Name: Mulled apple and spelt loaf
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature; 220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar; 2 eggs; Finely grated rind of 1 lemon; 50 gm Greek-style yoghurt; 50 ml apple cider; 200 gm unsweetened apple sauce (see note); ½ vanilla extract; 210 white spelt flour; ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg; ⅛ tsp cardamom; 40 gm coarsely chopped walnuts, plus extra to serve; 30 gm dried apple, chopped; Apple icing; 25 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature; 125 gm pure icing sugar, sifted; 20 ml apple cider

Mulled apple and spelt loaf

Yoghurt, apple sauce, nutmeg and cinnamon add up to one tasty package that's as good for breakfast as it is afternoon tea.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

20M

Cook

45M

Total

1H 5M

“This loaf is delicious if eaten the day it’s made, but even better left overnight before being iced and eaten,” says Yu-Ching Lee. “An alternative to icing, if you’re not that way inclined, is to serve it thickly sliced and toasted, with a little salted butter.”

Ingredients

100 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature

220 gm (1 cup) caster sugar

2 eggs

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

50 gm Greek-style yoghurt

50 ml apple cider

200 gm unsweetened apple sauce (see note)

½ vanilla extract

210 white spelt flour

¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

⅛ tsp cardamom

40 gm coarsely chopped walnuts, plus extra to serve

30 gm dried apple, chopped

Apple icing

25 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature

125 gm pure icing sugar, sifted

20 ml apple cider

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease a 23cm x 8cm loaf tin and line with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until incorporated. Combine lemon rind, yoghurt, cider, apple sauce, vanilla and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes in a separate bowl, then fold into butter mixture. Sift in flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices, fold to combine, then fold in walnut pieces and dried apple.

2.Spread mixture evenly in tin and bake until a skewer inserted withdraws clean (45-50 minutes; cover with foil if browning too quickly). Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (about 2 hours).

3.For apple icing, beat butter, icing sugar and ¼ tsp salt flakes in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and creamy (2-3 minutes). Add apple cider and beat until well incorporated. Spread icing over loaf and decorate with extra walnuts. Loaf will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

Unsweetened apple sauce is available from supermarkets.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Geraldine Mu Ñoz