Blackberry & Apple Loaf
This blackberry and apple loaf is a sweet taste of autumn goodness.
Sweet, plump blackberries nestled in a moist apple cake topped with crunchy cinnamon crumble. The best of autumn's flavours come together in this simple dessert, making a lovely coffee cake to share with guests.
This recipe is for a gluten-free version of this loaf; however, it is easily prepared using all-purpose flour. Simply swap the cassava flour and tapioca flour for an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
The loaf is also dairy-free and sugar-free, but the monk fruit sweetener can be swapped with granulated sugar at a higher calorie and carb count.
Ingredients
(Makes 12 servings)
loaf:
1, 1/2 cups cassava flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour and omit tapioca flour)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulate sugar)
1 egg, beaten
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons plant-based butter, melted
2 cups blackberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated
crumble:
1/4 cup unsalted plant-based butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup monk fruit sweetener (or granulated white sugar)
3/4 cups cassava flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour and omit the tapioca flour)
1/8 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C and prepare a loaf pan by greasing it and lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift in the cassava and tapioca flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sweetener.
In a medium mixing bowl beat the egg, then add the lemon juice, applesauce, and butter. Mix well then add to dry ingredients, stirring to combine. If the batter is very dry at this point, add water a little at a time until it becomes the consistency of thick pancake batter. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes then stir again. The baking soda will have started reacting to the lemon juice to add more air to the batter. While the batter rests, prepare the crumble.
Using a food processor, add the melted and cooled butter and the sweetener and pulse several times to combine. Add in the cassava flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Pulse until it combines into crumbs. Set aside.
Add the blackberries and lemon zest and mix well. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before lifting out to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. The loaf will shrink a little as it cools.
Slice and serve.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 170 | total fat = 3.49g | saturated fat = 1.13g | cholesterol = 16.25mg | sodium = 268.33mg | net carbohydrates = 50.91g | dietary fibre = 3.49g | sugars = 3g | protein = 1.46g
