Crunchy-topped Sponge Loaf

It has been a while I've not baked anything using the recipe from the cookbook. Flipping over the pages again and again ... indecisive ... At last decided to bake a simple butter sponge loaf for our weekend tea break and keeping some for breakfast.

Crunchy-topped Sponge Loaf

Makes one 450g loaf (recipe adapted from Cakes And Bakes 500 by Martha Day with slight modification in blue)

Ingredients:

200 unsalted butter,  softened

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

150g caster sugar (I reduced to 100g)

3 eggs

75g plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

150g self-raising flour, sifted

For the topping:

3 tablespoons clear honey

115g mixed (candied) peel (I used about 85g dried apricots,  sliced them into thin slices)

50g flaked (sliced) amonds

Method :

1) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and lineal a 450g loaf tin (pan) with baking parchment. 

2) Beat together the butter, lemon rind and sugar until light and fluffy.  Blend in the eggs, one at a time.

3) Sift together the flours, then stir into the egg mixture.  Fill the loaf tin with the batter. Bake for 45 mins,  or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins. 

4) Turn the loaf out on a wire rack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely. 

5) To make the topping,  melt the honey with the mixed peel and almonds. Remove from the heat, stir briefly,  then spread over the top of the loaf. Cool before serving. 

The refreshingly tangy crunchy topping complement to the buttery sponge cake tasted really good! As my waistline is expanding "rapidly" ... I could only have just 1 "big" slice .... enjoyed very much with a cup of coffee !

Happy baking !

Enjoy your weekend ^-^!

This post is linked to Cook-Your-Books #17 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.