We love this good old classic so much that we’ve decided to put our own, tea –based twist on it. You guessed it, the secret ingredient is in the name – the nation’s favourite English Breakfast tea. It adds a lovely dimension to the sweet, rich flavour and is guaranteed to leave you pleasantly surprised. This loaf can be eaten for toasted for breakfast, on the go, or as a delicious snack throughout the day. Another perk – it stays fresh for a week if wrapped in cling film.
It’s time to get your baking gloves on…
Ingredients
- 250g (9oz) sultanas
- 250g (9oz) currants
- 250g (9oz) caster sugar
- 375ml (13fl oz) English Breakfast tea
- 1 free-range egg
- 500g (1lb 2oz) self-raising flour
- 1tsp mixed spice
- 1tsp grated nutmeg
Equipment needed - 900g (2lb) loaf tin, lined with baking parchment.
Method
Here’s a step-by-step guide to making this gorgeous loaf:
- Place the sultanas, currants and caster sugar in a large bowl and pour over the cold tea. Stir well and leave, covered, overnight for the fruit to plump up.
- Heat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4. Add the egg to the bowl of soaked fruit and beat in.
- Sift over the flour, mixed spice and nutmeg, and stir until the mixture is well blended.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the tin and allow to cool completely before serving.
Top tip – toasting a couple of slices of this & buttering them up. Don’t forget to brew up a good cuppa to go with it. PS. Jam also goes down a treat!
We hope you enjoy it & feel free to share your snaps with us on social, just tag @wearetea.