ALREADY dreading the Christmas kitchen slog? Foodie fairy godmother Mary Berry shares her festive feasting secrets. Try this one from her new book - Mary Berry Cooks The Perfect...

INGREDIENTS
Serves 12

225g butter (room temperature), plus extra for greasing
550g cooking apples, such as Bramley
Juice of ½ lemon
225g light muscovado sugar
300g self-raising flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1tbsp full-fat or semi-skimmed milk
Icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C (fan 160C/350F/Gas 4). Grease the traybake tin with butter and line with baking parchment. Quarter, peel, core, and thinly slice the apples, and put them in a shallow dish. Pour over the lemon juice and toss together.

Put the butter, muscovado sugar, flour, baking powder, half a teaspoon of the cinnamon, the eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Beat thoroughly using an electric hand whisk for about two minutes (or use a wooden spoon for about three minutes) until smooth and light.

Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly. Lay half the apple slices on top and sprinkle over the remaining half-teaspoon of cinnamon. Spoon the remaining cake mixture on top and carefully level the surface. Scatter the rest of the apple slices over the cake mixture and press them lightly into the surface.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown on top. The cake will feel spongy but firm, and will be starting to come away slightly from the edges of the tin. Also, the apples should be soft. Leave the cake to cool for ten minutes, then loosen the sides with a palette knife and turn out the cake, peel off the paper, and leave to cool on a wire rack. Sift icing sugar over the top of the cake.

Mary Berry Cooks The Perfect... is published by DK, priced £25. Available now.