Honey Madeira Cake
Ingredients
- 150g (6oz) butter
- 100g (4oz) set honey
- 75g (3oz) caster sugar
- grated rind of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs, size 3, beaten
- 250g (9oz) self-raising flour, sieved
To glaze
- 45ml (3tbsp) clear honey
- 30ml (2tbsp) chopped almonds, toasted
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C, (350 degrees F), Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
Cream the butter with the honey and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in the lemon rind then gradually beat in the eggs. Add a little flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Fold in the remaining flour and transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Bake for about one hour. Test using a metal skewer inserted into the middle: the skewer should come out clean.
Cool the cake on a wire rack. To glaze, warm the honey and make fine holes in the cake with a skewer. Drizzle over the warm honey and sprinkle with the toasted nuts.
Honey Tea Bread
Ingredients
- 225g (8oz) raisins
- 75g (3oz) set honey
- 300ml (½pt) freshly made strong tea
- 2 eggs, size 3, lightly beaten
- 275g (10oz) whole-wheat flour
- 2.5ml (½tsp)ground mixed spice
- 15ml (1tbsp) baking powder
Place the raisins in a bowl. Stir the honey into the tea and pour this over raisins. Leave to soak for 2 hours. Stir the eggs into the raisin mixture.
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C, (350 degrees F), Gas Mark 4. Mix the flour with the spice and baking powder then mix these dry ingredients into the raisin mixture. Transfer to a greased 900g (2lb) loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Cook on a wire rack and serve sliced and buttered.
Makes one 900g (2lb) loaf.