mary berry

Mary Berry&#8217;s rich traditional Christmas cake recipe is filled to the brim with fruit, as well as almonds, brandy and treacle. Discover 10 ways to decorate your Christmas cake to turn your fruit cake into a festive showstopper.

Mary Berry&#8217;S Rich Fruit Christmas Cake

currants

each sultanas and raisins

glacé cherries, quartered,

ready-to-eat dried apricots, snipped into small pieces

mixed candied peel, roughly chopped

plain flour

tsp ground mixed spice

½ tsp nutmeg

softened unsalted butter,

dark muscovado sugar

eggs

tbsp black treacle

lemon

orange

whole unblanched almonds, roughly chopped

Mary Berry&#8217;s rich fruit Christmas cake

Combine the dried fruit and candied peel in a large bowl. Add the 4 tbsp brandy and stir in to mix well. Cover and leave overnight.

Preheat the oven to 140°C/fan120°C/gas 1. Put the remaining ingredients except the almonds in a large bowl. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer until well combined. Stir in the nuts and the soaked fruit with any soaking liquid.

Grease a deep 23cm round tin or 20cm square cake tin with butter, line with a double layer of baking paper and grease the paper (see Golden Rules). Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level the top and cover with a disc of baking paper.

Bake for 4-5 hours until firm to the touch and a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

When the cake has cooled, remove the baking paper disc, pierce the top in several places with a skewer, then pour over a little brandy. Remove the cake from the tin but keep it in the baking paper. Wrap with more baking paper, then wrap with foil. Store in a cool place for up to 3 months to mature, occasionally unwrapping and spooning over 1-2 tbsp brandy.

Decorate the cake with glacé fruit, marzipan or ready-to-use icing. Tie a ribbon around the cake if you like before serving. Recipe from Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook (£25; Dorling Kindersley)

Mary Berry's banana bread makes for a deliciously moist sweet treat and is a great way to use up leftover fruit. Find out how to make the best banana loaf with this simple recipe.

Mary Berry's banana bread with honey icing

115 g butter (room temperature)

bananas

150 g light muscovado sugar

Large eggs

225 g self-raising flour

baking powder

tbsp. semi-skimmed milk

75 g chopped pecans

g icing sugar

clear honey

pecan halves

Learn how to make Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake recipe our easy guide. Mary's classic lemon drizzle will never let you down - see how to make it here.

Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake

caster sugar

self-raising flour

softened butter

¾ level tsp baking powder

For the lemon drizzle topping:

granulated sugar

Special bakeware / equipment:

Electric whisk

traybake

Make perfectly soft, sweet fairy cakes every time with Mary Berry's iced fairy cakes recipe. Ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe makes 12 fairy cakes...

Mary Berry&#8217;s iced fairy cakes

For the fairy cakes:

g (4 oz) softened butter

g (4 oz) caster sugar

g (4 oz) self-raising flour

level tsp baking powder

For the icing:

225 g (8 oz) sifted icing sugar

water

The perfect project to make with kids, these iced fairy cakes couldn't be easier!

Iced fairy cakes

Mary Berry’s flapjack recipe takes only 30 minutes to bake, making 24 bars. These soft flapjacks use only 4 ingredients making them a cheap and easy option

Mary Berry’s flapjack

butter (plus extra for greasing)

golden syrup

light muscovado sugar

rolled oats

Try Mary Berry's traditional Victorian Christmas cake recipe for a rich but light cake - this cake is bejewelled with cherries and almonds

Mary Berry&#8217;s Victorian Christmas cake

(12 oz) red or natural glacé cherries

350 g (12 oz) ready-to-eat dried apricots

g (4 oz) blanched almonds (skins removed)

lemons

350 g (12 oz) sultanas

250 g (9 oz) self-raising flour

250 g (9 oz) caster sugar

250 g (9 oz) softened butter

75 g (3 oz) ground almonds

To decorate:

almonds

Red glacé cherries

Glacé pineapple (available from health-food shops)

g (4 oz) sifted icing sugar

A classic moist, flavourful banana bread is simply the best for an afternoon snack. Mary Berry&#39;s recipe has been a family favourite for years - enjoy every slice!

Mary Berry's Banana Bread Recipe

g unsalted butter (room temperature)

sugar

eggs (room temperature)

ml milk

flour

tsp baking powder

g chopped walnuts (optional)

banana (optional)

Prepare. Grease the base and sides of a 2lb loaf pan. Line with parchment paper letting the sides overhang the pan to form a sling. This helps lift the bread out later on.

Mash the bananas. Peall both bananas and place in a wide, shallow bowl. Use a for to mash well.

