This loaf is so easy to make and no less delicious. The sugar content is optional; I leave it out as I find it sweet enough with all the dried fruit in it. Succumb to the temptation to tuck in as soon as it is baked with just some butter or a slice of Wensleydale cheese (it’s a Yorkshire thing).

Sliced fruit loaf on a board with a knife

Yorkshire Tea Loaf

Easy, moist, low sugar and virtually fat free, fruit loaf

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Fruit soaking time 10

Total Time 11 30

Cuisine British

Servings 6

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!

Keyword Afternoon Tea, Fruit loaf, Tea & cake, Tea Bread, Yorkshire Day, Yorkshire Tea Loaf

Yorkshire Tea Loaf