Tea and cake is the perfect combination. I mean, what’s better than a good piece cake with a nice, hot cup of tea? Very British, I know! So it just makes sense to put them together and make a cake with tea as a main ingredient, right?
I know it sounds a bit strange, and at first I had my doubts too. But, I’m so glad that I tried it out, and this has fast become one of my favourite things to make, and eat!
It’s so diverse and can be eaten at any time of the day, without having to feel guilty, because guess what? It’s healthy!! Oh yeah, refined sugar free and full of nothing but the good stuff.
Perfect for a quick on-the-go breakfast, as a snack or even as a pudding (seriously, it’s that good). The best solution for that sweet tooth craving, without diving for the chocolate bar or biscuits. All the taste benefits of a cake, and it’s even good for you. Can it get much better?
Yummy Bread
I know you’re thinking, that it’s is a strange name to call a fruit tea loaf. But, it’s not only because it is in fact super scrummy. But, when I cut myself a slice and went out the room quickly, I came back to find my 4-year-old nephew who is one of the fussiest eaters that I’ve ever known, (and I know all children are but he really is!). Had eaten the whole slice, and looked at me very guiltily with crumbs around his mouth, and then asked for more ‘yummy bread’.
How we even got him to try a bite, I still don’t know to this day. He likes his food with lots of flavour, so to me that is a true compliment! Even my brother who rarely gives compliments, and is quite unenthusiastic about most things, said it had a nice flavour. Trust me that’s high praise coming from him, and means it’s goooood! Then, he went on to eat about half the loaf. Nothing but good signs.
Rich, Warm and Perfectly Spiced!
And the smell… mm mm mmmmmmm! It truly is pure heaven. It has such a rich, warm, spiced smell. That really gets the tummy rumbling and mouth-watering, and makes the whole house smell divine! There’s really nothing better than the smell of a fresh treat baking in the oven.
The great thing about this recipe is that you can just throw in whatever fruit you want and experiment with all different flavours. The possibilities are truly endless! I know that some of the fruit that I added might seem a bit strange. But, they do really work together and I would definitely recommend giving them a go. Just be careful that the fruit you add isn’t too seedy, as this might result in the tea loaf being a bit grainy.
Soaking The Fruit
It really is one of the easiest recipes that I have. The longest part besides the cooking is chopping up the fruit. The fruit mixture should be soaked for at least a couple of hours to let the flavours mix together, but overnight is best. I’ve even left it soaking for a couple of days and it just improved with age. Just be careful on how long you do let it soak so that it doesn’t go off. Before I’ve even added a tablespoon of Chia seeds and just added it in with the fruit. You can’t really taste them, and all they do is add to the health benefits of the loaf. If you’re not really sure what they are, check out my Chia Seeds Superfood Spotlight’.
I’ve never tried myself, but if anyone does try a vegan version please let me know how it turns out!
Best served with a good cup of tea, and a generous helping of butter.
Enjoy!!
Rosie x
| Prep Time | 12 Hours |
| Cook Time | 1 hour |
| Passive Time | 1 hour |
| Servings |
Loaf
|
- 400 g Chopped Dried Fruit 100g each Apricots, Dates, Cranberries & Figs
- 200 ml Freshly Brewed Tea I usually use 2 Teabags to get a strong taste
- 50 ml Maple Syrup
- 2 Eggs
- 250 g Wholemeal Spelt Flour extra virgin
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2.5 teaspoons Mixed Spice
Ingredients
Tea-Soaked Fruit
Tea Loaf
|
|
- Cut up the fruit into raisin sized chunks and place in a bowl with the freshly brewed tea and maple syrup, mix it together and cover.
- Leave the fruit to soak overnight in the fridge. Removing from the fridge at least 30 mins before preparing the rest of the tea loaf.
- Preheat the oven to 180 *c / 160 *c Fan / Gas Mark 4. Line a 1 KG / 2 LB loaf tin with baking parchment.
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and stir in the baking powder and mixed spice. Add the two eggs and tea-soaked fruit mixture, including any excess liquid.
- Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for around 45 mins - 1 hour. To check if it’s baked insert a knife or skewer into the centre of the loaf. If the knife comes out clean then it’s done, if not put the loaf back in the oven checking every 5 minutes. If you feel the top of the cake looks like it may burn, cover the top of the tin with parchment paper and place back into the oven.
- When the loaf is cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand in the tin for around 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Served best with a good slather of butter and a warm cup of tea!
- Any dried fruit can be used in this recipe, using the same quantities as above.
- If preferred, 50 ml of honey can be used instead of the maple syrup, this will slightly alter the taste of the tea loaf.
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