This fruit loaf is so easy to make and is packed full of flavours for a delicious teatime treat.
A mixture of dried fruits are soaked overnight in tea, which means that the liquid is absorbed and the fruits plump up, keeping the cake moist for days on end.
It's easy to vary the fruits added to use your favourites too!
Perfect with morning coffee or with afternoon tea, with a slice spread with butter, this fruit bread always disappears quickly.
Enjoy!
It's a very British tradition to offer guests a cup of tea and a slice of cake and it's always better if you have made something yourself.
Of course, we don't always have time for elaborate cake making but this one is really straightforward. It takes no time at all to measure the fruit and leave it to soak up the tea overnight then quickly mix the cake the next day.
In Yorkshire there has been a tradition of paring cake with cheese, particularly a fruitcake at Christmas. The sweetness of the fruit in the cake really does go well with the tang of cheese and I suppose it's also why fruit based chutneys go well with a cheeseboard.
Why you will love this cake
- Easy to make from store cupboard ingredients.
- Really moist and juicy!
- Keeps really well in an airtight container.
- Delicious spread with butter or a slice of cheese!
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🥘 Ingredients
- Sultanas
- Raisins
- Cherries - glacé or candied cherries, halved and washed to get rid of the sticky syrup.
- Sugar - dark soft brown sugar gives the cake a rich flavour.
- Eggs - large and free range
- Flour - self raising flour or make your own below
- Tea - Assam tea has a deep and malty flavour which goes perfectly with this tea loaf.
- Baking powder - for an extra rising boost.
- Butter
- Orange zest - optional but adds a freshness to the fruit loaf.
See recipe card for quantities.
💭 HOW TO MAKE SELF RAISING FLOUR
If you want to make your own self raising flour then you can use plain or all purpose flour and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour. For this recipe you would need 3 and a half teaspoons.
🍽 Equipment
- Stand or hand led mixer - optional
- Mixing bowl
- Wooden spoon
- Metal spoon
- 900g or 2 lb loaf tin (24 X 12cm or 9 ½ X 4 ½ inches)
- Baking parchment or loaf liner
- Colander or sieve for the cherries
🔪 Instructions
Put the dried fruits in a bowl and pour over the hot tea.
Give the fruit a good stir then cover with cling film and leave for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
Use a parchment loaf liner or line the tin by hand.
💭 Top tip
- It's easy to do this by putting the tin on the paper and making sure that there is enough to cover the bottom and long sides.
- Next, make two cuts each end where the corners are. Fold the flaps inwards and fold along the lengths. Now check that the paper fits.
- Use a pastry brush to grease the tin with butter and then push the paper into place. The butter ensures that nothing sticks and stops the parchment from dislodging when you are filling the tin.
Use the mixing bowl and spoon to cream the butter and sugar together until well combined and the sugar is starting to dissolve in the butter.
Use a mixer if you prefer on a medium speed.
Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time and beating well between each addition.
💭 Top tip
- Use a small ramekin and break in one egg and beat well with a fork before adding to the cake mixture. This allows you to check for bad eggs or pieces of shell without contaminating the cake mixture. This also helps the mixture to not to curdle and separate.
Now use a large metal spoon to fold in the flour.
Give the fruit a further stir and fold into the mixture with the orange zest.
Transfer the tea bread mix to the prepared tin and make a slight dent along the middle.
This helps the load to rise evenly when baking.
⏲️ Baking time
Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/160 FAN/Gas 4 and bake for 1 hour.
Check that a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then remove and allow it to cool completely on a rack.
🥗 Serve with
- Cheese and Bacon Scones
- Classic Scones
- Afternoon Tea Sandwiches
- Orange Marmalade Drizzle Cake
- Salted Caramel Mille Feuille
Substitutions
- Sugar - use a lighter brown sugar if you prefer but the cake will be paler in colour and not as rich.
Variations
- Tea - different teas can really change the flavour of the cake. Often, Earl Grey or Lady Grey tea is used in fruit breads. Try also using apple and cinnamon tea.
- Adult - replace some of the tea with a couple of tablespoons or brandy, rum or sherry.
