GLUTEN FREE|EGG FREE|DAIRY FREE|SOYA FREE

The other day we went for a late afternoon stroll with the children to the local park with a Tupperware container and the aim of seeking out a few blackberries. We had already raided the park a few days before and were delighted when we walked away, hands filled with juicy blackberries still warm from the sun. Clearly the recent heat wave has provided these little gems with just the conditions necessary and we were confronted with bushes overflowing with ripe fruit. My children were absolutely delighted and quickly started picking and filling their container; even my 23 month old was able to pick a few, though he mostly just sat stuffing his face with the ones we had picked.

Before long, our container was filled to the brim, but now we were faced with what to do with this bumper harvest. My normal go to would be a crumble, but in the 30+°c we were experiencing, the thought of crumble was not all that appealing. So I started raiding my cupboard and scouring the internet for ideas and recipes. In the end, I decided to play with a recipe I had used to make a lemon and poppy-seed cake but instead decided to use orange and blackberry – the result was brilliant. The cake turned out better than most I had attempted before; the texture was light and the flavour was just right. I also used the rest of the blackberries to make a syrup which I drizzled over the slice of cake just before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 150g vegan butter (I used the stork gold block)
• 100g caster sugar, plus a little extra to sprinkle over before poppinng in the oven
• zest of 3 oranges
• 150g gluten free self raising flour
• 1 ½tsp xanthum gum
• 100ml of plant based milk alternative
• 5 tsp apple sauce
• 100g ground almond
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 3tbs poppy seeds
• Blackberries – as many as you want to use

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170°c (fan assisted oven).
2. In a bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in the zest of 2 oranges and the vanilla extract.
4. Add the poppy seeds and mix well.
5. Add ½ the gluten-free self raising flour and ground almonds, then ½ the milk alternative (I have found it best to do this as it keeps the mixture lighter) and fold in carefully.
6. Add the xanthum gum, before adding the remaining flour and ground almond.
7. Add the remaining milk and fold until well incorporated.
8. Set the mixture aside for 5 minutes.
9. After 5 minutes, check the consistency of the mixture (I find that with gluten-free flour the mixture can stiffen). If needed, add a little more milk to loosen slightly.
10. Pour the mixture into a baking tray or dish that has been lined with grease proof paper.
11. Place blackberries on top of the batter and sprinkle over a small amount of sugar before popping in the oven
12. Cook for 25-30mins and test the cake has cooked through using a skewer.
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

The cake will keep for around a week in an airtight container (though less in this heat). I served my cake with a blackberry syrup made by heating blackberries with some water in a pan and adding sugar then passing through a sieve to remove the pips.

If you are lucky enough to find a bush filled with juicy, ripe blackberries, I urge you to try this recipe out. Yes, a blackberry cruble is divine, but this makes a very summery treat.

Happy eating,