“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” ― C.S. Lewis
One of my favorite cakes to go with tea is a tea loaf, where you soak the fruit in tea. It is something of a Yorkshire delicacy.
Ingredients:
- 220g self raising flour
- 250g dried mixed fruit
- 100g glacé cherries, quartered
- 100g soft dark brown sugar
- 100g butter
- Zest of one orange
- 250ml tea – This is where you can mix up the recipe. Traditionally black tea is used, but you could use Honeycomb Chamomile Tea or Gingersnap Peach Tea
- 1 medium egg – beaten
- Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (fan oven) or 170 °C and line a 2lb loaf tin with grease proof paper or a loaf tin liner
- In a large pan combine the dried fruit, cherries, butter, sugar, zest, and tea. Simmer over a medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the mixture to cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, add the beaten egg, and the flour, and stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour and 20 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
