Eleven o’clock and still two hours until lunchtime. Something to keep you steady—nothing finer than a slice of seed cake, washed down with a glass of Madeira. This will see you safely through until lunch.
Grease a 6 x 4 x 3 inch loaf pan with butter and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Cream the butter, sugar and caraways together either with an electric mixer or in a bowl with a wooden spoon until they are white and fluffy. Gradually mix in the beaten eggs, adding them little by little to prevent curdling. Then sift in the flour and mix until incorporated. Lastly add the milk.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and bake in an oven preheated to 355°F for 45 minutes or until it is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.