A rich and fruity tea bread packed full of delicious apricots and other dried fruits and oh so easy to make.
4.42 from 48 votes
Prep Time 2 hourshrs
Cook Time 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time 3 hourshrs30 minutesmins
Course Baking
Cuisine British
Servings 10
Calories 278kcal
Ingredients
350gramsmixture of apricots and other dried fruit
225gramslight or dark muscovado sugar
300millilitreshot tea
275gramsself-raising flour
1orange, zest only alternately use lemon zest
1large eggbeaten
Instructions
Cut the dried apricots into halves or quarters, I find a pair of scissors is the best way to do this, although you can use a knife.
Put the dried fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Leave it overnight to soak up the tea, but I didn't have time, so mine got 2 hours and was still pretty wet.
Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2
Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or one of those clever loaf tin liners.
Add the flour, orange or lemon zest and beaten egg to the fruit and tea mixture and stir with a spoon till mixed through.
Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 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.
Notes
You can use all apricots or a mixture of apricots and other dried fruits like raisins, sultanas or dried cranberries.