Nutella & hazelnut/blackcurrant & almond loaf cake

This is a cake that just has to be made. It is so good. So good I can't articulate its good-ness. And it's foolproof - all you do is mix, and bake. It's lovely eaten warm. Especially if you're making the Nutella version, because then the chocolate filling melts in your mouth. The moist, nutty sponge probably will too.


Ingredients -

150g self raising flour
100g ground almonds/ground hazelnuts
175g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
Few drops almond essence
4 tbsp milk
150g high fruit blackcurrant jam/Nutella
25g flaked almonds

Do this -

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius.
Line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
Tip the flour and ground nuts into a bowl (to make ground hazelnuts, just put whole blanched hazelnuts into a sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin - they grind really easily).
Add the butter, sugar, eggs, almond essence and milk.
Beat with a handheld electric whisk for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Spoon half the cake mix into the tin, then spoon the jam/spread evenly over the top.
Cover with the remaining cake mix then swirl through the mixture with a skewer.
Smooth the top and cover with flaked almonds.
Bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours until firm to the touch and golden brown.


Recipe adapted from here.
And here is what the blackcurrant and almond version looks like, in case you need further tempting (photo courtesy of Waitrose):