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This British classic tea-loaf is sticky and squidgy with that perfect malty flavour. I love it served warm, spread with a little (ok, a lot of) salted butter.
Nicky’s Notes
I think I’ve eaten more of this malt loaf than regular bread in the last month!
Two whole boxes of bran cereal have been dedicated to making many many malt loaves – that’s how much we all love it.
Even our teenage son, who initially called it an ‘old-people cake’ (gotta love teens) has been eating it as an afterschool and pre-football snack.
Usually malt loaf is made with raisins, but this version uses half raisins and half chopped medjool dates.
It’s a swap made after running low on raisins, and supplementing with dates from the cupboard, and I’ve NEVER made it different since. They add extra stickiness and a gorgeous caramel-molasses flavour.
Hope you love this one as much as we do.
Table of Contents
📋 Ingredients for Malt Loaf
***Full recipe with detailed quantities in the recipe card below***
- All-Bran – I’ve labelled it All-Bran here, but I recommend going with the supermarket own-brand version, as the brand version has something added that prevents the bran from going soggy (and we NEED it soggy to mix into the rest of the ingredients properly).
- Treacle – adds an extra sweet-sticky molasses flavour. You can swap for molasses if you can’t get hold of treacle.
- Dates – I use medjool dates that I destone and chop up. The extra effort is WELL worth it. However, you can leave out the dates and double up on the raisins if you prefer.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe
***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below***
Soak bran sticks in tea until soggy. Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, raisins, dates, treacle and egg and mix. Transfer to a loaf tin and bake (see ingredient amounts and timings in recipe card further below).
I like to slice and serve while it’s still warm.
Recipe Tips
- Use a loaf tin liner for easier clean up (I use these liners (<– aff link) for a 2lb loaf tin).
- You can serve the loaf sliced, as it comes, but spreading with salted butter really brings out the sweet-malty flavour in the bread.
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Make ahead and Leftovers Guide
- This malt loaf will keep for 5-7 days at room temperature. Wrap in parchment and a layer of foil.
- It also freezes well. Slice the malt loaf (place pieces of parchment in between slices if you’re expecting to take out individual slices), wrap in parchment and a layer of foil, then place in an airtight container and freeze. Defrost in the parchment and foil, at room temperature.
📺 Watch how to make it
Malt Loaf Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g (1+3/4 cups, loosely packed) Bran Sticks Cereal (the All-Bran type, but don't use Kellogg's All-Bran – it doesn't sog properly)
- 240 ml (1 cup) freshly brewed strong black tea (I use English breakfast tea)
- 190 g (1.5 cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 200 g (1 packed cup) light brown sugar
- 100 g (1/2 cup) raisins
- 6 medjool dates, chopped (approx 100g after stone removal)
- 1 tbsp treacle or molasses
- 1 medium egg, lightly whisked
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180C/360F (fan) and line a 2lb loaf tin with a loaf liner.
- Add the bran sticks and tea (remove the teabag!) to a large bowl, give it a mix and leave for 5 minutes to soften.100 g (1+3/4 cups, loosely packed) Bran Sticks Cereal , 240 ml (1 cup) freshly brewed strong black tea
- After 5 minutes, stir together (it should be soft and fairly smooth), then add in the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, raisins, chopped dates, treacle and egg.190 g (1.5 cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour, 3 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 200 g (1 packed cup) light brown sugar, 100 g (1/2 cup) raisins, 6 medjool dates, chopped, 1 tbsp treacle, 1 medium egg, lightly whisked
- Stir together with a wooden spoon or spatula, then transfer to the prepared loaf tin.
- Place in the oven for 45-50 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool for another 10-15, then slice.
- I like to serve warm, spread with a little salted butter.
- It’s also great served cold, or you can warm individual slices in the microwave for 10 seconds.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Nicky this recipe looks interesting. At first glance of the ingredients, it looks a little like a fiber enhanced version of the cake part of sticky toffee pudding, just without the sticky toffee! Especially with your added dates. I wonder what this cake would be like with holes poked into it out of the oven and a proper toffee sauce poured over it. I’ll definitely try it with butter, though unsalted for me!
Thank you for allowing me to join. Can’t wait to start cooking your recipes.