I love baking. Love it. When friends come to stay I make an effort to ensure they wake up to the delicious aromas of home cooking, like this moist teacake.
Apple and Walnut Crumble Loaf
Crumble Topping
3/4 cup walnuts
1 Tbs raw sugar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Moist Loaf
1 large Granny Smith apple (approximately 180g)
120g unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup raw caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
3/4 cup gluten free self raising flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup gluten free cornflour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
3/4 cup organic full cream milk
1 1/2 Tbs Calvados apple brandy
Grease a standard (23 x 13 x 7 cm) loaf tin, line with baking paper. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
For the crumble: Roughly chop the walnuts, stir in the sugars and spices and set aside. If you have a food processor or Magic Bullet, pulse the crumble taking care not to make it too fine.
For the moist cake: Peel, core and grate the apple into a small bowl. In an electric mixer (helloooo beautiful red Kitchen Aid!), cream the softened butter with the raw caster sugar (I use a Magic Bullet blender to turn raw sugar into caster sugar). Once thick and creamy, add one egg and beat, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the second egg and beat until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, sift the flours, cinnamon and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter with 1/4 cup of the milk, beat until just incorporated taking care not to over beat the mixture. Fold in the grated apple and brandy (brandy is optional). If the batter is stiff, add milk a 1/4 cup at a time.
Pour half of the batter into the loaf tin, sprinkle evenly with half of the crumble then pour over the rest of the batter. Sprinkle loaf with the remaining crumble and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the loaf tin for several minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
This delicious loaf will rouse your guests from their slumber; expect to see them float sleepily to the breakfast table, led by their inquisitive noses. Serve thick, warm slices of this moist cake with or without a smear of creamy butter.
Gluten free, delicious, and worth savouring every mouthful over a hot cup of tea as you plan your day.
Love Bella xx
