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Mary Berry Dorset Apple Traybake

Mary Berry Dorset apple traybake is a golden British sheet cake loaded with tender, caramelized apple pieces. Bake until springy and skewer-clean, then cool and dust for a neat, sliceable crumb.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Traybake batter
  • 225 g unsalted butter Softened.
  • 225.25 g granulated sugar Use as written; softened butter and sugar should cream until light and fluffy.
  • 275 g self-raising flour If using plain flour, add the baking powder amount below instead.
  • 4 eggs Large eggs, room temperature if possible.
  • 2 tsp baking powder Only if using plain flour instead of self-raising flour.
  • 2 tbsp milk Helps loosen the batter slightly.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon For the cake batter.
  • 500 g cooking apples Peeled and roughly diced; keep pieces fairly chunky for visible apple bites.
Topping
  • 3 tbsp demerara sugar Or raw sugar.
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon For topping; mix with demerara sugar.
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar Light dusting after cooling (icing sugar).

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and heat
  1. Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line a 30x23cm (12x9 inch) roasting tin or baking pan.
Cream the base
  1. Beat the unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix thoroughly so the traybake rises evenly.
Add eggs and flavor
  1. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla extract and milk until the batter looks smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder if using, and cinnamon until just combined. Stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
Add apples
  1. Fold in the diced cooking apples; the batter will be thick. Keep apple pieces distributed so they bake into the crumb.
Assemble and top
  1. Spread the batter into the prepared tin. Mix the demerara sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle it evenly over the top.
Bake
  1. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 180C (350F) until golden, springy to the touch, and a skewer comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the crumb moist.
Cool and finish
  1. Cool the traybake before cutting into squares. Dust lightly with powdered sugar right before serving for a clean finish.

Notes

For the best set, let the traybake cool fully before slicing so the apple pieces and crumb hold their shape. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. For a lighter swap, use a reduced-fat butter alternative (cream as directed) though texture may be slightly softer.