Tea Brack Recipe (Fruit Loaf)

5 from 5 votes

Welcome to my delicious Irish tea brack recipe! This is a moist and fruity cake that’s bursting with flavour from tea-soaked dried fruit and zesty orange. It’s perfect with a nice cup of tea, whether you’re from Ireland or anywhere else in the world.

Plus, I’ll show you how to make it gluten-free if you need to, and share some tips and tricks to avoid common mistakes. Trust me, you’ll love this easy and satisfying tea loaf!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: european, irish

Keyword: all spice, cake, dried fruit, easy, fruit, fruit cake, ground spice, loaf, orange, tea

Servings: slices

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Vikkie Lee

Equipment

Ingredients

Fruit Tea Mixture

2 ¾ cups Dried mixed fruit (400g/14.1oz)
1 ¼ cups Hot strong black Irish tea (300ml - I used 2 tea bags Thompson's Breakfast Tea) *See note 1 for replacing some with orange juice for extra flavour
1 Orange zest (and juice if deducting from tea)

Tea Loaf Batter

1 ½ cups Plain flour (240g/8.5oz) *See Note 2 for Gluten Free
1 cup Soft light brown sugar (muscovado) Packed (210g/7.4oz)
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 large Egg Lightly whisked
1 teaspoon Ground mixed spice Or all spice
1 tablespoon Baking Powder *Gluten Free if needed
½ tablespoon Granulated sugar To sprinkle on top after leveling in pan

Instructions

The night before, add black tea, dried fruit, (and orange zest and juice if using) in a large mixing bowl and cover with foil - a minimum of 4 hours.*See note 3 if you are in a rush.
Preheat over 325 170c/150c fan/Gas mark 3 and grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.
Add the tea loaf batter ingredients (except the granulated sugar) to the fruit and mix until just combined. *See note 4
Spread into the lined baking pan and level, then sprinkle the granulated sugar on top.
Bake your tea brack for 60 minutes or until a cake tester poked in the centre comes out clean. If not, bake for a further 10 minutes and repeat. *See note 5
Place on a cooling rack to cool, then slice and serve with butter - or why not try frying it while buttered or toasting it first?

Video

Notes

Note 1

If you want to give your fruit loaf extra flavor, then brew 200ml of black hot tea instead for 3 minutes. Then add juice as well as the zest from the orange. Then top up with more hot water until you reach the 300ml mark or 1 & ¼ cup.

Note 2

For gluten-free tea frack, swap for buckwheat flour + ½ teaspoon xantham gum, and ensure you're using gluten-free baking powder too!

Note 3

For a quick and easy no soak tea brack, then you can put it all in a pan (without the tea bags) and simmer for about 8-10 minutes. This quick tea-soaked fruit cake is similar to my last minute Christmas cake.

Note 4

Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a rubbery texture. Try to mix until any traces of flour have just disappeared.

Note 5

While continuing to bake your Irish tea loaf recipe, if you find the top is starting to burn, place some tin foil on top while you continue to bake.

Nutrition