Clementine Tea Loaf - Recipe by Fabulous Faith

I know it's the holiday season when I spot crates of delicious clementines in the grocery store.  Besides being the perfect portable snack, clementines take bake goods to a mouth-watering higher level.

This sweet buttery cake's flavor is enhanced by pungent and slightly acid rich clementine zest and juice.

Clementine Tea Loaf - Recipe by Fabulous Faith

 Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Juice of half a ripe clementine
Zest of one clementine (put aside a few strands for the glaze)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Glaze:
Juice of half a ripe clementine
A few strands of clementine zest
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup sugar 


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease two mini loaf pans
 
In a large bowl, cream sugar, butter & egg until smooth

Add the vanilla, clementine juice, zest, salt and baking powder, whisk until smooth

Pour in the flour in half cup intervals alternating with the milk, stir until combined

Spoon half the batter into each prepared pan and bake for 30 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and doubled in size

Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside

In a small saucepan, combine glaze ingredients and bring to a boil

Continue to boil for 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat

Take a long skewers and poke a bunch of holes into the warm cake

Using a pastry brush, brush the cake with the syrup pushing into the holes

Allow to sit 30 minutes to one hour before serving

Recipe yields 12 generous servings