Yorkshire Tea Loaf
Easy, moist, low sugar and virtually fat free, fruit loaf
Equipment
- 22 x 10 x 6 cm Loaf tin
Ingredients
- 450 g mixed dried fruit any will do
- 350 ml hot tea infused for 4 mins I use 2 tea bags
- 150 g eggs
- 50 g brown sugar optional
- 270 g plain flour
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Instructions
- Boil the kettle. Put 2 tea bags into a jug and pour 350ml of boiling water onto the tea. Leave the tea to infuse for 4 mins. Squeeze out the tea bags to extract all the flavour and discard.
- Put the dried fruit into a mixing bowl and add pour over the hot tea.
- Cover with cling film for a few hours or overnight, to allow the fruits to soften.
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- Prepare two strips of parchment, one that is approximately 6x50cm; and the second approximately 21x30cm.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf tin (22 x 10 x 6 cm). It’s important to grease the corners very well because if the cake is going to stick to the tin it’ll be here!
- Line the tin placing the narrower strip horizontally along the bottom and the wider one vertically on top.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl.
- Add the mixed fruit and any remaining liquid.
- Beat the eggs and sugar (if using) until light and fluffy, then add to the fruit mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-60 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Leave in the tin for 10 mins to cool then turn out onto a rack. You can leave to cool completely or savour it while still warm which is equally delicious.
Notes
As the loaf doesn’t have any fat in it, it does have a heavy and somewhat chewy texture. It also won’t be at its best after more than 2 days, however, it freezes very well. I cut it into slices, separating the layers with polythene sheets or parchment as the slices tend to stick together making it difficult to extricate individual slices from the frozen loaf. I then wrap it in an air tight bag and freeze it. Simple!