Copious cups of tea and a fruity buckwheat loaf

A latte is lovely but tea is heaven. As energising as a coffee but also offering more medicinal benefits, the very act of cupping a hot tea is calming and restorative. As the weather turns colder I can quite happily drink several cups a day. English Breakfast, toasty genmaicha, gingery chai and several herbal blends are on hand in the cupboard above the kettle. With 3 little people, I am most likely to rely on tea bags thrown in a mug but if I had the time to brew a pot and drink it from a beautiful cup, this is the cake I would enjoy with it.

Failing that, we will probably eat slices of this at the park while I try not to drop crumbs on the toddler's head.

The batter for this rustic treat is not overly sweet and relies heavily on ripe, seasonal fruit to secure its place as a cake rather than a loaf. This is not the recipe for tart rhubarb or plums – favour soft, seasonal pears or sweet berries. Lovely eaten on its own or with sweetened, whipped ricotta, this recipe is adapted from one on the beautiful “101 Cookbooks” blog.

 

NUTTY BUCKWHEAT CAKE

  • ½ c buckwheat flour
  • ½ c almond meal or spelt flour
  • 2 tb, heaped, rolled oats
  • ½ t baking powder
  • ½ t bicarb soda
  • ½ t salt flakes
  • 60g butter, melted or mild olive oil
  • 1/3 c rice malt syrup, maple syrup or honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1 lemon, zest of
  • 5ml vanilla extract
  • ¼ c yoghurt or buttermilk or milk with a squeeze of lemon
  • 1 ½ c diced fruit or berries
  • 1tb buckinis
  • 1tb crushed almonds
  • 1tb, heaped, pepitas
  • 1tb, heaped, coconut flakes or shreds
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp rice malt syrup, maple syrup or honey

Mix the first 6 (dry) ingredients together. Whisk the butter, syrup and egg together until pale and creamy. Gently whisk in the yoghurt, vanilla and zest, then the dry ingredients and 1/2 c of the fruit. Place the batter into a greased, lined loaf tin. Combine the last 6 ingredients together and sprinkle half of this mix on top of the cake batter. Scatter the remaining fruit over this and finally scatter remaining nut/seed mix on top. Bake for 35-45 mins @ 175’C.

 

Kate Spina