Having recently made a delicious Raspberry and White Chocolate Loaf Cake I decided to make a gluten free version for a friend, but for even more colour and crunch, I decided to add pistachios. This version is also delicious and it most certainly has colour and crunch as well as taste.
Serves: 10 – 12 slices
Time: 90 – 95 minutes + cooling & decorating
Level: Quite easy
Need: A 1kg/2lb loaf tin
Cake Ingredients
- 100g/3½oz raspberries (fresh or frozen*)
- 75g/2½oz pistachios + a few for decoration later
- 75g/2½oz white chocolate broken into small pieces for melting,
- 175g/6oz Self raising flour (+ 1 tsp xanthan gum powder if going GF)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 150g/5oz softened unsalted butter, or baking spread
- 150g/5oz caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- A small amount of red food colouring (optional)
- A small amount of green colouring (also optional)
- A few drops of raspberry extract/flavouring (optional)
- Up to 100g/3½oz raspberries (fresh or frozen*, but use less if frozen)
- 25g/1oz white chocolate chips or pieces
*NB Although you could use frozen raspberries, my preference is for fresh.
Topping/decorating Ingredients
- 75g/2½oz white chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter, softened
- 50g/1¾oz full fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 100g/3½oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp freeze dried raspberries (and/or 10 – 12 fresh raspberries)
- A few Pistachios
Method
1. Either grease the loaf tin, or insert a paper liner without greasing the tin.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C / fan 160°C / 350°F / gas 4.
3. Whizz the raspberries in a blender (or crush with a fork) then use a strainer to squeeze out the liquid. Set aside the pulp to use later. Also whizz the pistachios a little or crush with a rolling pin. (Not too fine, if you want a nice crunchy texture.)
4. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie or carefully in the micro wave using short blasts and regular stirring.
5. Into a large bowl, sift the flour (and xanthan gum powder, if using GF flour), baking powder and salt then add the softened butter, sugar and eggs. Beat until everything is fully combined.
6. Mix in the melted white chocolate then put half the mixture into another bowl. Into one half, stir in the ground pistachios and green colouring; into the other half, stir in the raspberry pulp and red food colouring*. To strengthen the flavour you could add in a few drops of raspberry extract if you have any, but it’s not essential.
*NB You could dispense with the food colouring if you’re happy with the colour that your pulp gives you. You might not need all the pulp; take care not to thin the mixture too much.
7. Place alternate “blobs” of each mixture into the tin. Add in the rest of the raspberries, broken into halves plus the white chocolate chips. Gently swirl the two mixes together with a chopstick or similar instrument. Don’t overdo this or the two colours will not be distinct.
8. Bake for 60 – 65 minutes. Cool in the tin for about 15 – 20 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack.
9. To make the topping, first melt the white chocolate (as before). Beat together the butter and cream cheese then sift in the icing sugar. Stir at first then beat more vigorously. Mix in the melted white chocolate then stir in the freeze dried raspberries. If necessary, place in the fridge for 30 minutes for it to become firmer.
10. Spoon or pipe the mixture onto the cooled cake and add the remaining pistachios, either whole or broken into pieces (plus fresh raspberries if you want.)
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
If you want more loaf cake recipes click this link. Meanwhile, here are some more that I’m confident you’ll enjoy too and I’d love you to try them:
Chocolate and Orange Marbled Loaf Cake
For other cakes use this link. Or have a look at my site for many other sweet and savoury recipes. To make a comment or ask a question please go to the contact page.
Happy Baking
Ian
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 