Blackcurrant Drizzle Loaf

Make the most out of the blackcurrant season with my recipe for a blackcurrant drizzle loaf. This blackcurrant drizzle is filled with the juicy berries from the cake to the icing, giving it that beautiful purple shine on top. The recipe below allows for you to make your own blackcurrant jam to go into the loaf mixture, however, a shop bought blackcurrant jam would work just as well.

Using blackcurrants in three ways, this cake is perfect for picnics, garden parties and if you just fancy a slice of cake. So what are you waiting for? Get baking before the blackcurrant season runs out!

Blackcurrant Drizzle Loaf 

(Makes one large loaf cake)

200g Butter
250g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
250g Self Raising Flour
1/2 TSP Baking Powder
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
100g Blackcurrants
100ml Milk

Blackcurrant Jam
300g Blackcurrants
100ml Water
50g Granulated Sugar

For The Icing
Juice of half a lemon
100g Icing Sugar
3 TBSP Blackcurrant Reduction (made from the jam)

Preheat the oven to 170℃, Gas Mark 4.

Line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper.

To make the jam/reduction place the blackcurrants and the water in a pan and place on a high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and them simmer for three minutes to allow the blackcurrants to soften and pierce. Blitz the blackcurrants together using a blender and then pour the mixture through a sieve, catching the blackcurrant juice underneath with a bowl.

Pour half of the blackcurrant juice back into the pan and place back on a low heat. Add in the sugar and stir gently until the mixture starts to thicken. Take it off the heat and leave it to cool.

Leave the remaining blackcurrant juice to one side as you will need this later for the icing.

Place the butter and sugar inside a large mixing bowl. Use an electric whisk to beat them together until light and fluffy.

Add in the eggs and 50g of the flour to avoid the mixture from curdling. Whisk together until well combined. Add in the renaming flour and baking powder and beat together until all the ingredients are well combined and smooth.

Add in the lemon juice and pour in the milk. Whisk together on a low speed.

Add in the blackcurrants and mix together with a wooden spoon to avoid them from breaking up and bleeding into the mixture.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and dollop the blackcurrant jam on top. Take the end of a spoon and marble the jam and the cake mixture together, making sure that the jam is marbled evenly throughout the cake.

Place in the oven for around one hour until the loaf is golden brown and firm.

Once cooked leave the loaf to cool in the tin completely.

Whilst the cake is cooling place the icing sugar into a small bowl and pour in the lemon juice and the blackcurrant reduction. Whisk them together until you have a thick runny paste.

When the cake is cooled take it out of the tin and remove the greaseproof paper. Place the loaf on a serving plate of your choice and then pour the icing on top allowing it to drip down the sides.

The loaf will keep for four - five days in an air tight container.