This Blueberry and Apple Loaf is marvellously moist and fabulously fruity!
I’ve been making this recipe on the regular because it’s so easy, so delicious and always goes down a treat.
I’ve made this loaf a number of times in my (now not so) new kitchen and I’ve been much more enthusiastic about eating the cake than I have been about taking pictures of it. However, at the weekend, I purged my office (which is also the laundry room LOL!) and cleaned it and tidied it from top to bottom.
I’m a big believer that your mind reflects your environment and now that my work space is all nice and tidy, so is my brain. I’ve been so much more productive since my little spring (well, summer) clean!
Anyhoo, tidy offices aside, this loaf especially appeals to my inner lazy girl because there’s no need to peel the apple in this recipe, just core and chop and away you go! Well, I did tell you it was easy!
This is a recipe that also appeals to my inner thrifty girl because it’s a great way of using up old apples and the recipe calls for frozen berries which are so much more affordable than fresh. Talking of berries, blueberries are my fave but pretty much any kind of frozen berry will work in this recipe.
This loaf is full of surprises, because although the batter is less liquidy than your common or garden cake batter, the resulting loaf is marvellously moist (sorry but it needed to be said) and the crunchy cinnamon topping is the tops!
Do you believe that you mind reflects your environment? What’s your favourite berry?
Cuts into 10 chunky slices
Ingredients
250g self raising flour
175g cold butter, cut into cubes
175g soft brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons demerara sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 eating apple, cored and quartered
2 eggs, beaten
200g frozen blueberries
How to – Traditional
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20 x 10 x 6cm loaf tin.
- Place flour, butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and rub it with your fingers until you have a crumb like consistency.
- Set aside 5 tablespoons of the flour mixture in a small bowl and add the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl and coarsely grate the apple into the beaten egg.
- Stir in the baking powder to the rubbed in mixture and then quickly add the egg mixture until you you have a dense mixture that doesn’t drip off the spoon.
- Fold in 150g of the blueberries but don’t overmix.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined tin and level. Scatter over the remaining berries and sprinkle over the cinnamon topping.
- Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes but check at around the 50 minute mark. If the loaf is getting too brown, loosely cover with foil. When the cake is ready, it will feel firm when tested with a skewer.
- Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
How to – Thermomix
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20 x 10 x 6cm loaf tin.
- Add apple to the TM bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4. Set aside.
- Don’t wash the bowl. Add the flour and butter and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5.
- Add the brown sugar and mix for 5 seconds on speed 4.
- Set aside 5 tablespoons of the flour mixture in a small bowl and add the cinnamon and demerara sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Add the baking powder to the TM bowl and mix for 5 seconds on reverse speed 3.
- Beat the eggs in a small cup and add to the TM bowl along with the chopped apple. Mix for 4 seconds on speed 4.
- The mixture will be quite dense. Add 150g of the berries and fold in to the mixture with the spatula.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined tin and level. Scatter over the remaining berries and sprinkle over the cinnamon topping.
- Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes but check at around the 50 minute mark. If the loaf is getting too brown, loosely cover with foil. When the cake is ready, it will feel firm when tested with a skewer.
- Leave to cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
