Apple Loaf with Hemp Hearts

Breakfast, morning tea, or an afternoon snack, this Apple Loaf with Hemp Hearts from The Hemp Farm chef is perfect any time of day.

The apples keep it beautifully moist, while the spices, fresh lemon zest, and nutty hemp hearts create a deliciously comforting flavour. Hemp hearts are such an easy way to boost the goodness in your baking too, adding protein, omegas, iron, calcium, B vitamins, magnesium, and vitamin E.

Lovely served slightly warm with a dollop of natural yoghurt or a spread of butter, and a cup of tea on the side.

From the Hemp Farm ...

This moist, sweet loaf cake makes an excellent snack or breakfast, and it stays fresh for 5 to 7 days. Any firm-textured, relatively tart apple will work beautifully here. Hemp seeds (hemp hearts) are an easily digestible complete protein, offering all nine essential amino acids.

Apple Loaf Cake with Hemp Hearts

Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp baking soda

⅔ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

½ tsp salt

½ cup olive oil or hemp seed oil

1 tbsp golden syrup or molasses

2 apples, peeled, cored, and grated

½ cup hemp hearts

Directions:

Heat oven to 175°C.

Line a small loaf tin with baking paper so that you can remove easily once baked, using the paper as handles to lift out.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, baking soda, and cloves.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and salt until the mixture is pale yellow and the sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the oil and syrup and whisk until smooth. Stir in the apple and hemp seeds. Fold the dry mixture into the egg mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level the mixture by tapping the pan on the counter.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre of the bread comes out almost clean, approx 45 minutes. If the top of the bread begins to darken too much, lay a piece of foil over the top.

Remove from oven and let it cool down before slicing. Best served slathered in butter.