The Costello kitchen took a short break from baking last week while family commitments and BritMums events took precedence. We still ate well, but the ovens were idle for a few days. They’re back on today and I’m easing in with a straightforward, comforting bake: a Cherry Loaf Cake. Rustic might be the polite word—it’s charmingly imperfect and very forgiving to make.
I’ve been trying to carve out some calmer moments—knitting in hand in the photo above—though life keeps interrupting. Baking this loaf felt like a small, calming project, and it produced a tender, lemony cake with juicy cherries and a crunchy streusel topping.
| Serves | 10 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 1 hour, 10 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour, 30 minutes |
| Meal type | Dessert, Snack |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Serve Cold |
| Occasion | Casual Party |
INGREDIENTS
- 1 oz plain flour (for streusel)
- 1 oz very cold butter, cut into small chunks (for streusel)
- 1.5 oz demerara sugar (for streusel)
- 0.5 oz flaked almonds (for streusel)
- 6 oz melted butter, cooled for at least 5 minutes
- 6 oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs, whisked
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 100 g Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lemon curd (adjust to taste)
- 7 oz self-raising flour
- 4 oz glace cherries, quartered
- 1 tablespoon plain flour (to toss cherries)
DIRECTIONS
| Streusel Topping | |
| 1. | |
| In a medium bowl, combine the plain flour and demerara sugar. Add the cold butter chunks and use a knife to break them up, then rub the mixture together with your fingertips until it comes together with small buttery crumbs still visible. Stir in the flaked almonds and set the streusel aside. | |
| Cherry Loaf Cake | |
| 2. | |
| Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan). Line a loaf tin—disposable liners work well if you prefer easy cleanup. | |
| 3. | |
| In a bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk the cooled melted butter and caster sugar until creamy. | |
| 4. | |
| With the mixer running, add the whisked eggs gradually so the mixture stays smooth and emulsified. | |
| 5. | |
| Fold in the lemon zest, Greek yogurt and lemon curd. Use 3 tablespoons for a pronounced lemon flavour, or reduce to 1 tablespoon for a subtler taste. | |
| 6. | |
| Gently stir in the self-raising flour until just combined—avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender. | |
| 7. | |
| Toss the quartered glace cherries in the tablespoon of plain flour to help them stay suspended in the batter and prevent sinking. | |
| 8. | |
| Spoon a layer of batter into the bottom of the tin, scatter some cherries evenly over it, then add another layer of batter. Continue alternating until all the batter and cherries are used. | |
| 9. | |
| Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the surface of the cake. | |
| 10. | |
| Bake at 160°C for 50 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. | |
| 11. | |
| Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a short while before removing to a wire rack. Serve warm or cold. The loaf freezes well if you want to store portions for later. | |