It is often much more satisfying to bake easy cakes at home, rather than buy them from the supermarket and worry about the ingredients they contain.
These quick and easy loaf cakes use store cupboard ingredients and are fun to make for a family or for guests. Each loaf is baked in the same size of 2lb loaf tin. Prepare the tin by greasing it then lining it with greaseproof paper, or a tin liner. When cold, the loaves are delicious sliced and spread with butter or margarine.
Belgian Fruit Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup of dried fruit
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of milk
- 125g (4oz) margarine
- 2 cups of self-raising flour
- 1 egg
Method
- Heat oven to 180C (350F).
- Put fruit, sugar, milk and margarine into a saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, then leave to cool slightly.
- Add the flour and egg to the cooled mixture and stir well.
- Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes.
- Cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn onto a wire rack.
The following loaf does not have any added fat, so there is a bigger quantity of dried fruit as well as tea for added moisture.
Lincolnshire Tea Loaf
Ingredients
- 325g (12oz) of dried fruit
- 125g (4oz) Demerara sugar
- About 225 ml (7½ fl oz) cold tea
- 1 large egg
- 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
Method
- Heat oven to 180C (350F).
- Mix the fruit, sugar and tea together in a large bowl.
- Cover with a cloth and leave overnight.
- Next day, lightly beat the egg and stir into the fruit mixture.
- Add the sieved flour and mix thoroughly.
- Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the oven for about 1¼ to 1½ hours.
- Cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn onto a wire rack.
Gingerbread Loaf
Ingredients
- 125g (4oz) butter
- 300g (11oz) dark Muscovado sugar
- 100ml (3½ fl oz) milk
- 2 eggs
- 250g (9oz) plain flour
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100g (3½ oz) stem ginger, chopped
- 3 tablespoon of ginger syrup (from the jar)
Method
- Heat oven to 180C (350F).
- Put the butter and sugar into a saucepan and heat gently until melted.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the milk and eggs.
- Stir in the sieved flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate.
- Add the chopped stem ginger and syrup and stir well.
- Pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the oven for about 1 hour until firm.
- Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.
Date and Walnut Loaf
Ingredients
- 300g (11oz) self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
- 50g (2oz) shelled walnuts, chopped
- 150g (5oz) dates, chopped
- 300ml (½ pint) milk
- 110g (3½oz) dark Muscovado sugar
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Walnut halves to decorate
Method
- Heat oven to 180C (350F).
- Put the sieved flour and spice into a large bowl.
- Add the chopped dates and walnuts and mix.
- Whisk the milk, dark sugar and oil together.
- Add to the flour and spice. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin.
- Arrange the walnut halves along the top.
- Bake in the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes until firm.
- Cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn onto a wire rack.
Other easy recipes to make at home include fruit cakes and nutritious banana cakes.
The copyright of the article Quick and Easy Loaf Cake Recipes in Baking/Decorating Cakes is owned by Rosemary Gemmell. Permission to republish Quick and Easy Loaf Cake Recipes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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