Orange & apricot loaf cake

A classic fruit sponge cake with apricots and citrus shared by reader Ann Turner – it’s perfect with a cup of tea

  • Prep:20 mins
    Cook:1 hrs
  • Serves 8
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 430
  • fat 20g
  • saturates 12g
  • carbs 57g
  • sugars 32g
  • fibre 4g
  • protein 7g
  • salt 0.4g

Ingredients

  • 175g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 175g dried apricots, chopped
  • zest 2 large orange, juice of 1
  • 175g golden caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs, beaten
  • 280g self-raising flour
  • drop of milk (optional)
  • 50g icing sugar

Method

  1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment. In a saucepan, heat the apricots with the orange zest and all but 1 tbsp of the juice. Simmer gently for 5 mins until the apricots have absorbed all the juice. Set aside to cool.

  2. Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour. Stir in the cooled apricots. If the mixture is dry at this stage, add a drop of milk.

  3. Scrape the batter into the tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 mins-1 hr until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing, then leave on a wire rack to cool completely.

  4. Gradually add the reserved orange juice to the icing sugar, stirring until smooth and slightly runny. Drizzle the icing in a zigzag pattern over the top of the cake and leave to set.

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