Blueberry loaf cake

Soft and moist cake with delicious blueberries.  You can make it with any fruit you like but I think blueberries go so well with it.. It is perfect for breakfast or with a cup of tea!


Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 3tbsp cornmeal
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 100g fresh or frozen blueberries
• 120g yoghurt
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 35ml vegetable oil
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 cup caster sugar

Mix all of the ingredients, apart of the blueberries, until just combined, do not over mix it.

Stir in the blueberries, saving some to sprinkle on top.

Pour the mixture into a greased 23cm x 8cm (base measurements) loaf tin, then sprinkle remaining blueberries on top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 30-35 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take out the oven and leave in the tin to cool for 5 minutes, then take out the tin and leave to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Persimmon loaf cake

Persimmon is lovely eaten raw, but I always wanted to turn in into a cake and this one is so delicious I regret not trying it before!  It is soft and moist with warming spices and crunchy nuts- perfect treat for cold afternoons.


Ingredients:

• 1 persimmon fruit
• 1 tsp bicarb. of soda
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 
• 1/3 caster sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 mixed spice
• 1/4 ground cloves
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/6 cup water
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup wholemeal flour
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup mixed nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, almonds etc.)

Peel and blend persimmon fruit to make a puree, add bicarb. of soda and stir.  Leave the mixture aside for few minutes to thicken.

Mix the oil, both sugars, spices, honey, salt and eggs in a large bowl until smooth.  Add a third of fruit puree, third of water and a third of mixture of flours and mix.  Repeat until all ingredients are combined, then mix in the nuts.

Pour the mixture into a lined 10cm x 22cm loaf tin and bake at 180C for about 40-45 minutes, until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then take out and leave to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin bread with maple syrup and cream cheese

Soft and moist sweet pumpkin bread with cinnamon and vanilla cream cheese.  Perfect for breakfast or with a cup of tea!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarb. of soda
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

For the cheese swirl:

• 200g cream cheese
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

To make the cheese mixture mix the cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla, flour and an egg until smooth and well combined and set aside.

In a bowl combine the sugar, pumpkin puree, an egg and oil and mix until fluffy and well combined.  Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.  

Pour half of the mixture into a lined 10cm x 22cm tin, then pour the cheese mixture over it and top with the remaining pumpkin batter.   

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 160C for 40-60 minutes.  Leave to cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

Wholemeal banana bread with nuts and cranberries

Soft and moist with chewy cranberries, crunchy nuts and soft, sweet bananas.  Wholemeal flour gives it slightly nutty taste and texture- perfect with a cup of tea! This cake is a great way to use very ripe bananas, which you might not want to eat anymore.

When making this cake all ingredients should be in room temperature.

Ingredients:

• 175g wholemeal self-rising flour (or ordinary wholemeal flour)
• 150g melted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 1tbsp honey
• 2 tsp mixed spice (or cinnamon)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2tsp bicarb. of soda
• 1 1/2tsp baking powder
• 2 large, ripe bananas
• 150g dried cranberries
• 3/4 glass chopped hazelnuts

Chopped hazelnuts place on a hot, dry frying pan and roast for couple of minutes until lightly browned. 

Beat melted butter with sugar until dissolved.  Add honey and mix until combined, then add eggs, one at a time.  Mix in bananas (mashed with a fork), nuts and cranberries. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, mixed spice, bicarb. of soda and baking powder. Mix into the egg mixture and beat until smooth. 

Pour the mixture into greased loaf tin (30cm x 10cm), if using smaller the cake will bake slightly longer.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for about 30-35 minutes, cake is ready when golden brown and skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Enjoy!