Tea Bread Tuesday: Seed Bread

“ ‘Anything further I can get you, my lady?  Cake of any kind?’
‘Cake?’  Lady Selina thought about it, was doubtful.
‘We are serving very good seed cake, my lady.  I can recommend it.’
‘Seed cake?  I haven't eaten seed cake for years.  It is real seed cake?’
‘Oh, yes, my lady.  The cook has had the recipe for years.  You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.’
Henry gave a glance at one of his retinue, and the lad departed in search of seed cake.”

Seed cake?  What the heck is seed cake?  I was inpired this week by Agatha Christie's novel “At Bertram's Hotel” - one of Miss Marple's mysteries.  I can just picture Lady Selina, in that oh-so-very-proper-English-accent saying: “It is real seed cake?” Well, I've solved my own little mystery by baking this interesting bread!  The seeds in question are caraway seeds!

Here's the recipe:

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground almonds
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup maple sugar, or sweetener of choice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
3 tablespoons caraway seeds

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.  Butter a 9 x 5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, salt and almonds.  Set aside.
3. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar until light colored and creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
4. Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately, a little at a time, until it is fully incorporated.
5. Pour into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake for 50-60 minutes or until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes then invert on a rack and cool completely.  Serve with butter or whipped cream.

I wonder if Lady Selina would approve . . .