Cake for Breakfast: Popple Cake

This is a breakfast cake! Well, I ate it for breakfast, still warm from the oven. But it's delicious at coffee break or tea time too. I know, I tried it then too!!

What is a breakfast cake? Well it's higher in nutrients, contains fruit and, is lower in butter, and is not iced. It contains all the ingredients people might eat for breakfast: wheat flour, oats, fruit, eggs, buttermilk... but in cake form. It is about as worthy as cake gets. Except it doesn't taste worthy It is moist and spiced, bejewelled with plump cranberries and oh so more-ish.

I made it to use up a large jar of apple puree that I had bought for the baby. But homemade stewed apple would be perfect too, just make sure it's not too sweet.

And the name? Porridge + apple. See I told you it was healthy! It is adapted from Beth Hensperger's lovely Bread for Breakfast, another great American baking resource. So cup measures at the ready!! (I know it looks like quite a list of ingredients, but the method is simplicity itself.)


Preheat fan oven to 160 C
Lined large bread tin (9 x 5 inches)

1 1/4 cups plain white flour
1 cup quick cooking porridge oats/ rolled oats (NOT jumbo oats)
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground spice
a good grating of fresh nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking/ bread/ bicarbonate soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce/ apple puree
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sunflower/ vegetable oil
1/3 cup cultured buttermilk

Spiced pecan crumbs
1/4 cup pecans
3 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method - what method?
Start with the pecan crumbs - put pecans, sugar and cinnamon in a blender. Pulse till nuts are well chopped but not dust.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, wet ingredients in a jug or smaller bowl. Mix each separately till combined using a spoon or spatula. Then combine wet and dry, mix again until totally combined. Then stop! Do not over mix.

Pour half the batter in to the tin. Sprinkle over half the pecans. Repeat. Put in oven for 45-50 mins till brown and firm.

Cool for 5-10 mins before wolfing down!