- Fruit - use whatever dried fruits you prefer but cut up apricots or dates into smaller pieces. Try cranberries or figs for a change.
Storage
This fruit loaf keep really well in an airtight container and will last at least a week. I like to wrap it in plastic wrap and then place in a tin.
It's better to slice it as you need it.
FAQs
This can be down to the flour that is used in the cake having too little gluten, which is needed to bind the cake together. If you have the option of buying cake flour it can really help.
Overbaking the cake can also make it crumble so check the cake at 50 minutes to see if it is cooked through. Each oven is different so baking times always vary.
Make sure that you don't attempt to slice the fruit loaf until it is completely cold and preferably the following day.
More loaf cakes to try
📋 Recipe
Fruit Loaf
Equipment
- Colander or sieve
- Wooden spoon
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer - optional
- Loaf tin for 900 g or 2 lb
- Baking parchment or loaf tin liner
Ingredients
- 150 g sultanas
- 100 g candied cherries
- 150 g raisins
- 125g dark brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- zest of an orange
- 250 g flour self raising
- 250 ml tea Assam
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 125 g butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/160 FAN/Gas 4
- Put the dried fruits in a bowl and pour over the hot tea.
- Give the fruit a good stir then cover with cling film and leave for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Use a parchment loaf liner or line the tin by hand.
- Use the mixing bowl and spoon to cream the butter and sugar together until well combined.
- Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time and beating well between each addition.
- Now use a large metal spoon to fold in the flour and baking powder.
- Give the fruit a further stir and fold into the mixture with the orange zest.
- Transfer the tea bread mix to the prepared tin and make a slight dent along the middle.
- Bake for 1 hour and check that a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then remove and allow it to cool completely on a rack.
Notes
- It's easy to line a tins by putting the tin on the paper and making sure that there is enough to cover the bottom and long sides.
- Next, make two cuts each end where the corners are. Fold the flaps inwards and fold along the lengths. Now check that the paper fits.
- Use a pastry brush to grease the tin with butter and then push the paper into place. The butter ensures that nothing sticks and stops the parchment from dislodging when you are filling the tin.
- Use a small ramekin and break in one egg and beat well with a fork before adding to the cake mixture. This allows you to check for bad eggs or pieces of shell without contaminating the cake mixture. This also helps the mixture not to curdle and separate.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended'
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I love to read them and answer your questions. However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Heather Johnson
never thought to rehydrate fruit with tea! definitely making this for thanksgiving!
Tawnie Kroll
Made this over the weekend and enjoying with my coffee today! It's delicious and I'll be making again for the holidays! Thanks!!
Rika
I love this fruit loaf because it's very easy to make. The Assam tea makes it taste better.
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This fruit loaf looks perfect. A perfect holiday treat. Pinned to try this soon.
Jess
I love to make this for my Grandma. She loves it.
Rose LaBarge
since the recipe calls for orange zest , I would juice the orange and add enough tea to make the required amount of liquid
Susan
Living in the US, I can buy English Breakfast tea or PG Tips. Would either do for this recipe? Thank you
Amanda
Hi Susan,
Any tea would work here. Breakfast tea is nice and strong, so I would use that one. Thanks,
Amanda
Gerald McGovern
I’ve made this 4 times now. 1st time I made it I trusted to the baking time, more or less, gave it an extra 10 mins. Was completely unbaked in the centre.
I’m a novice, it was my 1st attempt at baking and I was very disappointed with the outcome.
2nd attempt I gave more and more time, eventually 2 hours and it was fully baked and still moist. I covered it for the last hour to avoid overcooking the top.
3rd attempt same outcome, gave it 1.55
4th attempt once again 2 hours and we’ll baked without being dry.
I’ve followed the recipe to the letter and have 2 temp gauges so I can say the oven is def at 180°c. Used middle shelf, loaf tin is the correct size.
So how long does everyone give this recipe?
Amanda
Hi Gerald. I'm sorry you are having problems with the cooking time. Are you using a metal tin? When you add the fruit, has all the liquid been absorbed or is there some left? Thanks,
Amanda