Sharp gooseberries are tucked into a soft elderflower-scented cake and finished with a crisp oat crumb. It is a different way to use a small harvest of berries while they are still firm.
Ingredients
- 250g, topped and tailed Gooseberries
- 2 tbsp Elderflower cordial
- 200g Self-raising flour
- 120g, plus 40g for the crumble Caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 150ml Unsweetened plant drink
- 70ml Rapeseed oil
- 70g Plain flour
- 45g Rolled oats
- 50g, cold and cubed Vegan block butter
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm square tin. Stir 1 tbsp elderflower cordial into the plant drink and leave for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the self-raising flour, 120g caster sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Add the rapeseed oil and plant drink mixture, then fold until the batter is smooth with no dry flour.
- Spoon the batter into the tin. Toss the gooseberries with the remaining tablespoon of cordial and scatter them evenly over the surface.
- For the crumble, rub the cold vegan butter into the plain flour until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the oats and remaining 40g sugar, then scatter over the gooseberries.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the cake part comes out clean. If the topping browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
- Cool in the tin for 20 minutes before lifting onto a rack. Let it cool further before cutting into nine squares.
Allotment tip
Use firm, ripe gooseberries that are not starting to collapse. The berries will soften as the cake bakes, so there is no need to pre-cook them.
Ingredient swaps
Blackcurrants can replace gooseberries; use the same weight and check sweetness before serving. Replace cordial with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp water for a less floral cake.
Allergens: Wheat (gluten) in the flour; oats may contain gluten through cross-contact. Check packaged ingredients.
Storing leftovers
Cool completely before covering. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat within 48 hours or freeze, as the cake contains moist fruit.