I made Mary Berry's apple dessert cake that she's been making for years.
When it comes to fall, there's nothing I like more than cozying up at home with a blanket and some baked goods.
But unlike some of my colleagues at Insider, I'm not the most skilled baker. So when I decided to make a fall-themed dessert earlier this week, I searched for simple recipes that require little effort.
I soon discovered Mary Berry's "remarkably easy" apple dessert cake. The British cooking legend and author, 88, wrote on her website that she has been making the cake for years and it can be made using cooking apples or "shriveled ones left in the fruit bowl."
To make the recipe, I gathered eight key ingredients.
The recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- 225 grams of self-raising flour
- 1 level teaspoon of baking powder
- 225 grams of caster sugar (I used granulated sugar)
- 2 large eggs
- Half a teaspoon of almond extract
- 150 grams of butter, melted
- 250 grams of apples, peeled and cored (I used Granny Smith apples)
- 25 grams of flaked almonds.
I started by combining all of the dry ingredients.
There were a few steps I had to follow before the baking could begin. I preheated my fan oven to 140 degrees Celsius (around 284 degrees Fahrenheit) and greased a round, tin baking dish with butter before measuring the ingredients.
The recipe states that you should start by combining all of the ingredients (except for the apples and almond flakes) in a mixing bowl. I started with the flour, using a sieve to ensure there would be no lumps, and combined it with the sugar and baking powder.
It's worth noting that the recipe does not say you have to separate the wet and dry ingredients, but I found it helpful to do so.
I then added the eggs, melted butter, and almond extract.
To melt the butter, I placed it in the microwave for around 30 seconds before combining it with the other ingredients. I then mixed everything together with a wooden spoon.
The mixture initially looked a tad dry, so I went off-recipe and added a splash of milk.
After mixing the ingredients together, I thought the mixture appeared far too dry and stodgy. To remedy this, I added a small splash of milk, which wasn't in the original recipe.
After adding half of the mix to the baking tray, I added thickly-sliced apples.
The recipe suggests thickly slicing the apples and placing them over the cake mixture, piling mostly towards the center.
Adding the remaining mixture over the apples was the most challenging part.
Using two dessert spoons, I added the remaining cake mixture.
I found this to be the most challenging part of the process, as it was difficult to spread the mixture evenly over the apples, which caused a bumpy and awkward texture and shape. It took me a couple of minutes to complete.
Finally, I sprinkled the mixture with flaked almonds before placing it in the oven for an hour and 15 minutes.
I was pleased with the final result.
The cake should be baked for a minimum of an hour and 15 minutes and a maximum of an hour and 30 minutes, according to the recipe. I took my cake out of the oven after an hour and 15 minutes, as it appeared golden brown and springy to the touch.
However, removing the cake from the tin was a little tricky. Even though I had greased the tin, the cake didn't easily slide out at first — and when it did, parts of the base crumbled apart. I thought this might have been due to not spreading the apples proportionately enough, which I'll keep in mind for next time. Thankfully, most of the cake stayed intact.
It tasted divine.
Berry suggests serving the cake with ice cream or crème fraîche. Since I already had double cream in my fridge, I used that.
It was delicious. The soft and juicy apples perfectly complemented the crunchy almond topping and the crumbly texture of the cake. I could also taste the almond extract, and thought it was a brilliant touch.
Although there were a few small bumps along the way, I agree with Berry's assessment that the cake is easy to make. There was no fancy equipment required, and I loved that it was ready to eat right out of the oven.
I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a simple, fall-themed dessert to devour during a cozy night in.
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