Bake of the week: Apple and lemon sandwich cake

This week’s recipe comes from baking royalty.

The Great British Bake Off’s queen, Mary Berry, serves up the ultimate cream sponge cake.

The apple makes the cake really moist, while the lemon-flavoured cream keeps it fresh-tasting.

Once made, keep in the fridge for up to a day but serve at room temperature.

Delicious!

You’ll need:

For the sponge

225g baking spread

225g caster sugar

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 large eggs, beaten

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and grated

icing sugar, for dusting For the lemon filling

150ml (5fl oz) double cream

3 tbsp lemon curd

Method:

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

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.

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.

Make the filling. Whip the cream into soft peaks, then lightly swirl in the lemon curd. 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.

Dust the top with icing sugar to serve.