Earl Grey Tea Fruit Loaf

This old-fashioned recipe is so easy to make. You’ll notice the recipe contains no butter or oil, but because it’s so full of fruit it remains incredibly moist. The texture reminds me of Christmas puddings, and there’s no reason why you couldn’t pour the mixture into muffin tins and create mini Christmas cakes. Decorate with almonds or icing (or both!). Like Christmas cake, it keeps very well.

The recipe is incredibly versatile. You could use whatever fruit you like as long as it comes to 650g. Play around with dried apricots, figs, cherries, dates, apple, pear…You could add nuts too if you wish.

It’s delicious served with butter, but I’ve also heard some like to serve it with cheese.

Note that you’ll have to start it the day before you want to serve it, as the fruit needs to soak in the tea overnight.

Makes one standard loaf

Ingredients:

• 650g dried fruit (sultans, currants, raisins and peel)
• 1-1/2 cups strong, freshly brewed Earl Grey tea
• 250g plain flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 250g brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons mixed spice

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160C
2. Mix together the fruit, tea and sugar in a large bowl
3. Cover with plastic wrap and leave overnight
4. The next day, lightly butter and flour a 25cmx11cmx7cm loaf tin
5. Sift flour, baking powder and spices together
6. Stir eggs into flour mixture until thoroughly combined
7. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf tin
8. Bake for 1-1/2 hours, or until a cake tester withdraws clean
9. If the loaf browns too quickly, cover with foil until done

There are many recipes out there for this sort of loaf, but this one’s from Vogue’s Wickedly Winter 2000.

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