STRAWBERRY POUND LOAF
Enjoy the ultimate summer dessert designed to be shared with friends. This delicious Strawberry Pound Loaf has been created by Charlotte Avent.
Made with rapeseed oil instead of butter, it is deliciously moist and crammed full of juicy macerated (softened) strawberries. It is a simple-to-make seasonal showstopper that can be easily sliced using our popular Radford Satin Cake Knife.
Charlotte says the light flavour of rapeseed oil is perfect for cakes and complements the strawberries beautifully.
“It’s golden in colour and velvety in texture. It’s rich in Omega 3 and contains both Omega 6 and 9. These fatty acids are essential to our diets, so it’s a great way to up your intake. It has the lowest level of saturated fat of any oil. This makes it a healthier choice than cakes made with olive oil or full-fat butter.”
INGREDIENTS:
For the macerated strawberries:
150g strawberries
1tsp vanilla essence
1tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp self-raising flour
For the pound loaf:
250g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
200g caster sugar
3 large eggs
150ml extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil
150ml whole milk
1tsp vanilla essence
For the icing:
250g icing sugar sifted
A few tablespoons of water
50g strawberries halved, to decorate
METHOD:
For the macerated strawberries
1 - Begin by removing the heads from the strawberries and slicing them vertically into two to three slices. Then quarter and place in a bowl.
2 - Add the vanilla essence and sugar, then leave to macerate (to soften).
3 - Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over the fruit right before you add to your cake batter.
For the pound loaf
1 - Preheat your oven to 170°C (fan oven), 340°F or gas mark 3 then grease and line a two-litre loaf tin with parchment paper.
2 - Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then add the salt and sugar. Mix to combine.
3 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, rapeseed oil, milk, and vanilla essence until everything is well combined.
4 - Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients. Use an electric whisk to beat everything together until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.
For the macerated strawberries
1 - Begin by removing the heads from the strawberries and slicing them vertically into two to three slices. Then quarter and place in a bowl.
2 - Add the vanilla essence and sugar, then leave to macerate (to soften).
3 - Sprinkle a tablespoon of flour over the fruit right before you add to your cake batter.
For the pound loaf
1 - Preheat your oven to 170°C (fan oven), 340°F or gas mark 3 then grease and line a two-litre loaf tin with parchment paper.
2 - Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then add the salt and sugar. Mix to combine.
3 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, rapeseed oil, milk, and vanilla essence until everything is well combined.
4 - Make a well in the dry ingredients and then pour in the wet ingredients. Use an electric whisk to beat everything together until there are no lumps and the mixture is smooth.
5 - Add your strawberries to the batter and mix in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
6 - Pour the batter into your cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean or with a few crumbs clinging to it.
7 - If the top of your cake is browning too quickly, place a sheet of silver foil over the top to prevent it burning while the rest of the cake continues cooking.
8 - Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, peel of your parchment.
For the icing
1 - Make the icing by sifting your icing sugar into a large bowl.
2 - Add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing after each addition to ensure your icing doesn't become too runny.
3 - When you're happy with the consistency (it should be thick, but pourable), generously pour over the top of your cake and top with the rest of the halved strawberries for decoration.
4 - Slice using Radford Satin Cake Knife and serve with freshly whipped cream.
5 - Add your strawberries to the batter and mix in with a wooden spoon or spatula.
6 - Pour the batter into your cake tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean or with a few crumbs clinging to it.
7 - If the top of your cake is browning too quickly, place a sheet of silver foil over the top to prevent it burning while the rest of the cake continues cooking.
8 - Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, peel of your parchment.
For the icing
1 - Make the icing by sifting your icing sugar into a large bowl.
2 - Add a tablespoon of water at a time, mixing after each addition to ensure your icing doesn't become too runny.
3 - When you're happy with the consistency (it should be thick, but pourable), generously pour over the top of your cake and top with the rest of the halved strawberries for decoration.
4 - Slice using Radford Satin Cake Knife and serve with freshly whipped cream.