Michelle Darmody: How to bake a blackberry and almond loaf — and the mistakes to avoid

The distinctive taste and smell of blackberries also evokes memories of bubbling saucepans of jam, the sweet sticky smell filing the kitchen.

The hedgerows are becoming laden with shiny, inky blackberries. 

I have clear memories of picking berries as a child, filling bowls to the brim on long warm evenings in Currabinny Woods, or on coastal walks, foraging through thorny bushes looking for the juiciest ones.

The distinctive taste and smell of blackberries also evokes memories of bubbling saucepans of jam, the sweet sticky smell filing the kitchen. 

When the bounty was extra plentiful, the big pot that was kept for boiling a ham was pulled out from the back of the cupboard and put to work. 

The jam bubbled and spat, and the frothy layer was scooped off the surface every now and again.

When I was old enough to be allowed near the bubbling cauldron, I loved testing to see if the jam had reached its setting point by putting a saucer in the freezer and dropping some warm jam onto it, poking to see if it wrinkled under thumb.

Blackberries can be used for more than jam. As the harvest season progresses and school starts again, loaf cakes like these are handy for afternoon snacks. 

The blackberries add a wonderful end of summer flavour to the cake as well as a burst of vitamins.

Blackberry and Almond Loaf

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

As the harvest season progresses and school starts again, loaf cakes like these are handy for afternoon snacks. The blackberries add a wonderful end of summer flavour to the cake as well as a burst of vitamins.

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 200g soft butter

• 160g golden caster sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 240g self-raising flour

• 1½ tsp baking powder

• 85g ground almonds

• 200g blackberries

• for the topping:

• 25g cold butter, cubed

• 10g spelt or rye flour

• 20g light muscovado sugar

• 10g almonds, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3 and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Stir the eggs, milk and almond extract together.

4. Add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar slowly, until combined.

5. Sieve in the flour and baking powder, add in the ground almonds and combine everything.

6. Stir in the blackberries and scoop the mixture into your prepared tin.

7. To make the topping, rub the butter into the flour and sugar until it forms rough breadcrumbs. Stir in the almonds.

8. Smooth the mixture out and sprinkle on the topping, press it down slightly.

9. Bake in the center of your oven for an hour until golden on top and a skewer comes out clean.

10. Once cool enough to handle, place onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Baker's tips

• The eggs will incorporate better into the batter if you lightly beat them before adding to the mix and if they are at room temperature.
• If the loaf has not risen in the centre, it might be worth checking the date on your bag of self-raising flour. It does not have as long a lifespan as plain flour due to the raising agent within it. If the flour is old the cake will not rise. While if your loaf cake dips in the centre, it was most likely not baked for long enough, or the oven door was opened before the cake set. 
• Adding too much baking powder can also cause it to sink as it will result in your cake rising very quickly at the start, the excess air bubbles will then burst causing the cake to sink in the middle.
• If your cake feels tough it is most lightly because the flour was beaten too much. The flour is stirred in towards the end to prevent this.
• When making the topping, dicing the cold butter and rubbing it into the flour and sugar swiftly will help to make the topping crunchier and crumblier. It is because the butter will not become greasy between your hands.
• If you feel the cake needs more baking time but the top is getting too dark, cover it with tin foil and bake for five-minute intervals, checking each time the alarm goes off.
• The cake can be frozen whole or in slices. You can defrost it at room temperature.
• It is best not to store this cake in the fridge as it will dry out, instead keep it in an airtight container in a cool place.

Three delicious variations

Apple and cinnamon

In place of the blackberries add either diced or roughly grated apple.

I use cooking apples as they hold their shape and flavour when cooked they are also very reasonably priced.

In place of the almond extract, you can add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon. 

A mixed cake spice would also work well.

You can substitute the almonds in the topping for chopped hazelnuts or pecan nuts.

Rich almond cake

For those who love almonds, you can add diced marzipan in place of the berries.

The marzipan melts into the cake as it bakes leaving nice almondy pockets.

In place of the crumble, add a handful of slivered almonds sprinkled on top before baking and pressed in slightly.

Orange and pink grapefruit loaf cake

I use pink grapefruit zest in this version in place of the almond extract and also add orange juice in place of the milk. 

You can stir in 100g of chopped candied orange into the cake batter, in place of the berries. 

This version can be topped with an orange or grapefruit icing.