Orange & apricot tea loaf

New teatime favourite.

Hands-on time: 15min Cooking time: About 1hr Cuts into 10 slices

175g butter, softened, plus extra to grease 175g light soft brown sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

200g plain flour 1tsp baking powder 100g each mixed peel and finely chopped apricots

50g walnuts, chopped Pared zest of

1 large orange

2tbsp marmalade 1tbsp runny honey

1 Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan)/mark 3. Lightly grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the butter into a bowl with the soft brown sugar and beat together with a handheld electric whisk until pale and fluffy, about 3min. Gradually beat in the eggs.

2 Sift over the flour and baking powder, then fold mixture together with a large metal spoon. Fold in the dried fruit, walnuts and half the pared orange zest until combined.

3 Spoon mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1hr-1hr 10min or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean (cover with foil if the cake is browning too quickly). Leave cake to cool for 5min in the tin, then take out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

4 When cake is cool, remove from tin, peel off the paper and place on a serving plate. To make the glaze, put the marmalade and honey in a small pan and heat gently until the mixture becomes runny. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and sprinkle over the remaining orange zest. Serve cake in slices, spread with butter, if you like.

TO STORE

Store the unglazed cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. Glaze to serve.