Packed full of tea-soaked fruit, this tea loaf is beautifully rich and moist.
I love to serve mine spread with a little salted butter and a nice cup of tea.
It keeps really well and makes a great gift too.
Can you believe that I when I was younger, I didn't like tea bread.
Was I insane?
All of those raisins seemed to be taking the place of some more deserving chocolate or jam.
I really didn't know what I was missing out on.
Nowadays, I can't get enough of a lovely rich slice of tea bread, served with a strong cup of builders tea.
Chris is obsessed with the stuff. If we go to a farm shop or market and he spots tea bread, he's paid for it before I even open my mouth. So I know I'm always going to have a happy husband when I make it at home!
The sultanas and raisins are soaked overnight in the tea - which really plumps them up. The whole bowlful - including the leftover soaking liquor is added to the mix.
📋 What do we need?
🔪 How to make this tea bread recipe
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- First we need to soak the raisins and sultanas overnight in tea. This helps them to plump up, so you get a wonderful moist cake with lots of flavour.
- Then we mix the dry ingredients together - the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and mixed spice.
- Next in goes melted butter, eggs and the soaked fruit (including any liquid left in the bowl).
- Mix it all together, transfer to a loaf tin and bake for about 1 hour to 1 ¼ hours, until cooked through.
👩🍳PRO TIP You can check the cake is cooked all the way through by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If it still has wet cake mixture on, place back in the oven for 10 minute increments, until done. If the cake starts to look like it's going to get too brown on top, then top it with foil to stop it browning further.
Once it's cooked, cool it on a wire rack, then slice.
You can serve it as is, or spread with a little butter and serve with a nice cup of tea!
Any leftover cake can be wrapped in a layer of parchment, then a layer of foil. It should keep well for a week at room temperature.
🍲 More fantastic fruity cakes
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Moist and Fruity Tea Loaf
Ingredients
- 150 g (¾ cup) sultanas
- 150 g (¾ cup) raisins
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) freshly made tea (using 2 tea bags)
- 250 g (2 cups + 1 tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 200 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the sultanas and raisins in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Cover and allow to soak up the liquid overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F. Line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or a loaf tin liner.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice in a mixing bowl and stir together.
- Mix in the melted butter and eggs - using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add in the raisins, sultanas and any liquid left in the bowl.
- Stir together until everything is thoroughly combined. It will be a very wet mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin, place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - to 1 hour 15 minutes. You'll know it's done when an inserted skewer comes out clean. If you find that the top of the tea bread is starting to look too dark whilst it's in the oven, you can cover it will foil.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then remove from the tin and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Video
✎ Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted in May 2015. Updated in June 2021 with new photos, video and a bit of housekeeping.
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.
Nathalie Louise Fournier says
Hi what kind of mix spiced do you use ? Here we don’t have that. Thanks
Fay says
In UK mixed spice is mainly cinnamon with nutmeg, cloves and ginger. If you have Cinnamon powder that would work well I’m sure.
Fay Whiteley says
Delicious easy to make recipe, I add 2 teaspoons of mixed spice and a good shake of cinnamon as I felt the 1 teaspoon was not enough. I have made it many times and results are always perfect. The added butter, which is unusual in Tea loaf recipes gives an extra richness. The last few times I have added a handful of roughly chopped walnuts in with the flour and that gave a nice texture.Think it would be good with finely grated orange rind soaked overnight with the tea and dried fruit and I shall try this next time. Lovely spread with some unsalted butter or eaten with a piece of strong cheddar.
Susan Bradley says
Went to see friends who’d made this wonderful cake and just had to get the recipe as so tasty, looking forward to baking it. BON APPETIT!!
Pamela says
mixed spice? And what would that be?
Jean bunting says
Would be useful
to have measurements for this tea cake
Nicky Corbishley says
It's all there, in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post.
Mmenyene Eyo says
Yummy!!!
Graham Turner says
Made this today. Perfect with butter and a piece of Cheddar. Don't think I'll have to worry about storing it for a week as I doubt it will last to the weekend 😃
Nicole says
What is "mixed spice"? Is it Allspice?
Brid says
Hands down, this is the best tea brack I’ve ever tasted. It’s a firm family favorite in our house x
Tannas Godfrey says
This is a fantastic easy recipe made in minutes. I double, triple and quadruple the batch easily as I cook in a cattle station in Australia. I usually cook in two slab cake tins (double/triple batch). I use raisins and currants and have also added a table spoon of honey. Every time it comes out beautifully and goes in a flash. Highly recommend this recipie!
Carolyn Shiers says
I made this and have to say it is divine, in fact I have my next lot of fruit soaking to make the next one before this one is finished.I am taking slices round to my elderly neighbours !!
Judy says
Sorry. A question. What's the difference between raisins and sultanas?
Nicky Corbishley says
Sultanas are made from white grapes and are usually a yellowy brown in colour. Raisins are usually a darker brown, and larger than sultanas.
Alice says
Brilliant recipe and so easy, it turned out better than I expected and everyone loved it.
Judy says
What would happen if salted butter was used? The cake looks amazing.
Nicky Corbishley says
You can use salted butter if you like - it shouldn't make any difference to the texture of the cake, but the cake will of course be slightly saltier.
Sue says
I love this recipe and have now made the Fruity Tea Loaf three times and always perfect. My husband loves it. One thing I find difficult is to measure the 2 tablespoons of butter. Nicky is there a weight in grams for this? I also cut the sugar content down to 150 grams, but this is just a personal choice. I have a Tea Loaf in the oven as I write - I squeezed the juice from two large oranges (150ml) and used 150ml of tea. I jested one of the oranges and added this to the mixture in the final stir.
Thank you again, a great recipe which I will use time and time again.
kathy says
It came out exactly as it looked. So simple to make. Delicious. Liv ing abroad cakes dont always work exactly right.