We moved house over the weekend and it was the single most stressful experience of my life.
Packing up your entire existence whilst caring for a newborn and almost two year old should be an olympic sport.
It’s tough.
Really tough.
Looking back and considering the feat, we did pretty well.
And I have to say that settling into our new home feels wonderful.
Especially the kitchen.
The first creation to emerge from my new favourite place is this wonderful little apple, cinnamon and hazelnut loaf.
Loaf cakes have become a bit of a go-to for breakfast of late. Jam packed with fruit and able to be whipped up and in the oven in less than 10 minutes they’re a great breakfast alternative to the usual toast or cereal routine which can get pretty boring after a while.
Today’s apple, cinnamon and hazelnut loaf is not only completely delish but really good for the little ones too. I managed to get 4 apples into this little darling, and because of the natural sweetness from the apples I used a mere half cup of brown sugar in the entire loaf. If you’re keen to skip the sugar completely, simply replace with a half cup of maple or a third cup of agave syrup which would also work beautifully.
The hazelnut meal in this loaf is genius. It not only creates a tender and wholesome crumb but a gorgeous earthy nutty flavour that works beautifully with the classic apple and cinnamon flavour combination. And the smells that wafts from the oven as the loaf bakes to gorgeous goldenness is simply divine. So much so that Miss G. kept hovering around the oven saying ‘yum yum’ until it was finally cooked.
This loaf is also the perfect texture for little ones just beginning their baby led weaning journey. The abundance of apple strewn throughout the loaf creates a dense and moist crumb that won’t be too easily squished by little hands making it simple for beginners to hold and nibble on with ease. Just slice the loaf into thick batons and your little one should have no trouble at all.
This apple, cinnamon and hazelnut loaf also freezes wonderfully. Simply slice and wrap individual pieces in a little cling wrap, pop into a freezer safe container and stash in the deep freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw by simply resting on the bench or in a lunch box.
To create your own apple, cinnamon and hazelnut loaf simply…
Begin by preheating your oven to 180 degrees celsius (350F). Grate 2 apples into a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs, yoghurt, oil, sugar, vanilla and whisk to combine.
Add the flour, hazelnut meal, baking powder and cinnamon and stir until just combined.
Thinly slice 2 apples.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan lined with baking paper, top with the sliced apple and sprinkle with a dusting of cinnamon. Pop into the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly. If you find your cake is browning a little too quickly and is not cooked through, simply cover in foil and continue baking until cooked through.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before removing from the tin to cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into thin slices and serve alongside fresh berries for a lovely baby led weaning breakfast or morning tea.
apple, cinnamon & hazelnut loaf
This cake is best stored in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS
2 small apples (or 1 large), plus 2 for the top of the cake
1 cup yoghurt
2 eggs
3/4 cup lightly flavoured olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup hazelnut meal
2 teaspoons cinnamon, plus a teaspoon to dust over the cake
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees ceslius (350F). Grate 2 apples into a large mixing bowl. Add the yoghurt, eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar and whisk to combine. Add the plain flour, baking powder, hazelnut meal and cinnamon and fold until just combined. Thinly slice the remaining 2 apples. Pour the cake batter into a loaf tin lined with baking paper, top with the thinly sliced apples, sprinkle over the remaining cinnamon and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted removes cleanly. If you find your cake is browning too quickly and is still not cooked through, simply cover in foil and continue to bake until cooked. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes or so before removing from the tin to cool completely on a wire rack. Serve thin slices alongside a little fruit for a lovely little baby led weaning breakfast or morning tea. Keep the loaf stored in the refrigerator. Enjoy x
You may also like…
raspberry & pistachio loaf cake
lime & coconut loaf
maple sweet potato loaf
Hi,
Do you think I can substitute hazelnut to almond meal? It is really hard to find hazelnut meal in UK … 🙂
Thank you
Absolutely! Almond meal would work beautifully too. Happy cooking x
this looks lovely! i will try this recipe out soon 🙂 well done on moving with a baby and toddler you really deserve a medal, or alot of cake/chocolate!
ps i adore the font and the image at the top of the website!
