not butter. Just sandy.
4. Blend the Wet Stuff
Tip your cooled apples into the food processor.
Crack in all six eggs, pour in the almond extract, and add the 9 oz superfine sugar.
Blitz until it’s creamy and smoothish.
5. Mix the Dry
In a bowl: ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, corn starch.
Stir them together. No stress if a few lumps.
6. Bring It Together
Wet into dry.
Stir gently. Fold it through. Don’t beat the life out of it.
It should look thick but loose, and smell like almonds and apples had a baby.
7. Bake It
Scrape the batter into the tin.
Roughly smooth the top with a knife. Doesn’t have to be pretty.
Into the oven — 50 to 60 minutes.
Check it at 50. Skewer into the middle. Moist crumbs clinging = good. Wet batter = back in.
If it’s getting too brown halfway, chuck a bit of foil over the top.
8. Cool It
Ten minutes in the tin. No fiddling.
Then onto a rack to cool completely.
Once cool, dust heavy with confectioner’s sugar. If you want to get fancy, cut a snowflake out of paper and use it as a stencil. Or just go wild.
Either way — first slice should be thick, messy, and straight onto a plate with a fork.
Common Mistakes and How to Dodge Them
| What Went Wrong | Why It Happens | How to Fix It |
|---|---|---|
| Cake soggy | Apples too wet | Cook them longer, cool fully |
| Cake crumbly | Overmixed batter | Fold gently, stop early |
| Top burns | Forgot to check | Throw foil on halfway through |
| Cake dense | Ground almonds too chunky | Blitz finer, don’t overmix |
What to Serve With Apple and Almond Cake
- Fresh whipped cream you barely sweeten
- Vanilla ice cream melting all over the slice
- Mug of strong tea or black coffee
- Just a dust of powdered sugar and nothing else
How to Store and Reheat
Fridge: Wrap the cooled cake tight and store at room temp for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Slice it, double wrap, and freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat:
- Microwave: 20 seconds for soft, cozy cake
- Oven: 10 minutes at 350°F to wake it back up
A Quick Bite of History
Apple cakes have been baked for hundreds of years, long before electric ovens and fancy mixers.
Mary Berry’s almond twist makes this one richer, softer, and somehow even more comforting.
The kind of cake you leave out on the counter and somehow, slice by slice, it just… disappears.
Try More Mary Berry Recipes:
Mary Berry Apple And Almond Cake
Description
Mary Berry’s Apple and Almond Cake is a proper cozy bake: juicy apples, rich ground almonds, soft crumb, and a snowy dusting of sugar.
No layers, no frosting drama — just honest, heartwarming flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Butter and line a cake tin.
- Peel, core, and dice apples. Toss with lemon and sugar.
- Cook gently 10–15 minutes until soft and dry. Cool.
- Toast almonds 5–8 minutes, blitz to fine sand. Cool.
- In processor: apples, eggs, almond extract, superfine sugar. Blend.
- Mix ground almonds, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, corn starch in a bowl.
- Fold wet into dry gently.
- Pour into tin, bake 50–60 minutes.
- Cool in tin 10 minutes, then rack.
- Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.
Notes
- Use firm apples — not too soft.
- Toast almonds carefully — don’t burn them.
- Don’t overbeat when mixing.
- Foil the cake halfway if the top browns too fast.