Would you care for some Earl Grey {Recipe}

I have not made a cake for a while (all relative to pre-baby non-stop baking). I had not come across any recipe that I liked the look of. And then I saw the cake of the month in the BBC Olive Magazine - the Earl Grey Tea loaf - well I love tea, and I love cake - it could only work. 

It has now passed Mr MiH test. I am personally not too keen on the frosting - but I am not generally keen on frosting anyway. Also the Earl Grey tea I chose is very strong, and you can really taste it in the recipe, I like it - but again it may be something you want to adapt to your taste. 

You are going to need

• 4 earl grey tea bags 
• 225 ml whole milk
• 150 g golden raisins
• 150g sultanas
• 100g butter
• 100g of light muscovado sugar
• 1 egg
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 orange - zested and juiced. 

For the orange frosting (you need a frosting - this is the one recommended by the recipe, but I will probably make one based on cream cheese next time, and in fact less of it so there is only a small layer at the top of the loaf)

• 150g butter
• 275g icing sugar
• 1 orange, zested (cut some strips for decoration with a zester and juiced)

How to make it - beware you have to rest the mix in the course of the recipe.

1. Put the tea bags and milk in the pan. Bring to just below boiling point. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Put the raisins and sultanas in a bowl and pour over the tea mixture, squeezing the liquid from the bags. 
2. Cover then leave for at least an hour.
3. Heat the oven to 180C. Butter and line the base of a 900g loaf tin. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, then beat in the egg. Fold in the flour and fruit mixture in alternate batches, then the juice and zest. Spoon the mixture into the tin, then smooth over the surface.
4. Bake for an hour or until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then lift out. 

To make the frosting, beat the soft butter with the sugar to a crumbly mixture, then beat in the orange juice until creamy. Frost the top (and sides if you like) and leave it out to set for an hour. Decorate with orange zest.

It is essentially a fruit cake with a twist which is perfect for afternoon tea. Comfort food after a long walk outside or a crafty afternoon!