Yorkshire Barm Brack (Fruit Cake)

Yorkshire Barm Brack is a rich and delicious moist fruit cake with a hint of Scotch whisky baked in a loaf tin (pan). The cake is packed with dried fruit, cherries and citrus peel and the flavour is enhanced by the black treacle and dark brown sugar.

Why should I make Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Yorkshire Barm Brack is a really delicious fruit cake that is easy to make. Many similar tea loaves like Mary’s Tea Time Cake contain no butter but this is a slightly richer version of a tea loaf. The cherries, peel and a small quantity of Scotch Whisky also add a special something to this Barm Brack.

What is Barm Brack?

Barm Brack is not only made in Yorkshire, there are similar fruit cakes in the culture of Ireland and Wales.  In the Irish language bairín breac means speckled bread, and bara brith means speckled bread in Welsh. A traditional barm brack is made with the froth or “barm” leftover after fermenting beer or ale which is mixed with sultanas and spice to make a heavy, fruity bread.

The more modern version of barm brack is often called a ‘tea brack’ because you soak the dried fruit in tea overnight. This helps the fruit to plump up and makes the cake really delicious. Although this cake isn’t traditional to Scotland, my recipe also includes a little Scotch Whisky.  I think it is a real game-changer taking a simple everyday fruit cake to a rather special one.

What ingredients do I need?

All the ingredients for Yorkshire Barm Brack are easily available and you are likely to already have many of them in your larder and refrigerator. You will need:

• dried fruit
• candied mixed peel 
• glace (candied) cherries 
• strong, black tea
• butter
• soft dark brown sugar
• eggs
• flour
• black treacle (molasses)
• whisky
• nutmeg
• lemon juice
• ground almonds

Scroll to the end of this article to find the full recipe and all quantities of ingredients, with step-by-step photo instructions

What kind of dried fruit do I need?

In the UK you can buy bags of mixed dried fruit that also contain dried peel. However, I like to mix my own dried fruit. To do this you will need a mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants. I like to use equal quantities of raisins and sultanas and fewer currants.

What are currants?

Most people are familiar with raisins and sultanas but not everyone knows about currants. Currants are small, sweet dried grapes. They are not dried blackcurrants but a specific variety of raisins called Black Corinth.

In the US they are known as Zante currants or Corinth raisins, outside the US they are generally known simply as currants. Currants are the oldest known raisins and their intensely sweet taste works really well in combination with other dried fruits like raisins and sultanas.

Can I make Yorkshire Barm Brack using only raisins?

Yes, you certainly can. If you only have raisins then the cake will still be delicious, you can also use only sultanas. However, I wouldn’t recommend that you use only currants. They have lots of flavour but are not as juicy as raisins and sultanas.

What kind of tea should I use to make the Barm Brack?

If you can get it then I recommend you use Yorkshire Tea. The Yorkshire tea blend makes a strong black tea with lots of tannin. However, if you can’t get Yorkshire Tea then use a good strong black breakfast tea. The tea combines beautifully with the other ingredients and is a good contrast for the sweet dried fruits, sugar and treacle.

What is treacle?

Black treacle is a dark sticky syrup that is a by product of the sugar refining process. Treacle is best known as an ingredient in cakes like gingerbread. It is also used to make sweets like liquorice and treacle toffee.

Is molasses the same as black treacle?

Molasses is similar but not the same as black treacle. It has a strong, bittersweet flavour and dark, almost opaque appearance. It is also generally thicker than treacle. However, you can use it if you are not able to get the more refined black treacle.

What kind of whisky should I use in the Yorkshire Barm Brack?

I use Scotch Whisky in the Barm Brack. I like to use a good quality blended whisky rather than a single malt. Single malt is the whisky I prefer to drink but a good quality blended whisky works perfectly well in this recipe. You can also use Irish whiskey or bourbon.

You can now actually buy Yorkshire whisky! Filey Bay, the first Yorkshire Single Malt Whisky is made in Yorkshire by The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery I have not tried it but I guess if you want to be really authentic then that is one to use.

What can I substitute for whisky?

Use other strong spirits with a rich flavour such as brandy or dark rum. If you prefer to use a non-alcoholic substitute, then make more strong black tea and add that in the place of the whisky.

I don’t have any nutmeg, what can I substitute?

Freshly grated nutmeg has a distinctive lightly spiced flavour. If you don’t have nutmeg then use ground mixed spice which contains nutmeg as well as a mix of all spice, cinnamon, mace, cloves, coriander and ginger. If you don’t have mixed spice then you can leave it out of the cake.

Can I make Yorkshire Barm Brack ahead of time?

Fruit cake is always better if you can keep it for a little while and let it mature. Keep Yorkshire Barm Brack wrapped in foil and in a cake tin for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Absolutely! This cake freezes really well, I recommend you slice it and lay the slices of cake on a baking tray (sheet) covered with baking parchment. Open freeze the slices of cake and once frozen, store in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.

Remove the number of slices you need from the freezer and place them on a cooling tray. Cover with a tea towel and leave for about an hour until they are fully defrosted before serving.

Vegetarian

This cake is suitable for vegetarians, it contains dairy products but no meat products.

Gluten Free

Yorkshire Barm Brack includes wheat flour and is therefore not suitable for a gluten free diet. If you would like to make a similar cake then try this Gluten Free Bara Brith recipe from Gluterama.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Serve the Yorkshire Barm Brack cut into slices with a cup of tea or coffee as a snack or for dessert. One of the things I love about visiting tea rooms in Yorkshire is being served a piece of Wensleydale cheese with a slice of fruit cake.

The combination of Wensleydale cheese with fruit cake is a renowned Yorkshire delicacy. There is something about the creamy, crumbly flavour of the cheese that really complements the sweet fruit cake. I think it’s a fabulous combination and a real treat, if you’ve never tried it I can thoroughly recommend it.

Make Yorkshire Barm Brack as a Christmas Cake

In the notes on the recipe card you will find the quantities to make a 22 cm (8 1/2 in) square cake that is ideal as a Christmas Cake. This rich fruit cake with the hint of whisky can be decorated with marzipan and icing to make the perfect centre piece for your celebrations.

More Tea Bread Recipes