Apple and Spice Loaf

There has been so little let up in the dismal – and highly changeable – weather of late that I’ve given up on any pretence of feeling spring like.  Usually, by this stage I am being tempted by the fresh asparagus of the season, the golden and creamy Jersey Royal New Potatoes and the hefty kick of local watercress.  Instead, I feel drawn to food that warms the bones; Rhubarb Crumble springs to mind, as does anything slow cooked and carb rich, this Three Green Pilaf for instance.  Today, I ignored the list of bright and zesty salads that I have to recipe test and instead baked this very simple and very comforting Spiced Apple Loaf. 

Packed full of stewed bramley apples and mingled with cinnamon and spice, this is the sort of cake to cheer up any rainy and cold afternoon.  It also relies on a generous quantity of apple – no measly solo eating apple for us - this recipe requires two fat bramley apples.  They are there for both flavour and texture; acting as a replacement for any eggs you would normally use.  The result is a dense, sweet and appley loaf.  The sweetness, I should add, comes from Xylitol, a natural sugar substitute made from the ground bark of the birch tree.  It’s a brilliant substitute if you are avoiding sugar, and can be used in like-for-like quantities in most recipes, it is also handily available from all health food shops and a lot of the big supermarkets.  If you are happy using ‘real’ sugar then I would simply use equal quantities of light soft brown sugar for a mellow caramel flavour.  Either way, this is a lovely afternoon treat perfect for having with a cup of tea and a moments rest.

APPLE AND SPICE LOAF

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe

2 large bramley apples

100ml sunflower or rapeseed oil

140g xylitol plus 3 tbsp for the apples or equal quantities of light soft brown sugar

250g Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

½ tsp cinnamon

Peel and core the apples and chop into 1cm chunks.  Place in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of xylitol (or sugar).  Stew gently until soft.  Set aside to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 160c and line the loaf tin.

Pour the oil and xylitol (or sugar) into a large mixing bowl and beat together until smooth and glossy.  Stir in the stewed apples until mixed.  Sift in the flour and spices and use a metal spoon to fold into the mixture until combined.

Spoon into the tin, level the top and bake in the oven for 1 hour 10 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes until firm to the touch, golden and a cocktail stick comes out clean when inserted into the centre.  Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Harvest Cake Slice

I love the mix in this Harvest Slice, almost as much as I love the name.  Harvest slice.  It sounds so ripe and round and tempting.  Orchard Slice does equally well, although is slightly less true to the ingredients.  I may start work on an Orchard cake: apples, plums and greengages, it would make a beautiful myriad of flavours and is just the sort of thing I like to bake.  In the meantime, these gorgeously spiced, moist and fruity Harvest Cake Slices will see you through. They’re made up of a combination of finely grated carrot (moisture), mellow mixed ground spice, plump raisins and apricots (texture, sweetness), ground rice (texture), soft brown sugar (sweetness) and topped with slices of crisp eating apple (texture, sweetness).  It’s a wonderfully easy bit of baking – as traybakes so often are – and just the thing to go with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

 Baking has long been considered a science; the rules and regulations clear – always follow a recipe to the exact letter, because in baking, numbers matter.  I think there’s truth in it, but not being a particularly technical person and with my passion for flavour far outweighing any interest in science, I tend to go by my own rules when baking.  For me there are three simple things you have to get right: moisture, texture and sweetness.  Your baking has to be moist enough that it loosens on your tongue and yet light enough that it feels and looks airy, the balance of moisture to dry in tarts and pastries being especially important - the overall goal being a crisp, light, buttery base with velvety soft filling.  Which leads me to texture.  The crumb of your cake is key; they need to have spring to them, so that when pressed down on lightly with your fingertip, they will release back into their original shape.  If they have that spring, then cutting into them will reveal clearly defined crumb, whether delicate and dense or voluminous and aerated.  Finally, sweetness is all about balance of flavour.  Sugary enough to feel indulgent, decadent and ultimately pudding like; but not too sweet that it becomes cheap and synthetic tasting.  The balance here is all about taste to technique, this is because sugar in baking doesn’t just sweeten, it helps cakes to rise and adds a lightness to that all important crumb texture.  With so many baking options: tarts, tartins, brownies, biscuits, breads, cakes, muffins, traybakes and endless others, there also comes a variation in requirements; sometimes you’ll need your baking to rise, others you’ll want it dense and gooey.  Whatever the recipe, I still always find myself relying on that golden triptych: moisture, texture and sweetness, if you get that balance right (for you) then I think you can call it a success.

HARVEST CAKE SLICE

Makes 12 slices

You will need a 7 x 10 inch baking tin for this recipe

135g dairy-free margarine

85g soft dark brown sugar

4 tbsp ground flaxseed

55g Doves Farm gluten-free plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp mixed spice

100g ground rice

130g carrots

85g raisins

85g dried apricots

1 eating apple

1 tsp apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 180c and line the baking tin with parchment, making it easy to lift out the cake at the end of baking.

Begin by making up the flaxseed mixture.  Place the ground flaxseed in a small bowl with 6 tablespoons of water, stir together and set aside to thicken up – these will replace the eggs in your baking, helping the mixture to bind together.  Next, peel and trim the carrots before coarsely grating – you’ll want to do this by hand as using a food processor to grate the carrots will leave them, and the cake, soggy.  Peel and core the apple and then cut into slim slices.  Finely chop the dried apricots.

Place the margarine in a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and cream together with a wooden spoon until, light, combined and incorporated.  Stir in the flaxseed mixture until mixed through and then sift in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice.  Add the ground rice, grated carrots, apricots and raisins to the mixture and fold in until well mixed. 

Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and spread out, using the back of a spoon to level the top.  Scatter the apple slices over the top of the traybake and then, using the flat of your hand, gently press them down slightly into the mixture.  Bake in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes until golden and fragrant.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin.  While still warm, brush the top of the slices with the apricot jam and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  When ready, cut into slices and serve.