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Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf That Tastes Even Better the Next Day
This Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf is soft, lightly spiced, and filled with dried blueberries, cranberries, and dates. Perfect for breakfast, tea time, or toasted with butter the next day.
Buttermilk Loaf with Blueberries, Cranberries, and Dates.
Why You Will Love and Enjoy This Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf
- It’s lightly sweet with plenty of fruit in every slice.
- This loaf is perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or sliced thick with butter.
- It tastes just as good plain as it does toasted with butter and cheese.
Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 large loaf or 1 large + 1 medium loaf 1x
- Category: Cake Cupcakes Cookies and Tarts
- Method: Easy baking
Description
Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf comes together with pantry basics and a handful of dried fruit. The thick batter bakes into beautifully sliceable pieces that hold together perfectly.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups wholemeal Self-Raising flour
- 1 1/2 cups Self-Raising flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit such as blueberries, cranberries, and chopped dates
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 extra-large egg
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 0.4 cups (approx) – 100 ml neutral oil
- Glacé cherries and blanched almonds, optional for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C).
- Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
- If you’re making one large and one medium loaf, divide the batter between both tins and don’t overfill them.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups wholemeal Self-Raising flour, 1 1/2 cups Self-Raising flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Add the 1 1/2 cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, and chopped dates to the flour mixture.
- Tossing the fruit in the flour helps stop everything from sinking straight to the bottom while baking.
- In another bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 extra-large egg, 3 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 100 ml oil until mostly smooth. A few tiny lumps from the brown sugar are perfectly fine.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold gently until no dry flour remains.
- The batter will be quite thick, almost scoopable rather than pourable, so don’t panic if it feels heavier than cake batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tins and smooth the top with the back of a spoon dipped in hot water.
- If using glacé cherries and blanched almonds, press them lightly onto the top.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- If the loaf starts browning too quickly on top after about 40 minutes, loosely cover it with foil.
- Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- It slices better once fully cooled, although I’ll admit I never wait that long.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Preshana
Additional Information
- Is the batter supposed to be thick? Yes, very thick. That’s normal for this style of loaf.
- Can I swap the dried fruit? Absolutely. Raisins, sultanas, chopped apricots, or dried cherries all work well.
- Does it need butter or icing? Not at all. It’s meant to be simple and lightly sweet.
Storage and Freezing
- Can this be frozen? Yes. Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, or freeze slices individually for easy breakfasts and snacks. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How long can it be stored? Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week and lightly toast slices before serving.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Honey can be swapped with maple syrup.
- Brown sugar can be replaced with coconut sugar.
- Buttermilk substitute: mix 1 1/2 cups milk with 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Walnuts or pecans can replace the almonds for extra crunch.
More fruit bread than cake, which makes it dangerously snackable.
Buttermilk Berry Date Loaf is the kind of bake that fits easily into everyday life. The soft crumb, lightly spiced flavour, and chewy dried fruit make it perfect for breakfast, afternoon tea, or late evening slices straight from the kitchen counter. It feels homemade in the best way, especially toasted with butter or served with a slice of cheese while still slightly warm.
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Fruit loaf looks temping. Loved the use of fruit cake mixture. I will try it whenever reached home 😊
Thank you. Enjoy.
😊😊