Michelle Darmody: Blueberry and almond cake
This cake lasts a few days or it can be sliced and the slices frozen and defrosted as needed.
It is getting brighter as each day passes, even though most of our lives have been put on hold the flowers of Spring are showing that we have completed another lap of the sun and that nature is moving forward regardless. It remains a time for comfort as many of us still have not seen loved ones in a long time, but there does seem to be some light. Today’s recipes are all tasty, fruit-based cakes or buns. Hopefully, none are too onerous. I find the Banana and raspberry loaf very handy if I want a sugar-free option. The fruit adds sweetness in place of more conventional sugar. It can be a dense cake, it lasts a few days or it can be sliced and the slices frozen and defrosted as needed.
I really like the flavour of black sesame and find it a good way to add interest and texture to baking, it goes very well with the zest of oranges. Sesame seeds grow in a variety of colours, including shades of black, brown, gold or white. You can use any of the others as a substitute. Like all seeds, they add a bit of goodness to your diet.
At this time of year, I tend to choose frozen raspberries and use them directly from frozen rather than thawing them. They can get very mushy when allowed to thaw.
- 100g butter, cubed
- 225g self-raising flour, sieved
- 2 eggs
- 450g very ripe bananas, mashed
- 70g pecan nuts, very finely chopped
- 100g raspberries, I use frozen at this time of year
- 1 tbsp slivered almonds
Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a 2-pound loaf tin with parchment.
Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like rough breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add in the eggs and mashed banana. Bring everything together until combined.
You can either gently stir the raspberries into the batter or scoop half of the batter into your prepared tin, sprinkle the raspberries in and then top it with the rest of the batter.
Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top and bake for 1 hour and thirty minutes. Once cool enough to handle remove from the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- 300g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder, sieved
- 160g golden caster sugar
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 5 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 200mls of milk
- the zest of 4 oranges and the juice of 1
Preheat your oven to 190°C and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
Stir the flour, baking powder, sugar and sesame seeds and set aside.
Beat the oil, egg, milk and zest together until well combined.
Mix the two sets of ingredients well, then add in the orange juice.
Scoop the mixture between the 12 paper cases and bake for about 15 minutes until baked through. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack.
- 140g soft butter
- 140g ground almonds
- 130g golden caster sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 250g blueberries
- 1 tsp of almond essence - optional
Line an 8 inch round tin with parchment and preheat your oven to 180°C.
Beat the butter, ground almonds, caster sugar and eggs until everything is combined.
Very gently stir in the blueberries and almond essence if you are using it. Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for about 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out of the cake (rather than blueberry) clean. Once cool enough to handle transfer onto a wire rack.
