I wasn’t sure whether to call this Spelt Flour Cranberry Cake a cake or bread. Americans tend to call cakes baked in a loaf of pan bread. Where I come from pumpkin bread, gingerbread and such would be considered cakes.
Either way and whichever name they go by, we love those seasonal favorites. This one is moist, dense, and delicious — wonderful, wonderful at teatime.
While I’m not a big fan of dried cranberries for baking, I love fresh ones. They give a lovely tartness to cookies, cakes and muffins that brightens up the taste.
I used whole grain spelt flour for this cake which turned out nicely rich and nutty. Spelt is related to wheat but is nutritionally superior and more easily digestible.
I haven’t tested this recipe with whole wheat but I’m pretty confident it can be substituted for spelt (perhaps with a minor quantity adjustment), as the two flours have a similar consistency.
Spelt Flour Cranberry Cake Recipe
YIELD: 8 SERVINGS
PREP TIME: 10 MIN
COOK TIME: 30 MIN
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup muscovado sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- 1 ½ cups whole spelt flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, halved
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9X5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, mix the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla, mashed banana, and orange zest until well combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon (if used), and salt into a bowl and add to the wet mixture. Mix again until the batter is smooth and shiny. Fold in the cranberries.
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is set and a skewer inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes.
Cool on a rack before unmolding.
