Apple sandwich cake

Apple sandwich cake
Prepare
less than 30 mins
Cook
10 to 30 mins
Serve
Serves 6–8

Mary Berry's ultimate apple cake – a Victoria sponge, that stays really moist thanks to grated apple, filled with lemon-flavoured cream.

You will need two 20cm/8in round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins and an electric mixer.

By Mary Berry

From Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking

Shopping list

Ingredients

For the sponge

For the lemon filling

Recipe tips
How-to videos

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm/8in round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.

  2. Measure all the sponge ingredients, except the apple and icing sugar, into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk until combined. Fold the grated apple into the mixture, then divide between the tins and level the tops.

  3. Bake in the oven for about 25–30 minutes until golden, well risen and coming away from the sides of the tins. Allow to cool in the tins.

  4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Whip the cream into soft peaks, then lightly swirl in the lemon curd. Remove the cakes from their tins and then peel away the baking paper. Sit one cake upside down on a serving plate. Spread the lemon cream to the edge of the sponge, place the other cake gently on top to sandwich the cakes together.

  5. Dust the top with icing sugar to serve.

Recipe tips

For a speedy way to grate the apple, first core the apple and cut into pieces but keep the skin on. Grate the flesh and then discard the skin.

Once assembled, keep the cake in the fridge for up to one day, but serve at room temperature. The cooked sponges also freeze well.

This cake is a great way to use up any eating apples that have hung around the fruitbowl for too long and are a bit past their best.

To ensure both layers of cake are the same, weigh the batter when you add it to the tins so you can make sure they are equal.

You can garnish the top of the cake with thin slices of apple, but they will oxidise (turn brown) when exposed to the air. You can toss them in lemon juice to help prevent this, but it's still best to add them immediately before serving.