Thank you! So happy to be settled! Happy cooking x
Not sure what went wrong but this didn’t work. I left it cooking an extra 25 minutes and still it came out soft and pudding-like. It’s quite tasty so we will eat it with a fork and topped with yogurt. I’ll try again but with more flour.
I am so sorry I should have noted I used 2 (very small) apples in the batter. The extra apple has probably created a wet batter. So happy your were able to salvage it though xxx
What sort of yoghurt do you use? Greek/vanilla/plain?
Thanks!
usually greek x
This looks yummy, I’m going to try this one tomorrow. Just wanted to say how much I love your blog and your recipies. I found you quite by accident and my boy loves your recipies much more than onehandedcooks. I try to make something every few weeks from your blog for mummy’s group catchups. We don’t eat cane sugar, so I substitute regular sugar for coconut sugar and it still tastes great. Looking forward to more great recipies to come. ☺
Thank you! So happy you’re enjoying my blog x
I’ve just been shopping and can’t find either hazelnut or almond meal (uk). I did find hazelnut oil. Do you think I can substitute the olive oil for hazelnut oil and just use another cup of flour instead of hazelnut meal?
Thank you x
If you’ve had no luck with hazelnut/almond meal simply replace with regular flour. I’ve never baked with hazelnut oil but I imagine it should give the same results as the olive but with more flavour. Report back, I’d love to know how you go! Good luck x
Hi,
What do you think I could use as an alternative to yogurt in this recipe?
My little one is allergic to dairy.
Hi Krisha! You can use soy yoghurt instead. Also make sure you use 2 small apples ( I should have advised cup measurements) so they batter isn’t too heavy and will cook. Happy cooking x
So glad l found your blog, this recipe looks great! We are just about to embark on the BLW journey – my son almost ripped my yoghurt laden spoon from my hand this morning to feed himself, so it is about time! Can’t wait to read more posts 🙂
Yay! Have fun and keep me posted xxx
I managed to get some ground hazelnuts so used those instead of hazelnut meal as apparently it’s the same thing but my loaf never cooked 🙁 It was very wet even after over 2 hours in the oven. Have made a few of your loafs before and they have been fab. By any chance is it supposed to be 2 cups of plain flour? It did smell amazing tho x
Oh no. I am thinking perhaps your apples were bigger than mine and have made the batter wetter and heavier. I feel terrible. Next time I will measure the fruit into cups to get the exact measurement. I am so sorry your loaf didn’t work:-(
I tried it again a few weeks ago with another cup of flour. It took a little longer to cook but it came out great, just like your other fab loaves!
Wonderful. I have just retested the recipe this morning and added another half cup of flour, half cup of meal, an extra teaspoon of baking powder and specified using 2 small apples or 1 large. I hope this has better results for everyone. I am so happy you gave the loaf another go. Thank you xx
Hi there, I’ve had the exact same problem as the above commenter. 2 hours in the oven and it’s still completely wet and uncooked. I’m in the UK too and couldn’t find hazelnut meal so I bought whole hazelnuts and whizzed them up in the food processor to a fine ground consistency, that’s the only thing I did differently. Should it make that much of a difference? Smelt so yummy, gutted it didn’t work! X
Hi There, love your recipes, but its really hard to print off your new web site! perhaps a print button would be a good addition…
Hi there, is it possible to make the batter in advance, keep in the fridge overnight and bake the next day? Sophie
Hello from Quebec, Canada
I make this recipe all the time for my daughter and she loves it
I cut the sugar in half, use wheat flour and add grounded flax seeds so she gets even more good nutrients
Thank you for this
Hello Jackie! So happy your daughter enjoyed them! And I love your suggestions! Great work. Happy baking. Kayla xx
Hi! I made your banana, chia and blueberry loaf (WOWEEEEE!) Am I able to use buckwheat flour, macadamia oil and chia seeds in this recipe too? How would you suggest adding/substituting these ingredients? Thank you so much!