Wholesome Fruit & Nut CakeIngredients140g spelt or wheat grains (or wholemeal flour)
80g dried dates
80g walnuts or pecans
1 small apple – peeled, cored and cut into several large pieces.
50g sultanas
185g butter
120g rapadura sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bi-carb soda
¼ tsp salt
220g buttermilk
140g plain unbleached flour (spelt or wheat)
Method:Preheat oven to 180 degrees, 160 degrees fan force.
Butter and flour a 9 inch springform cake pan or large cake tin.
Place spelt grains into bowl and mill for 2 minutes on speed 9. Set aside.
Place dates into bowl and chop for 10 seconds on speed 6.
Add apple and pecans into bowl and chop for 4 seconds on speed 4.
Place sultanas and ½ MC of the ground spelt into bowl and mix for 5 seconds, reverse speed 2. Set aside.
Place butter and rapadura into bowl and cream for 40 seconds on speed 4, stopping once to scrape down the bowl.
Set the dial to speed 2 and add eggs and honey through the hole, mixing for an extra couple of seconds when all ingredients have been added.
Add the ground spelt, cinnamon, baking powder, bi-carb soda, salt and stir for 20 seconds on speed 4.
Add 120g of the buttermilk and stir for 20 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the flour and stir for 20 seconds on speed 4.
Add the remaining buttermilk and stir for 20 seconds on speed 4.
Add the dried fruit and nut mix and stir through for 20 seconds on reverse speed 3.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and continue cooling.
Notes/Tips:I used a medium cake tin and a loaf tin as it is quite a large mix.
I found 45 minutes baking time was long enough when the batter was divided between the two tins.
This cake was lovely when it was still warm from the oven and was very nice with a little homemade butter the next day (similar to a date loaf).
The imported walnuts from the major supermarkets are usually rancid and not very nice. Shop around to see if you can find fresh, local ones.
I converted the recipe from Debra Lynn Dadd’s Apple Fig Cake
http://www.sweetsavvy.com/recipes/recipe.php?id=R223members' commentsRach23 - made this cake and just wanted to say it is absolutely delicious! I love the ingredients and it really is a nice cake. Thanks Chelsea, I love it!
MJ - Made this and didn't read the instructions carefully!! I added the butter and rapadura to the fruit mix. Still worked fine!!
