2018 has started in a flurry of frosty mornings and crispy cold days and what we need is a little bit of comfort. As it happens, I am ready to start experimenting with new cake recipes, this is my idea of comfort. My cousin, Kathy, and her family came to visit a couple of weeks ago and she brought with her the most delicious loaf cake (in our opinion, anyway, as there wasn’t a lot left by the time she left!) I, therefore, insisted she gave me the recipe. So here we go:-

Cranberry & Orange Loaf Cake

 

Ingredients:

2 cups / 260g of plain flour

3/4 cup / 100g of caster sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 cup / 60g melted butter

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tbsp orange zest

1 medium egg beaten

1 cup / 100g chopped dried cranberries

1/2 cup / 50g chopped pecans (optional)

Tip:- mix a little of the flour to the cranberries (& pecans if using) before adding them to the mix so they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 C / 350 F / Gas mark 4
2. Grease and line a 1lb loaf tin
3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Add the orange juice, zest and the egg and mix well. Fold in the chopped cranberries (& pecans if using). Spoon the batter into the prepared tin.
4. Bake in the oven for 60 to 70 mins, check the loaf after about 50 minutes. Pop a skewer or cocktail stick into the cake to check that the cake is cooked through (the skewer should come out clean).
5. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10mins before turning out onto a cooling rack.

We found this cake is great with a cuppa or as a dessert with vanilla ice cream, all very comforting in our opinion!

Delyth x