Raspberry & Lemon Thyme Tea Cake

So I appear to have broken my no-oven sabbatical sooner than I thought.  After suffering through 100 degree temperatures, we finally got a reprieve this week with a welcome cool front.  It was in the 60s this morning!!  It was perfect out this morning for enjoying a piece of this tea cake with a nice cup of tea…or coffee if that’s your thing.  If I had the luxury of having a lazy morning, I may have done just that on my little balcony as I listened to the birds wake up the world.  There’s something about cooler temperatures that makes me feel content, inspired, and energized.

This tea cake is just sweet enough to be a dessert, but not too sweet that you couldn’t enjoy a slice at breakfast.  The raspberries add a bit of a tart contrast and the lemon thyme adds a nice earthy quality  The millet flour adds an almost corn-like flavor and lovely yellow hue which works well with the berries.  I ended up using lemon thyme in this because my little plant has gotten huge and it’s readily available but feel free to use regular thyme.  This ended up being the perfect little snack that quelled any remaining cravings I had for a certain coffee chain’s berry coffee cake.  And, it’s possible that I may or may not have had this for dinner last night.  I mean, no I didn’t because that would be crazy 😉

Raspberry & Lemon Thyme Tea Cake
notes – I make my own gf flour blends, but if you want to make it easier on yourself, you can try using 240 grams of an all purpose gluten free flour mix.  Make sure to let the tea cake cool almost completely before slicing it or you will compromise the texture and it will seem gummy.  I had a problem with my raspberries sinking to the bottom because I was too lazy to toss them in a bit of flour.  I’ve included that adjustment in the recipe below.  

70 grams arrowroot flour
50 grams white rice flour
50 grams quinoa flour
70 grams millet flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp psyllium husk (or xanthan gum)
1 tsp fresh lemon thyme or thyme leaves, minced
zest of 1 lemon

50 grams unsweetened applesauce
50 grams safflower oil (or other oil of your choice)
200 grams non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)
2 tbsp flaxmeal + 6 tbsp warm water
150 grams (2/3 cup) raw cane sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 to 6 oz raspberries, tossed in a tsp of white rice flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is preheating, lightly spray an 8×4 loaf pan and line it with parchment leaving an overhang.  This will help you to remove it later.  Combine the flaxmeal and warm water in a small bowl and set it aside to thicken.

Combine the flours, baking soda, sea salt, psyllium, lemon thyme, and lemon zest in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whisk until everything is combined.  In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, milk, thickened flax mixture, and sugar until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until the batter is well combined and smooth.  Add the apple cider vinegar to the mixture and stir to incorporate it, then gently fold in the raspberries.  Pour the batter into your prepared pan, then place it in the oven.  Bake the tea cake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top springs back when touched and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Allow the tea cake to cool until just warm to the touch before slicing. Makes 8 to 10 servings.  Leftovers keep best covered in the fridge.