Honey & almond crunch loaf cake

Use locally produced honey to make this moreish loaf cake with crunchy almond topping. It's perfect for afternoon tea, served with a cuppa

Ingredients

• 175 g salted butter , plus extra for the tin
• 1 lemon , zested
• 100 g golden caster sugar
• 100 g honey (we used Black Bee Summer Honey)
• 2 eggs
• 100 ml Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 50 g ground almonds
• 30 g salted butter , softened
• 2 tbsp honey
• 30 g golden caster sugar
• 50 g flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp double cream

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line with baking parchment. In a bowl, beat the butter, lemon zest and sugar for 4-5 mins until lightened and creamy. Beat in the honey, then add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla. Tip the flour, bicarb and ground almonds into the bowl and mix well. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 40 mins until almost cooked.
2. When the cake has 10 mins left, make the topping. Melt the butter and honey over a low heat in a saucepan. Stir in the sugar, almonds and cream, and cook for another 3-4 mins until it turns golden. Remove the cake from the oven, carefully spoon over the topping and return the cake to the oven for a further 10-15 mins, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean and the topping is browned and toasted. Leave to cool in the tin, on a wire rack, until completely cooled. Use a serrated knife to cut into slices. Will keep in an airtight container for two days.