Mix the wet ingredients. Add the soft butter, sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, and milk into a medium mixing bowl and beat together. Use a wooden spoon or hand-held beaters as I have done.

Add in dry ingredients. Sift into the mixing bowl the flour and baking powder. Using a rubber spatula, fold through the four until a few streaks remain. Take care not to over-mix.

Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan and level off with an offset spatula. Option: sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top of the batter. Slice a banana in half and lay the slices over the top of the walnuts.Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until the loaf is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Tent with aluminium foil if the bread is browning too quickly (Check progress after 40 minutes.)Once baked, cool in the for ten minutes then lift out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A perfect match for cheese and cold meats, and delicious in turkey sandwiches

Mary Berry's Christmas chutney

tomato

onion,

garlic,

milliliters/½pint white wine vinegar vinegar

salt

coriander seeds, crushed

paprika

cayenne pepper

Peel the tomatoes - prick them with a sharp knife, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for a few seconds then drain and cover with cold water. The skins will now come away easily.

Chop the tomatoes and aubergine and seed and chop the peppers. Put in a large heavy-based pan with the onions and garlic and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and gently simmer for about one hour, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Tip the sugar, vinegar, salt, coriander, paprika and cayenne into the pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil for 30 minutes or so, until the mixture achieves a chunky chutney consistency and the surplus watery liquid has evaporated. Take care towards the end of the cooking time to continue stirring so that the chutney doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan.

Ladle the chutney into sterilised or dishwasher-clean jars (Kilner jars are ideal) and top with paper jam covers. Seal the jars while still hot. Leave to mature for at least a month in a cool dark place.

Mary Berry whips up a creamy, fruity pudding studded with almond amaretti biscuits and smothered in kirsch and custard

Mary’s royal cherry trifle

cherry

jar cherry jam

madeira cake

milliliters kirsch or cherry brandy

ratafia biscuits

double cream

cornflour

tsp vanilla extract

milk

whipping cream

First, make the custard. Tip the caster sugar, cornflour and vanilla into a mixing bowl and add the eggs and egg yolk. Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth and blended.

Pour the milk and double cream into a pan and heat gently until hot, but do not boil. Pour this over the egg mixture and immediately whisk until blended. Wash the pan to remove any scum from the milk and pour the custard back into the clean pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly until thickened. Don’t panic if the custard starts to look lumpy as it thickens, just continue to heat and whisk until the custard is thick and smooth. Pour into a jug and cover the surface of the custard with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool.

Tip the stoned cherries into a pan with half the jam or conserve and cook over a medium heat for 5-10 mins until softened and saucy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Spread half the slices of Madeira cake generously with the remaining cherry jam. Sandwich with the remaining cake slices, then cut in half. Pour the kirsch or brandy into a shallow bowl, dip each sponge sandwich into the liqueur, then arrange in the base of the trifle dish (you will need a shallow, straight-sided, 20cm round glass dish about 5cm deep). Line the edges of the dish first to create a stripy effect, then fill in the centre with the remaining sandwiches, pouring over any remaining liquid.

Spoon over the cherries and any juice from the pan, then scatter over the broken biscuits. Pour over the cooled custard, then spread whipped cream over the top. Decorate with fresh whole cherries and chill for a few hours, or make it a day ahead and chill for up to 24 hours before serving.

A classic pound cake recipe with lemon zest and a sweet and tangy lemon drizzle. Soft and fluffy cake to serve with afternoon tea or as a snack.

The Best Easy Homemade Lemon Drizzle Cake

225 g butter (very soft)

225 g caster sugar

lemon zest

juice lemon

heat oven

Preheat the oven to 170ºC fan (180ºC conventional) and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking paper.

whip butter

In a large bowl use an electric whisk to beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add in the caster sugar and whisk again until pale in colour.

add eggs

Add in the eggs one at a time, whisking after each one. Stir in the milk and sift in the flour and add the lemon zest. See notes* Scoop the batter into the lined tin and bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

bake cake

Remove the cake from the oven and make the lemon syrup. Whisk the lemon juice and the sugar in a small bowl and pour over the warm cake to soak in. Leave in the tin to finish cooling completely.

drizzle icing

Once the cake is cooled completely remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack. Make the lemon glaze by whisking the icing sugar and the lemon juice. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake and sprinkle with some lemon zest.

Mary Berry&#039;s Lemon Drizzle Cake is an easy tea cake with a distinctive  crunchy lemon glaze.  You only need a few basic ingredients and 35 minutes to bake this lovely bundt cake. 

