Apricot and Lavender Tea Loaf

Name: Apricot and Lavender Tea Loaf
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons fresh lavender flowers; 75 g/3 oz granulated sugar; 3 soup spoons clear honey; 2 egg yolks; 100 g/4 oz butter, at room temperature; a pinch of salt; 6 or 7 firm but ripe apricots; 225 g/8 oz self-raising flour; ½ teaspoon ground mace; 100 ml/4 fl oz double cream; 1 egg

Preparation info

serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Scented Kitchen

By Frances Bissell

Published 2012

About

Another apricot and lavender combination, this cake is ideal for a summer tea and, not being too sweet, goes well with a leisurely Sunday brunch. You can also make it with ready-to-eat dried apricots, which do not need be soaked before cooking.

Ingredients

100 g/4 oz butter, at room temperature
2 egg yolks

Brunch
Vegetarian
Summer

Method

Soften the butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon. Gradually work in the egg yolks, honey and lavender sugar, then add the whole egg and the cream, mixing until you have a smooth batter. Add the flour and salt, and fully incorporate into the batter, which should now be thick and smooth. Rinse, dry and stone the apricots. Cut one and a half into neat slices, for decoration, and dice the res