Mary Berry's apple and cinnamon cake - what am I doing wrong?

[wem]

I've made this cake twice recently and both times the layer of apple has sunk in the middle so each slice comes out with a diagonal layer of apple from outside to in. The first time I thought the bottom layer was too shallow and I thought I undercooked it as the whole cake sunk in the middle a bit. The second time I made sure there was much more cake mix in the bottom layer and probably overcooked it, but the exact same thing happened, although the cake as a whole didn't sink, the apple layer still somehow migrated to the bottom of the tin during cooking.

The only I could think is that maybe I am creaming the butter and sugar too much, making the cake mix too light so it's not supporting the apple? Maybe it needs to be a denser cake?

That looks yummy, Im going to make that!

As for the sinking, I havent a clue but I would think the same as you, cake is too light to hold the apples.

Or the moisture from the apples is weighing the middle down. Could you lightly flour them before putting them in?

In my experience cakes never ever ever ever ever turn out like they do in the book.

Much more importantly, is it tasty

i can't see where it says to cream the butter and sugar in that recipe

Unchartered - er, yeah, maybe I should try following the instructions :) Mary Berry does a few 'all-in' cakes in her book, which I usually ignore as I find creaming generally makes for a lighter cake, but in this case perhaps I should do as Mary tells me :)

It is very tasty indeed. And very more-ish. I'll just have to make another one to do it properly. Damn.

I make a version of this cake (not this recipe) but just mix the apple throughout the mixture. Comes out great, nice taste and moist. No sinking apple problem.

The problem you are facing may be because you are using cold butter and cold eggs straight from the fridge that leaves your mix so cold that it only heats up very slowly in the centre and the apple sinks before the cake actually sets in the oven.

Leave all your ingredients to reach room temp before use.

i've got a recipe for apple cake that uses the rub in method you see

it also uses tart eating apples, as cooking apples are too soft when cooked.

i have some windfalls - i'm going to try that recipe you've linked wem it's a bit different to mine

mmmm....more pudding

Thanks MoreBeta, I do usually let the eggs and butter come to room temperature. I thought about mixing the apples through, but wasn't sure if you'd get the same pockets of apple, which are pretty tasty. But I think it could do with the moisture throughout, so I'll give it a go.

Here is a detailed step by step guide on how to make Mary Berry Apple and Cinnamon Cake.

Having read both recipes linked which in theory should be the same method but they are not. Both recipes show added baking powder with self raising flour, this is normal in an 'all in one' recipe as you are not beating in air by creaming. Creaming would add extra air and lightness but does not always guarantee a cake would rise better as too much rising too fast can cause collapse, however the weight of apples/sultanas/nuts in this cake would impede the rising anyway. So which method, layer or stuff mixed in, is actually the MB one or did the method change I wonder when feedback showed the apple layer sank! I think a lot of recipes found everywhere even in books are not tested properly and often even the pic used is not for the actual recipe at all.

Blimey. Blast from the past.