Mary Berry's Lemon Drizzle Cake

sugar (225 grams)

unsalted butter (225 grams)

extra large eggs,

Tbsp milk

self rising flour (275 grams) (See below to make your own self rising flour.)

sugar (200 grams)

Preheat oven to 350F  Grease and flour a standard 9 or 10 cup bundt pan

First make the lemon sugar: put the sugar and lemon peels in a food processor and process until the zest is completely incorporated in to the sugar.  It will be pale yellow, moist, and fragrant.  Note: if you don&#039;t have a food processor, the finely grate the zest of two lemons and mix into the sugar by hand.

Put the sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, or you can mix by hand with electric beaters.  Cream them together for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.  It should be pale and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one by one.

Blend in the milk, then the baking powder, and finally fold in the flour.  Don&#039;t over mix, but make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly.  Bake for 35 minutes, or until risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter on it.  The top should spring back when lightly touched.

Let the cake cool for 12 minutes, then run a thin offset spreading knife around the edges to gently loosen them.  Loosen the cake around the center neck of the pan, soo.  Gently flip the cake over onto a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, mix the sugar with enough lemon juice to make a loose paste, about the consistency of a runny honey.  Brush the glaze liberally over the entire surface of the cake (while it is still warm!) going over it more than once if necessary.  You&#039;ll want a thick even coating.  Let the icing dry before slicing.

This came out fantastic when followed to the T.  Will be remaking this regularly.

Don’t ow what I did wrong, this cake was supposed dry, therefore I’ll not make it again.

Lovely recipe I personally substituted the butter with Light mayonnaise which gave the cake a very moist texture and very light it's a fabulous substitute lower fat content but doesn't change the flavour

I bake this as a tray bake as I use Mary's original recipe, and even that is never done at 35 minutes so I'm not surprised to see comments that baking it in a bundt for 35 minutes is also an issue. (yes my oven is calibrated correctly and I use an oven thermometer as well). It's a great cake and super easy to throw together. I melt my sugar for the glaze as I don't like the texture of crunching on sugar, but that's just a personal quirk. The other changes I make are adding in the juice of a lemon to the batter and I add a Tb of Cointreau or Triple Sec to the lemon syrup. A suggested change for your written recipe is the term vegetable peeler for removing the lemon zest. For a novice baker that could be confusing. Using microplane, fine grater, or rasp would be more helpful.

I substituted gluten free flour blend, and it was still delicious.  In fact, it was better the next day!  Love the flavor and texture.

Lemon drizzle is one of my ultimate favourites! It was my gran's favourite and became mine too! I love this recipe. The sponge is so light and the lemon sugar coating makes it perfect!

Really loved this recipe, beautiful cake. I would have liked the sponge to be more lemony , would i achieve this by just adding more zest? Thank you

I love this recipe, super easy to make and comes out perfect every time. It's popular with the whole family, even those who don't like lemon.

The easiest of summer desserts. The condensed milk acts as a magic ingredient and stops the ice cream from crystallising — no fancy machine required

Mary Berry’s no-churn strawberry ice cream recipe

strawberries, hulled and halved

tin condensed milk

Add the strawberries, sugar and 1 tbsp water to a saucepan over a low heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the strawberries are soft, stirring every so often. Remove from the heat and blitz with a handheld blender. Once you have a smooth sauce, leave to cool.

In a bowl, whisk the cream until stiff peaks begin to form. Make sure you don’t overwhip as you want the texture to be smooth. Gently fold in the condensed milk, followed by the strawberry sauce. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container, cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and attach the lid before freezing for at least 6 hours.

Festive baking isn’t complete without a tray of these buttery biscuits

Mary Berry’s Christmas shortbread recipe

semolina

caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle

butter, cubed

Measure the ingredients into a food processor and whizz to form a dough. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half to a 20cm round. Transfer this to one of the prepared baking sheets. Press a fork around the edge to give a pretty border. Prick the dough with a fork and place in the freezer for 20 min.

Roll out the remaining dough half to about the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp out Christmas tree and star shapes, transfer to the second prepared baking sheet and place this in the freezer for 20 min.

Place both baking sheets in the preheated oven straight from the freezer. Bake the stars and trees for about 15-20 min and the round for about 35 min or until pale golden.

Remove the biscuits from the oven and score the round into 8-12 wedges, sprinkle all the biscuits with caster sugar and leave to cool on the baking sheets.

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Top 13 mary berry recipes from across the web

The most viewed mary berry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mary Berry&#8217;S Rich Fruit Chris...

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The Best Easy Homemade Lemon Drizzl...

Mary Berry's Lemon Drizzle Cake

Mary Berry’s no-churn strawberry ic...

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The most viewed mary berry recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Mary Berry’S Rich Fruit Chris...

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