I adore a good loaf cake. There’s something about them that’s just inherently cosy and wholesome, and this one in particular is perfect for the colder months, not least because it’s simple and sturdy in the very best way. It’d be right at home with a coffee for breakfast, as well as gently warmed in a pan with butter and served with hot custard on a rainy evening. A real all-rounder.
Apple, brown butter and oat loaf
Prep 5 min
Cook 1 hr 25 min
Serves 8
180g unsalted butter
200g light muscovado sugar
2 large eggs
50g soured cream
210g plain flour
½ tsp cinnamon
40g porridge oats, plus extra to finish
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 eating apples
2 tbsp demerara sugar
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then simmer until it turns a deep amber colour and smells fragrant. Take off the heat, pour it brown bits and all into a heatproof bowl and leave to cool.
Once the butter is at room temperature, stir in the sugar, followed by the eggs, followed by the soured cream.
In a second bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, porridge oats, baking powder and salt. Pour in the butter mix and stir to make a smooth batter. Pour in 60ml hot water and stir to combine.
Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Set aside two apple quarters for the topping, then slice the rest into thin semi-circles. Fold these into the batter until they’re evenly dispersed.
Spoon the batter into the lined tin. Thinly slice the reserved apple quarters and arrange them neatly on top of the batter. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and a few extra oats, then bake for 55-65 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.
