Summer Berry Loaf
The addition of ground almonds creates a denser texture to this delicious, moist and fruity SUMMER BERRY LOAF. Topped with a cream cheese and almond flavoured frosting, I serve a ‘generous’ slice of this taste of summer straight from the fridge. It is ideal as a summer dessert.
Ingredients
150g butter softened
150g caster sugar
3 medium eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 tablespoon of sunflower or vegetable oil (optional)
150g Self-Raising flour
150g ground almonds
250g fresh or frozen mixed berries ( blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, cherries)
A few fresh berries to decorate. ( I use strawberries and blueberries)
Frosting ingredients –
50g softened butter
30g cream cheese
200 -250g sieved icing sugar
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper.
3. Cream the softened butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
4. Gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time until all the eggs are well combined.
5. Add the vanilla, almond extract and vegetable oil and mix.
6. Sieve the Self Raising flour into the cake batter and carefully fold in, using a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Add the ground almonds to the batter and fold in again, to thoroughly combine.
8. Spoon 1/3 of the plain cake mixture into the prepared tin to cover the base.
9. Now add either the mixed frozen berries or fresh berries ( see notes) into the remaining cake batter and stir very gently to disperse.
10. Spoon the berries cake mixture into the prepared tin on top of the plain layer and bake for 45 – 50 minutes for fresh berries OR 50 – 55 minutes for frozen berries until the loaf has risen, is golden in colour and a cocktail stick comes out clean.
11. Leave the loaf in the tin until it is COMPLETELY cold.
To decorate
1. Whisk the butter and cream cheese together until incorporated and softened.
2. Now add 200g of icing sugar and carefully mix it in until it starts to come together.
3. Once all the icing sugar is incorporated, whisk using a hand held electric whisk or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes until it is soft, light and fluffy and the grainy texture has gone. The longer you whisk, the better the frosting becomes.
4. The frosting needs to be thick enough to sit on top of the cake. To achieve the correct consistency you may need to add more icing sugar or if too thick, loosen slightly with a tablespoon of milk. Adjust accordingly before the 5 minute whisking begins.
5. Once completed, pile the frosting on to the top of the loaf and decorate with small pieces of fresh fruit.
ENJOY X
Store this cake covered in the fridge and either serve cold or allow it to return to room temperature before serving.
Notes
You can use fresh or frozen berries in this bake but they do alter the bake time slightly.
If using fresh berries, chop the fruit into similar sized pieces and remember to stir into the batter very gently so you don’t break up the fruit too much.
If using frozen berries, try to only include berries that are of similar size. Frozen berries do affect the bake time slightly and honestly, the bake time has varied every time I have made this loaf cake so you just have to watch and test it. The centre must be cooked though and this is the area that needs to be tested with a toothpick.
I include 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil into my batter because this cake is kept in the fridge. It does help to maintain moisture but changes the texture very slightly. I like the dense, moist nature of this cake but if you prefer a standard cake crumb, omit the oil.