Irish Cherry Tea Cake Recipes

IRISH TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated; stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. If the batter is too stiff, a tablespoon or two of milk may be added. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.

TEACAKES

Steps:

• Warm the milk with the butter in a pan until the butter has melted, then add 100ml water to cool the mixture to room temp. Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, spice and 1 tsp salt into a bowl, making sure the yeast is on the other side of the bowl to the salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter in, mixing until it forms big flakes, then bring together with your hands. Tip on a surface and knead until smooth (about 5 mins). Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave until doubled in size, so about 1-1 ½ hours.
• Line a tray with baking paper. Tip the mixed dried fruits into the dough and knead them in, trying to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. Cut your dough into 6 even-sized balls, take each ball and, using the cup of your hand, and pressing down a little with your palm, roll the ball in a circular motion on the surface to create tension across the top of the bun and a neat round shape. Place onto a tray about 5cm away from each other and press down with your palm to flatten the dough down a little, creating the teacake shape. Cover loosely with an oiled sheet of cling film, for a further 45 mins, or until they have doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Brush the top of each bun liberally with the egg wash, then bake for 20 mins on the top shelf of the oven, until the buns are golden and well risen. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then slice in half, toast and slather with butter if you like.

CHERRY TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, cherry liquid, almond extract and food color with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. On low speed, beat in flour and salt. Stir in cherries.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 20 to 30 minutes.
• In 1-quart resealable freezer plastic bag, place baking chips; seal bag. Microwave on High 35 to 50 seconds, squeezing chips in bag every 15 seconds, until chips are melted and smooth. Cut small tip from bottom corner of bag; drizzle melted chips over cookies.

IRISH CHERRY TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8-inch round baking pan with a removable bottom, by lining thebottom with a circle of parchment paper. Use butter to keep the paper in place. Grease the sides of the pan and the top of the parchment paper.
• Sift half of the cake flour with the salt and into a mixing bowl. Add the cherry halves (except those reserved to decorate the top of the cake.) Toss the cherries to coat them in flour.
• Siftthe remaining flour into another bowl with the baking powder.
• Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until soft and fluffy.
• Add one egg with about two tablespoons of the sifted flour and baking powder to the creamed butter mixture, Combine well together. Repeat with the other two eggs.
• Add the remainder of the flour and baking powder, milk, and vanilla essence. Mix on low speed.
• Add the flour coated cherries and the remainder of the flour to the mixture. Gently blend with a large spoon.
• Transfer the batter into the prepared baking tin. Level the top and use the back of a spoon to place a small hollow in the center of the cake to prevent it from rising too high during baking.
• Decorate the top of the cake with the un-floured cherry halves. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for about 90 minutes until a knife or toothpick comes out clean. If the cake starts to brown too quickly, make an aluminum foil tent to cover the cake.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes. Turn the cake out onto a baking rack and cool completely. Remove the parchment paper from the base before serving. Cut into triangular slices to serve.

IRISH TEA CAKES

Steps:

• The day before you intend to cook this recipe, place all the fruit and the mixed peel into a large mixing bowl.
• In a medium bowl or large heat proof jug, measure out 275ml of boiling water.
• Jiggle the tea bag around in the water until you have a nice, strong brew.
• Add the sugar to the hot tea and stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Pour tea/sugar mixture over the fruit.
• Cover and leave overnight.
• The next day, set the oven to 170C/325°F.
• Grease two 450g/1lb loaf tins and line the base and sides with baking paper- also known as baking parchment or silicone paper.
• Add the chopped walnuts to the fruit mixture.
• Break the egg into a small dish, add the milk, and beat lightly.
• Add the egg mixture to the fruit mixture.
• Sieve the flour into the fruit mixture then mix well, using a wooden spoon- the mixture may seem dry at first, but keep mixing and it will come together.
• Using a large serving spoon, divide the mixture evenly between the lined loaf tins, then smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.
• Place on the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours until a skewer, pushed through the centre of the cake, comes out clean.
• Be careful not to overcook- test after 1 1/4 hours.
• Remove cakes from oven and turn out immediately to cool on a wire rack.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, sliced and buttered.