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Yorkshire Barm Brack (Tea Loaf)
This a lovely moist fruit cake, there is a hint of whisky, black treacle and dark brown sugar also add a lovely depth to the flavour.
Equipment
- 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan As a rough guide, a 2lb (900g) loaf tin is about 21cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx)
- loaf pan liner or parchment paper
- medium bowl
- measuring jug
- Measuring spoons
- weighing scales
- Large bowl
- electric mixer or whisk
- Metal spoon or spatula
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 300 g dried fruit sultanas, currants and raisins
- 100 g candied peel chopped
- 100 g glace cherries halved
- 200 ml cold strong, black tea
- 100 g butter slightly softened
- 100 g soft dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 1 tbsp black treacle molasses
- 2 tbsp whisky
- ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 60 g ground almonds
Instructions
- Place 300g (2 cups) dried fruits, 100g (½ cup) glace cherries and 100g (½ cup) candied peel in a large bowl.
- Pour 200 ml (¾ cup) strong black tea over the fruit. Stir well, then cover with a lid or tea towel and leave for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 170°℃ (160℃ Fan)/325°F.
- Line a 900g (2 lb) loaf pan with a loaf pan liner or baking parchment.
- Place both 100 g (3½ oz) softened butter and 100 g ½ cup) soft brown sugar into a roomy baking bowl. Cream the butter into the sugar until light, smooth and creamy using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
- Add one egg to the creamed butter and sugar and beat thoroughly. Then add the second egg and beat again.
- Fold 150 g (1 cup) self-raising flour into the mixture with a metal spoon or a spatula.
- Add 1 tbsp treacle, 1 tbsp Scotch whisky, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp nutmeg to the batter and mix with a spoon or a spatula.
- Stir the pre-soaked dried fruit and add to the cake mixture with 60 g (½ cup) ground almonds. Stir gently until all the fruits are incorporated into the mixture. Make sure you do stir gently so as not to knock the air out of the mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and gently level the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours or until dark, golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place on to a cooling rack and leave the cake to cool in the tin.
- Once the cake is cool, slice and serve as it is or in the traditional way with a slice of Wenslydale cheese.
- Yorkshire Barm Brack keeps well when stored in an airtight container, or wrap in foil.
Notes
This recipe was originally published to be baked as a larger cake in a 22 cm/ 8½ in square cake tin. However, I have found that the loaf cake is much more manageable to make and eat!
If you would like to make the original cake, here are the quantities:
550 g dried fruit - sultanas, currants and raisins
225 g candied peel chopped
225 g glace cherries halved
300 ml cold strong, black "Yorkshire" or other tea
150 g butter slightly softened
150 g soft dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
225 g plain flour all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp black treacle molasses
100 ml whisky
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
110 g ground almonds Follow the directions as for the loaf cake version and bake in preheated oven at 170°C (160C Fan)/325°F for 2 - 2½ hours or until golden brown.
225 g candied peel chopped
225 g glace cherries halved
300 ml cold strong, black "Yorkshire" or other tea
150 g butter slightly softened
150 g soft dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
225 g plain flour all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp black treacle molasses
100 ml whisky
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
110 g ground almonds Follow the directions as for the loaf cake version and bake in preheated oven at 170°C (160C Fan)/325°F for 2 - 2½ hours or until golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg