Mary Berry’s Apple and Lemon Sandwich Cake

Perfect for tea-time

A Silversurfers favourite recipe, this would make the perfect afternoon treat for Mothering Sunday.

“The ultimate cream sponge cake – the apple makes the cake really moist and the lemon-flavoured cream keeps it fresh-tasting,” says the one and only Mary Berry. “Delicious!”

Ingredients:
(Serves 6-8)

For the sponge:
225g baking spread, straight from the fridge, plus extra for greasing
225g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
4 large eggs, beaten
2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the lemon filling:
150ml double cream
3 tbsp lemon curd

Method:

1. You will need two 20cm round, loose-bottomed sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180˚c/160˚c Fan/Gas 4, then grease each tin and line the base with a disc of 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.

5. Invert the tins to remove the cakes and then peel away the 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.

6. Dust the top with icing sugar to serve.

Extracted from Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking by Mary Berry, photography by Georgia Glynn Smith, published by BBC Books, priced £11 on Amazon