A teatime blueberry and lemon loaf – gluten- and fuss-free, but big on flavour

Whip up a gluten-free treat for teatime

This loaf is the ultimate fuss-free cake, utterly scrumptious on its own with a cup of tea, or even more indulgent served with a drizzle of nut butter and a dollop of coconut yogurt.

MAKES 1 LOAF

— 220g plain gluten-free flour

— 100g ground almonds — 150g coconut sugar — 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

— 1 tsp baking powder — 1 ripe banana (the spottier the skin, the better), peeled

— 4 tbsp melted coconut oil

— 200ml almond milk — 1 tsp vanilla extract — 150g fresh blueberries, plus extra to sprinkle on top —zestof1lemon (unwaxed if possible)

Preheat the oven to 180C / 160C fan/gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin with some parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, coconut sugar, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.

In a separate bowl, using a fork, mash the banana until you have a fairly smooth purée. Add the melted coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla extract, and mix well.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently mix until everything is well combined. Fold in the blueberries and the lemon zest.

Pour the mixture into the tin and sprinkle on some extra blueberries for decoration.

Bake the loaf in the oven for 50-55 minutes, until it has a deep-golden crust on top.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack for another 2-3 hours, or even better overnight.

Cut the loaf into slices and enjoy.

Recipe from Happy Skin Kitchen, by Elisa Rossi (e-book, £14.99, happyskinkitchen.com)