Wholesome Fruit Cake

I'm a big fan of rapeseed oil at the moment. Not only is it relatively low in saturated fat, but the slightly nutty flavour works very well with an array of baked treats. Here I've used it in a yummy fruit cake, made even more wholesome with the use of wholemeal flour, oats and a mix of raw cane sugar with stevia. You should be able to find this in the supermarket, but if not you can use agave syrup. 

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 60 Mins
70g Wholemeal Flour
4tbsp Jumbo Oats
1tsp Baking Powder
100g Ground Almonds
115g Raw Cane Sugar with Stevia
150g Rapeseed Oil
3 Large Eggs (Beaten)
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Almond Extract
1tsp Lemon Extract
1tbsp Dark Rum
500g Pre-soaked Dried Fruit
1tbsp of Honey

Let's begin! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 20cm deep, loose bottomed cake tin entirely with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, almonds and sugar. Make a well in the centre and pour in the rapeseed oil and eggs. Mix together until evenly combined, then add the extracts and rum and do the same. Fold through the fruit, then spoon into your prepared tin.

Bake in the centre of the oven for around 60 minutes, until nicely risen and a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven, leave in the tin for around 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin an peel off the baking paper. Finish with a drizzle of honey and leave to cool entirely on a wire rack. Done done done!

Chocolate Hazelnut Loaf Cake with Cherries

This cake was the result of one of those all too frequent occurrences, when I have a few odds and ends in the store cupboard that I'm looking to use up. The delicious result has more than a hint of the black forest about it, but of course that's no bad thing. It's a real fudgy devil too, which means it will keep for more than couple of days if stored in a cool or cold place. Well, if you can resist gobbling it all up!

Prep time: 20 Mins
Baking time: 70-75 Mins
175g Butter
150g Milk Chocolate (Broken into cubes)
100g Ground Hazelnuts
100g Plain Flour
1.5tsp Baking Powder
2tbsp Cocoa Powder
150g Golden Caster Sugar
75g Toasted Hazelnuts (Roughly Chopped)
2 Large Eggs, plus 1 Yolk
175g Cherries soaked in Kirsch, along with 2tbsp of the soaking liquor (Plus a few extra cherries to decorate)
175g Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3 and line a 2lb loaf tin with a greaseproof loaf tin liner. You can pick the liners up easily from most supermarkets or kitchenware stores. Melt together the butter and chocolate, either over a bain-marie or in the microwave, then set to one side to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, sugar and hazelnuts. Make a well in the middle and pour in the melted butter and chocolate. Mix through, then add the eggs and continue mixing to a batter. Finally, add the cherries and soaking liquor and give one last mix until evenly combined. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for around 70-75 mins, until a metal skewer or sharp knife comes out sticky with crumbs when inserted into the middle of the cake.

When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool carefully remove from the tin and spread the surface with chocolate spread. Finish with a few leftover cherries to decorate and you are ready to serve. Booyah.

Honeyed Orange and Almond Cake

As frequent flyers will have no doubt noticed, I’ve been on somewhat of a quest recently to discover the healthier side of baking. From wholemeal flour, to sugar substitutes, to fat alternatives it’s been quite the adventure to date!

This time I’ve made a delicious orange cake using honey, yoghurt and almonds, with just a touch of wholemeal flour to really bring out the nuttiness of the almonds. It has a really soft, yielding texture that almost melts in the mouth and a gentle, fragrant flavour. For an added indulgence I drizzle with a lick of honey just before serving. ;-)

Prep time: 15 Mins

Baking time: 55 Mins

185g Runny Honey

3 Large Eggs

1tsp Almond Extract

150g Greek Yoghurt

Zest and Juice of 1 Medium Orange

200g Ground Almonds

2tbsp Wholemeal Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

Begin by preheating the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and lining a 20cm loose bottomed tin entirely with baking paper. Add the honey, eggs and almond extract to a large bowl and whisk by hand for a good 30 seconds, until nice and frothy. Add the yoghurt, orange zest and juice and keep whisking to combine.

Mix together the ground almonds, flour and baking powder, then add to the wet ingredients. Fold through until evenly combined. Pour your mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for around 55 minutes, until a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.

When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. When the cake is cool remove from the tin, peeling off the paper and place of a serving plate. You are finished!