Smaller Cherry Almond Loaf Cakes

Our answer

Nigella's Cherry Almond Loaf Cake (from HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS) could possibly be made into smaller mini loaf cakes, but the quantity and baking time will depend very much on the size of the mini loaf pans (or cardboard moulds) used. An 8-cavity mini loaf pan with approximate dimensions of 10 x 6 cm (4 x 2 1/4 inches) for each cavity should have a baking time of about 20-25 minutes at 180c/350F. A cake tester inserted into the centre of the loaves should come out clean. We suspect that you would only need to make half a quantity of the recipe for this type of pan. However we have not tried the recipe in this form so are unable to guarantee the results.

A whole Cherry Almond Loaf Cake can be frozen. Wrap the loaf tightly in a double layer of clingfilm and a layer of foil (or instead of using the foil put the clingfilm-wrapped loaf in a resealable bag and seal tightly) and freeze for up to 3 months. The cake should be unwrapped and defrosted on a wire rack at room temperature for 3-4 hours. If you want to freeze it in individual portions then slice the cake and wrap each slice in clingfilm then put the wrapped slices in an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. The smaller slices are more vulnerable to freezer burn and drying out than a whole loaf. The slices should thaw in 1-2 hours, so you could pop one into your lunchbox before leaving home in the morning.