Grape and almond loaf

Name: Grape and almond loaf
Ingredients: 175 g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing); 150 g caster sugar; 3 British Blacktail free-range eggs; a few drops Cook's Ingredients French Almond Natural Extract; 150 g self-raising flour; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt; 100 g ground almonds; 200 g Waitrose & Partners Seedless Vitoria Grapes (halved); 90-100 g icing sugar

Perfectly pink and oh-so sweet - try this grape and almond loaf!

Brought to you by Waitrose

Pink icing, soft sponge and the delicate flavours of grape and almond - this bake sounds rather like a lovely hug! Though it might not be able to cuddle you in reality, this grape and almond cake from Waitrose is still worth the bake. Take a look at the recipe below - and you won't look back once you've roasted grapes!

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Ingredients

175 g unsalted butter (softened, plus extra for greasing)
150 g caster sugar
3 British Blacktail free-range eggs
a few drops Cook's Ingredients French Almond Natural Extract
150 g self-raising flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
100 g ground almonds

For the topping:

200 g Waitrose & Partners Seedless Vitoria Grapes (halved)
90-100 g icing sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large mixing bowl, use electric beaters to cream the butter and caster sugar for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the almond extract. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and almonds, then fold into the wet ingredients until combined. Stir through the grapes, then spoon the mixture into the loaf tin, levelling the top. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. 

As soon as the cake is on the wire rack, place the halved grapes in a small roasting tin with 2 tbsp water. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until soft but still just holding their shape, then remove and lift the grapes onto a plate. Add another 1 tbsp water to the roasting tin and scrape up the inky grape juices with a wooden spoon. Adding a little at a time, stir in the icing sugar with a wooden spoon until you have a spoonable icing. Spoon over the cake and top with the roasted grapes. Cool completely before serving.