Michelle Darmody: Loaf cakes that are easy for slicing
The cakes included here are all baked in 2lb loaf tins, which makes them easy for slicing and transporting, perfect when you want to bring a portable snack into work as a treat.
Loaf tins are most often used for bread but work very well for making a more casual cake. I tend to line the tin with parchment for ease of removal.
Traditionally the simplest cake recipe baked in a loaf tin was called a Pound Cake, it entailed the use of a pound of each ingredient, hence the name.
These recipes are adapted versions of this cake but they are made in a similar manner, by mixing the ingredients together in quite a simple way.
You will need a large bowl and wooden spoon rather than a mixer or whisk and stir everything by hand until combined, then scoop the batter intoyour tin.
The resulting cake is dense; all the more suitable for slicing.
I use a handful of blueberries in the first recipe but other soft fruit will work just as well, also frozen berries are a good substitute for fresh.
I stir them in frozen rather than defrosting them, just make sure to scrape off any excess ice. The final cake is similar to a light fruit cake but the addition of yogurt makes it a little less crumbly and easier to slice.
Blueberry loaf
4 tbsp of rapeseed oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
220 mls of orange juice and the zest of 3
330g of self raising flour, sieved
175g of golden caster sugar
150g of blueberries
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.
Beat the oil, eggs, juice and zest with a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Add the sieved flour and sugar and mix until completely combined.
Stir in the blueberries and scoop the mixture into your prepared tin.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Ginger and chocolate loaf
175g of soft butter
160g of golden caster sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
140g of self raising flour
85g of ground almonds
1 level tsp of baking powder, sieved
1 level tsp of ground ginger
4 tbsp of cocoa powder
100 mls of milk
60g of crystalised ginger, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees and line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until it starts to become pale.
Add in all of the other ingredients, except the crystalised ginger, and beat until completely combined.
Stir in the crystalised ginger and then scoop the mixture into your prepared tin.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Golden raisin and cranberry loaf
125g of soft butter
115g of golden caster sugar
225g of self raising flour
100 mls natural yogurt
50 mls of milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150g of golden raisins
100g of dried cranberries
100g of chopped nuts
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 tsp of ground nutmeg
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees and line a 2 lb loaf tin with parchment.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until it starts to become pale. Add in all of the other ingredients. Stir until completely combined.
Scoop the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for an hour or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes and then move onto a wire rack to cool completely.
The cakes included here are all baked in 2lb loaf tins, which makes them easy for slicing and transporting, perfect when you want to bring a portable snack into work as a treat.
