Hazelnut Loaf Cake

I'm not a fan of fancy cakes with lots of frosting, so when I think to make a cake it's something plain and not overly-sweet that I'm wanting. This is basically a pound cake or Sandkuchen with the addition of ground hazelnuts. You can ring the changes by adding two chopped apples instead for an apple cake, 150g chopped dried apricots for an apricot cake, or two grated carrots and cinnamon for a carrot cake ... the possibilities are endless! So a nice basic recipe to have in your keeper collection for any eventuality.

Hazelnut Loaf Cake

250g unsalted butter at room temperature
250g caster sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature
250g plain flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
100g ground hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter and flour a 23 x 13 x 8 cm loaf tin, knocking out excess flour, or use a paper insert.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a hand-held.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add the sieved flour and baking powder, a third at a time, until each third is well incorporated. Finally add the ground hazelnuts and mix them in well.

Evenly spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and place the cake on the centre shelf in the preheated oven. Bake the cake for about 60 minutes until it is well risen and firm to the touch. If it starts to brown too much cover the top with foil. To test if the cake is ready insert a skewer into the centre, it should come out dry. When the cake is cooked, turn it out on a cake rack and leave it to cool.

Cook's note: I can't find caster sugar here easily so I bung normal granulated sugar in the food processor and pulse a couple of times until fine. Works out cheaper as well. The hazelnuts I grind in the food processor too. I remove as much of the brown papery skin as possible and then pulse them several times until they look like bread crumbs. Do not process them on high speed or you will end up with nut butter!