Date & Nut Bread – Gluten Free & Regular Versions

I’m a big fan of a loaf tin bake. The possibilities are endless. The recipes are always pretty straightforward. They look great and can be an every day treat or dressed up and they win over a crowd. What’s not to love!

This bread has everything I love. The dates, lots of warming spices and nuts and it uses no refined sugar!

If you need it Dairy Free, then substitute the butter for your usual non dairy brand.

Vegans can sub the egg with a flax seed egg (see below) and use maple syrup or date syrup in place of the honey.

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Frangipane Mince Tart – Gluten Free

A wonderful change from the usual mince pies with it’s delicious frangipane topping. It’s also easier to make as there’s far less cutting and shaping with pastry. I used my own homemade mincemeat which is gluten free and vegan. The recipe is here on my website if you would like to make it. It’s very simple and can be made ahead once stored in sterilised jars. A great dessert to serve with cream or custard after a lovely dinner.

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Super Gluten Free Banana, Date & Walnut Bread

I have a very nice Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe here on cozebakes which is made using only ground almonds. I wanted to make one which used Gluten Free flour and to include dates and walnuts for extra flavour and crunch.

I’ve adapted this great basic banana bread recipe and it’s worked really well. Banana Bread can sometimes can bad press but it’s a great stand by recipe and this one uses no added sugar so it’s a healthier option to bake. Using very ripe bananas adds a natural sweetness which removes the need to add processed sugar to this recipe.

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Everyday Fruit Cake

I’m a huge fan of a fruit cake, of any variety at all. I absolutely love fruit cake but there is the awful dread that you’ll bite into a slice and it will be dry…disaster! No fear with this recipe at all. It’s so delicious and moist and you can add your favourite dried fruit when making it.

No mixer needed to get this into the oven and it takes about 15 minutes , an hour to bake and the smell, it’s just so good!

I would feel you’re better making this cake the day before you need it as it cuts better after resting for about 24 hours.

I used a 6″ / 16cm square tin but it will also work in a 2lb loaf tin. I would recommend you have some parchment up above the side of your loaf tin while prepping it.

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Orange & Cranberry Bundt Cake

The flavours in this stunning cake are just so lovely. Orange and Cranberries go hand in hand and they compliment each other so beautifully. I’ve used my Nordicware double tin to make these but you can use a large bundt tin also.

I’ve topped the cake with a sweet orange glaze which just sets everything off to perfection. You can of course leave it out but I would really encourage you to make it as it’s the perfect finish!

You can keep this cake at room temperature, covered, for a day or two and it will be fine. It’s also great for keeping in the fridge, in an airtight container and will be great for 4/5 days.

If you want to get ahead, you can make the cake, let it cool completely and then wrap twice, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature overnight and then glaze as per the recipe.

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Pear & Apple Loaf Cake

This is such a delicious, soft and light cake recipe. There’s no bells or whistles with this one. No big entrance or show stopping impact. It’s simply a hug in a cake. That probably describes it best.

A very simple recipe that comes together quickly and easily to be enjoyed by all the family. Who doesn’t love an “all in one bowl” recipe!

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Apple Loaf Cake

A very simple and delicious tea time cake full of apples and spices to give it warmth. Using both dark and light brown sugar gives the cake texture a rich, almost caramel flavour. You can opt to add in sultanas but equally, adding in dried cranberries would give a great contrast. I topped the cake with walnuts and after enjoying a slice, I think it would benefit greatly from adding some into the mix.

This cake is very moist and needs delicate handling once it’s baked. I would recommend you leave it sit for a good 20/25 minutes before removing it from the tin to a wire rack.

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St Patrick’s Day Shamrock Chocolate Cake

So this is a great chocolate cake recipe. It’s rich and has a great texture. It can be used for any occasion and I decided to bake it, cut out a shamrock shape x 2 and decorate with shades of green buttercream. It’s a fun thing to try and worked well because of the shamrock shape and colour variations.

I made the cake in two 8″ / 20 cm round tins. Then found a shamrock image on the web, sized it, printed it and cut it out of the cooled cakes. If you can draw freehand, go for it! I would recommend gel dye colour rather than a liquid one. Start with a small bit for the first shade, then increase the quantity to get a deeper colours as you go.

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