Name: Moist and Fruity Tea Loaf
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 150 g (3/4 cup) sultanas; 150 g (3/4 cup) raisins; 300 ml (1 1/4 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 (30g/1 oz) unsalted butter (melted); 2 large eggs

Fruity Tea Loaf

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.

Slices of buttered tea loaf on a plate with a butter knife. Rest of the cake in the background.

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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?

Ingredients for fruit tea load on a wooden table

🔪 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 1/4 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.

fruit tea loaf that has been sliced open on a wooden table.

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.

Two slices of buttered tea loaf on a white plate. Knife also in shot.

🍲 More fantastic fruity cakes

Cakes, Desserts & Treats

Flourless Chocolate Cherry Cake

Cakes, Desserts & Treats

Sourdough Scones with Rhubarb and Strawberry Compote (non-sourdough version too)

Breakfast & Brunch

Rhubarb and Amaretti Cake

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Close up of a fruit tea loaf that has been sliced on a wooden table.

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4.93 from 51 votes

Moist and Fruity Tea Loaf

By Nicky Corbishley

Packed full tea-soaked fruit, this tea loaf is beautifully rich and moist.

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 25

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: British

Ingredients

▢ 150 g (3/4 cup) sultanas
▢ 150 g (3/4 cup) raisins
▢ 300 ml (1 1/4 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 (30g/1 oz) 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.
150 g (3/4 cup) sultanas, 150 g (3/4 cup) raisins, 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) freshly made tea
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F (fan). Line a 2 lbs 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.
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
Mix in the melted butter and eggs – using a wooden spoon or spatula.
2 tbsp (30g/1 oz) unsalted butter, 2 large eggs
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

Storage:

This cake will keep for a week or more wrapped in baking parchment and placed in a sealed container at room temperature (in fact, the cake tastes even better after a day or two).

Nutritional information is approximate, per slice.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

This recipe was first posted in May 2015. Updated in June 2021 with new photos, video and a bit of housekeeping.

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