Brack Tea Loaf Recipes

MARY'S TEA TIME CAKE

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea.
• Leave to soak overnight, or if you are in a hurry for two hours.
• Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2
• Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or use a loaf tin liner
• Add the flour, lemon zest and beaten egg and stir with a spoon till mixed through.
• Bake for 11/4 to 11/2 hrs or until it is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Peel of the baking paper or liner and serve sliced with or without butter

IRISH TEA CAKE (BARMBRACK)

Steps:

• Place tea bags in a heatproof measuring cup. Pour in boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and let cool until barely warm.
• Combine currants, cherries, and raisins in a bowl. Pour warm tea over the fruit. Let sit for 2 hours. Drain fruit, reserving 2 to 4 tablespoons of the tea.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Thoroughly butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line with buttered parchment paper.
• Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add brown sugar, egg, milk, reserved tea, lemon and orange zest, whiskey, vanilla, and butter. Mix until flour is mostly incorporated. Stir in fruit until just combined.
• Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap pan against the counter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Drizzle honey over the top. Let cool in the pan before slicing.

BARM BRACK (IRISH WHISKEY TEA LOAF)

Steps:

• First soak the raisins and sugar in the tea (or tea and whiskey) overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Add Flour, baking powder, and eggs to the tea mixture.
• Spoon the dough into a greased loaf pans. You should be able to fill 3 loaf pans, 8x4 inches (20x10 cm). (I prefer to make them in ready to give away little loaf pans which makes about five per batch).
• Place loaf pans in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45minutes.
• Leave Bram Brack to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and glaze the top with the melted honey. ( If you go with the small give away kind let cool then leave in tin drizzle honey on the top and cover with a little room on top and then give them away when ready.).

YORKSHIRE TEA LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the freshly made tea to the mixed dried fruit. Cover and set aside for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow all the goodness of the tea to soak into the fruits.
• In the morning, preheat the oven to 160 C fan-assisted and grease and line two 1-pound loaf tins with baking parchment. I use cake liners.
• Add the eggs into the soaked mixed fruit, followed by the sugar. DO NOT remove any of the remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the finely ground tea leaves to the flour and incorporate before adding this into the fruit mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven.
• Leave in the tins to cool completely before turning out.

TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Mix the sultanas, raisins and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the tea and cover the bowl. Leave to sit for a minimum of 6 hours or ideally overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak up all the liquid.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin. Add the eggs, flour and sugar to the soaked fruit, ensuring everything is well combined. Spoon the mixture into the tin and place in the centre of the oven for 1 hour 30 mins or until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack.
• Cut into thick slices and serve with butter. To store, wrap tightly and keep in an airtight container for up to five days. The loaf will taste even better after a few days.

BRACK - TEA LOAF

Steps:

• Mix together the dried fruit, sugar and hot tea.
• Cover and leave overnight.
• Add the egg beat well, then stir in the flour.
• Grease a 1-lb loaf tin; line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Place the mixture into the tin and bake for about 1 ½ hours at 160c (fan).
• Always use hot tea so the sugar dissolves and the dried fruit swells more easily.
• Prep time doesn't include soak time.