Christmas Apple and Cinnamon Bundt Cake

Ingredients

• 220 gunsalted butter
• 450 ggolden caster sugar
• 4 mediumeggs
• 350 gplain flour
• ½ teaspoonbicarbonate of soda
• a small pinchsalt
• 350 gRachel's apple and cinnamon yoghurt
• 1 teaspoonground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoonmixed spice
• ½ teaspoonground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoonground cloves
• ½ teaspoonground ginger
• 400 g (2 punnets)blackberries

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven

   Heat the oven to 160°C.

2. 2

   Prepare the tin

   Brush the Bundt tin with melted butter, then dust it with flour, checking that every part of the tin is coated.

3. 3

   Cream butter and sugar

   With the butter at room temperature, beat it with the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

4. 4

   Add the eggs

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. 5

   Sieve dry ingredients

   In a separate bowl, measure and sieve together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and all the ground spices.

6. 6

   Mix in yoghurt

   Add the yoghurt to the creamed mixture and combine well.

7. 7

   Fold in flour

   Sift in the flour mixture in two batches, mixing gently until no flour remains. Avoid overmixing.

8. 8

   Fill the tin

   Pour the batter into the greased and floured Bundt tin.

9. 9

   Add blackberries

   Arrange some of the blackberries close together in the centre of the ring and press them into the batter enough that they remain visible. Keep some berries back for decoration.

10. 10

    Bake the cake

    Bake in the centre of the oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn the tin after 35 minutes so the cake cooks evenly.

11. 11

    Check the edges

    Look for the cake to pull away from the edge of the tin when it is ready.

12. 12

    Cool completely

    Leave the cake to cool fully in the tin before turning it out.

13. 13

    Decorate the cake

    The original method suggests water icing tinted with a little blue colouring, then filling the centre hole with the reserved blackberries.

What is a Bundt cake?

A Bundt cake is baked in a ring-shaped tin, which gives it a distinctive fluted form and helps create plenty of crust around the cake. Bundt-style cakes are strongly associated with American home baking.

This festive version combines apple-and-cinnamon yoghurt with a blend of warming spices. Blackberries tucked into the batter add bursts of fruit and make the centre easy to decorate.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 300 calories, 0g protein, 0g carbs, 0g fat.

The flour and sugar provide most of the carbohydrates, while butter is the main source of fat; eggs and yoghurt contribute some protein. Serve a slice with fresh fruit or alongside a less-rich dessert to balance the plate.

The butter and sugar base

Room-temperature butter: beat it with the sugar until pale and fluffy before adding the eggs. This gives the batter an even base.

Eggs: add them individually and beat well between additions so they incorporate into the creamed mixture.

Spices and yoghurt

Ground spices: sieve the cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, cloves and ginger with the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Distributing them through the dry ingredients helps them mix evenly into the batter.

Apple-and-cinnamon yoghurt: stir it into the creamed mixture before adding the flour. It brings the recipe's apple flavour without adding pieces of apple.

Mix gently for a tender crumb

Two batches: sift the dry mixture into the wet ingredients in two portions, mixing slowly after each. Stop as soon as the flour disappears; further mixing can make the cake denser.

Even batter: scrape around the bowl as you mix, but avoid beating vigorously once the flour has been added.

Placing the blackberries

Fruit placement: arrange some berries close together in the centre of the ring and press them into the batter while leaving their tops visible. The recipe notes that they may sink as the cake bakes.

Reserved berries: keep some aside for the decoration after the cake has cooled and been turned out.

Bake and check for doneness

Oven position: bake the cake in the centre of a preheated 160°C oven for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn the tin after 35 minutes, as directed, to encourage even cooking.

Doneness cues: a skewer inserted into the cake should come out clean, and the cake should begin to pull away from the tin's edge. Let it cool fully before removing it.

Serving and decorating

Icing finish: the method suggests water icing with a little blue colouring, intended to make snowflake decorations stand out. The ingredient list gives no quantities for the icing or colouring, so prepare these separately if using them.

To serve: add the reserved blackberries to the centre of the ring for a simple fruit topping. The cake works well as a festive dessert with tea or coffee.

Recipe notes & tips

• Bring the butter to room temperature before creaming it with the sugar.
• Grease and flour all the Bundt tin's grooves so the cake releases more easily.
• Sieve the dry ingredients together to distribute the spices and raising agent.
• Mix only until the flour disappears to avoid overworking the batter.
• Keep some blackberries aside for decorating the cooled cake.
• Cool the cake fully in the tin before turning it out.

Variations

• Extra cinnamon: Add a little more ground cinnamon if you want a stronger cinnamon flavour.
• Berry topping: Arrange the reserved blackberries in the centre of the cake after turning it out.
• Iced finish: Use water icing and a little blue colouring as suggested in the method.
• Spice balance: Adjust the proportions of the listed ground spices while keeping the overall spice blend to your taste.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Missed tin grooves: Brush melted butter into every curve, then dust the whole tin with flour.
• Cold butter: Let it soften to room temperature so it creams more readily with the sugar.
• Adding eggs all at once: Beat them in one at a time and mix well after each addition.
• Overmixing after the flour: Stir gently and stop when no dry flour remains.
• Removing the cake while warm: Wait until it has cooled fully before turning it out.
• Skipping the doneness check: Test with a skewer and look for the cake to pull away from the tin.

How to store

Once fully cool, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within 3 days. Reheat individual slices briefly in the microwave if you prefer them warm.

Frequently asked questions