Easy Blackcurrant Cake
This easy lemon and blackcurrant cake is a soft, buttery loaf packed with tart, juicy blackcurrants and finished with a crisp lemon drizzle. Made with fresh or frozen fruit and baked in a 2 lb loaf tin, it is a simple British cake that is perfect for afternoon tea, picnics or dessert.
Servings 10
Calories 403kcal
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Ingredients
- 175 g Blackcurrants stems removed, washed & dried
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour (all-purpose flour)
- 225 g Unsalted Butter
- 225 g Caster Sugar (granulated sugar)
- 4 Eggs large
- 200 g Self Raising Flour (self-rising flour)
- 30 g Ground Almonds (almond flour)
- 1 Lemon zest only
For the lemon drizzle
- 60 g Caster Sugar (granulated sugar)
- 1-2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160 fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non stick baking parchment.
- Place the fresh or frozen blackcurrants in a small bowl and gently toss them with a spoonful of the measured flour. Coating the berries gives the cake batter a better chance of holding them in place during baking.175 g Blackcurrants, 1 tbsp Plain Flour (all-purpose flour)
- Place the softened butter and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or wooden spoon until pale, light and fluffy. This usually takes three to four minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice so everything is evenly combined.225 g Unsalted Butter, 225 g Caster Sugar (granulated sugar)
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture begins to look curdled, beat in a spoonful of the measured flour before adding the next egg. A slightly curdled mixture will not ruin the cake, but adding the eggs gradually helps create a more even crumb.4 Eggs
- Fold in the self-raising flour, ground almonds and finely grated lemon zest using a large metal spoon or spatula.200 g Self Raising Flour (self-rising flour), 30 g Ground Almonds (almond flour), 1 Lemon
- Spoon half the cake mixture into the loaf tin.
- Gently fold the flour-coated blackcurrants through the remaining batter, then spoon it into the tin. Level the top without pressing the mixture down. Adding plain batter to the tin first creates a berry-free base and helps prevent all the fruit from collecting at the bottom.
- Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Cover with foil after 50 minutes to prevent the top of the cake from burning.
- Mix together the caster and lemon juice for the drizzle. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use a skewer to make a few small holes in the top. Spoon over the lemon drizzle, allowing some of it to soak into the sponge while the remaining sugar forms a crunchy topping.60 g Caster Sugar (granulated sugar), 1-2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin. Run a round-edged knife between the cake and the tin and carefully remove to a cake plate.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for the lightest, most even-textured cake.
- Don't thaw frozen blackcurrants before adding them to the batter. Toss them with a little flour first to help prevent sinking.
- Spread a layer of plain batter into the tin before adding the fruit-filled batter to help keep the blackcurrants evenly distributed.
- Avoid overmixing once the flour has been added or the cake may become dense.
- Start checking after 50 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly but the centre isn't cooked, loosely cover with foil and continue baking.
- Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre of the sponge (avoid a berry). It should come out without wet batter attached.
- Pour the lemon drizzle over the cake while it's still hot so some soaks into the sponge while the sugar forms a crisp topping.
- The cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze whole or in individual slices for an easy treat
Nutritional Information (Approximate)
Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
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