Apple & Blackberry Traybake Cake (24 squares)
Prep Time:15 mins, Cook Time: 40-50 mins, Total Time: 55 mins - 1 Hr 05 mins
September 11, 2013
Would you believe I had four whole weeks without an oven?!. Well I actually had the oven as it came with us from France, it just took me four weeks from it’s arrival to arrange an electrician to re-install it and sort out a bottled gas supply and connection. At first it was actually a welcome break and a nice excuse to bob over to my Mum and Dads for a hot dinner and have someone else cook for a change! But towards the end it was just plain frustrating, though I did become pretty adept at the art of microwave cooking by the end of the four weeks, and we managed some pretty tasty meals!. But I really missed baking, not because I’m a huge cake eater (well I am that too!) but I really missed my baking sessions with the kids, and so did they. Plus they missed pancakes. A lot.
So this was our first bake together in the re-installed oven. Totally experimental and a total success, even if I do say so myself!. Experimental in the sense I read a multitude of recipes and pulled them all together and crossed my fingers and toes it would work. This was my first use of Spelt Flour which I’ve been excited about trying for months now but couldn’t source in France. It also uses a ridiculous amount of fruit (over a kilo or Apples and Blackberries!), happens to be very low in fat and sugar (and good sugar at that) and uses Yoghurt to moisten things up. Pretty much as healthy a cake as cake can be, yet still bursting with flavour and yum factor. The KIDS loved it, particularly Francesca, who wolfed down an inordinate amount.
And as the blackberries were from a mammoth Family Foti blackberrying forage around our surrounding fields and the apples and eggs from a neighbour’s honesty box (I’m so loving these!) this was a bit of a local (and cheap) bake too. Since it’s bursting with Autumnal loveliness I shall be entering my recipe to the Four Seasons Food challenge, co-hosted by myself and this month by Anneli over at Delicieux. The theme so happening to be ‘Sliding into Autumn’. I’m also delighted to be entering my post to Tea Time Treats for my first time in a very long time. Hosted this month by Karen of Lavender and Lovage (co-hosted by What Kate Baked) the theme this month’s Flapjacks, Oats & Traybakes. Perfect.
Four Seasons Food hosted by Delicieux and Eat Your Veg
Spelt Flour, Apples, Blackberries, Yoghurt
Great For:
Toddlers, Pre-schoolers, Big Kids, Grown Ups, Baking with Kids, Healthier Baking, Elevensies, After-School Treats, Tea Time Treats, Puds, Birthday Parties, Blackberry Foragers, Apple Growers
Notes:
The recipe uses spelt flour, but if you cannot source replace with ordinary wholemeal flour. Best served a little warm from the oven, but keeps very well for a few days. Freezable.
Special Equipment:
A roasting or cake tray, roughly 20 x 30cm, lined with greaseproof paper.
Apple & Blackberry Traybake Cake (24 squares)
Ingredients Prep Time:15 mins, Cook Time: 40-50 mins, Total Time: 55 mins - 1 Hr 05 mins
800g cooking apples
lemon juice, squeeze or two
300g blackberries, washed
175g butter, plus a little extra for greasing
300g wholemeal spelt flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
200g soft brown sugar, plus an additional tablespoon for sprinkling
3 large free range eggs
250ml natural yoghurt
1) Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC, grease and line a 20x30cm roasting or cake tray with greaseproof paper.
2) Peel and core the apples, slice into small pieces, toss in the lemon juice to prevent them from browning, stir in the washed blackberries and set aside.
3) Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
4) Sieve together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
5) Place the sugar and the eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk together by hand until thickened (employ a whisker – i.e. small child – if you have one).
6) Whisk in the melted butter to the egg and sugar mixture, shortly followed by the yoghurt. The mixture should be very thick and creamy now (again employing your whisker helper)
7) Quickly but gently fold in the flour mix to the above, in about 3 or 4 goes.
8) Stir in most of the fruit, leaving some to scatter on the top.
9) Tip the cake mix into your prepared tray and spread so you have an even layer. Scatter over the remaining fruit and press down a little. Sprinkle over the tablespoon of sugar.
10) Place in your hot oven for 40 to 50 minutes. The cake should be firm to touch, shrinking away from the sides a little and golden on top.
Wonderful served a little warm, fresh from the oven!.
A perfect cake for using up all the lovely Autumn fruits, love this!
Thanks Laura, it certainly did feel like I was eating a little bit of Autumn. Off to pick more blackberries today and bake some more 🙂
I never realized how much I would miss an oven until we were without one for 6 months when we moved here. I bought a little micro / oven combi but it wasn’t the same… Glad you’re settled in…
Thanks Katie. Four weeks was long enough for me, not sure I could cope without one for 6 months!! We did however have a temporary and terrible 2nd hand gas oven for two years in France which was only one small step up from having no oven!
Hello lovely Lou! So glad to have you back blogging and the site is just brill. I love your little smiley veg face logo! Your traybake looks delicious…jam packed with so much Autumnal fruit! What a giving cake – 24 squares! Thats loads so it sure goes a long way too. Thanks for entering it into Four Seasons Food – it’s looking like a bumper month – we have 30 entries already!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Anneli, certainly looking like another bumper month for FSF! Have another couple of recipes I’ll probably manage to add too myself. So looking forward to hosting again next month!
FABULOUS new blog Louisa and a FAB entry for Tea Time Teats too! THANKS so much for adding this lush looking tray bake! Karen
Thanks Karen. I’ve been a busy with my traybakes lately, should even get around to adding another one or two before the month’s out!
Love your seasonal tray bake – definitely one I’ll be bookmarking and trying in the next few weeks. And absolutely adore your new site – loving those photo collages too!
Thanks Vanesther! And thanks for the big tip off about PicMonkey, it’s totally fab. I love the needness and order it brings to my pics, that were once just randomly scattered and out of sync 🙂
So late in spotting this and hoping the blackberries are still tasty as I really want to try this. Love how your baking recipes manage to be both temptingly treaty but healthy too. I bet you’re loving having a cooker again!
Thanks Andrea! Oh I’m never ever going without a cooker again, well not for so long anyway!. Lots of tasty blackberries round here still, but I’m planning on turning my next pickings into jam instead of cake for a change!