Tea loaf
This classic tea loaf is deliciously moist and full of tea soaked fruit. It’s a great simple recipe that’s perfect for beginner bakers and kids to try.
A classic tea loaf is a great simple bake everyone will love. It’s a delicious, traditional bake full of tea infused dried fruit. Serve it with a little butter with your afternoon tea.
If you’re partial to a classic fruit loaf you’ll love this tea loaf. It’s a similar, classic bake, but it soaks the dried fruit in tea before it’s added to the batter. This adds a beautiful flavour and moistness to the loaf which I really love.
How can kids help to make a tea loaf?
This tea loaf is a really easy bake so it’s perfect for beginner bakers and children.
Kids can start by measuring out the fruit and soaking it in the tea. Or, if you do that in advance they could just start measuring and mixing the remaining ingredients together before mixing in the soaked fruit.
Once you’ve made the tea loaf batter, your kids can help pour or spoon it into the loaf tin. It’s really all that easy.
Why is it called a tea loaf?
A tea loaf is a bread full of dried fruit which has been soaked in tea. The fruit is left in tea overnight, which plumps it up and adds some lovely flavour. It’s a very traditional cake, often served with afternoon tea.
What tea should I use in a tea loaf?
The fruit in tea loaves is traditionally soaked in a strong black tea, but Earl Grey or Lady Grey are also popular teas to use.
What fruit should I use?
You can find mixed dried fruit in packets at the supermarket but you can use a mixture of any dried fruit. Sultanas, raisins, currents, or even apricots work well. If you’re using larger dried fruit, cut them into smaller pieces before adding them to the tea.
How long does a tea loaf keep?
A tea loaf will keep for up to 5 days in an air tight container. In fact, you might find the flavour develops and improves after a day or two.
If you want to keep it for longer you can freeze a tea loaf for up to three months. Once it’s cooled, wrap it well in cling film / glad wrap and pop it in a freezer bag. Make sure you defrost it fully before serving it.
What can I use if I don’t have any self raising flour?
If you don’t have any self raising flour (which is easy to find in UK supermarkets), swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add two teaspoons of baking powder.
Similar recipes
If you liked this tea loaf you’ll love some of our other delicious classic bakes:
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Lemon and blueberry loaf
Ginger loaf cake
Mincemeat loaf cake
Banana bread
Sultana cake
Treacle sponge
Orange drizzle cake
Carrot loaf cake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this tea loaf:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
1 lb loaf tin
Wire rack
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Ingredients
350g (1 1/2 cups) dried mixed fruit
Zest of 1 lemon or orange
300ml strong tea
1 egg
275g (2 ¼ cups) self raising flour
225g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
How to make a tea loaf
Prepare the fruit
Brew 3-4 tea bags in hot water for five to ten minutes until it is nice and strong.
Get your kids to measure out the dried fruit, and zest the lemon/orange and pop it in a small bowl. Add the brewed tea and leave it to soak for at least six hours, or preferably overnight.
Make the tea loaf
Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C / 320F and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. We find the easiest way to line the tin (unless you have loaf liners) is to cut a strip the width of the tin, and then do the same in the other direction. Leave some overhanging so it’s easier to remove from the tin later.
Mix the remaining tea loaf ingredients together
Get your kids to measure out the flour and sugar and put them in a mixing bowl. Crack an egg into a small bowl before adding it to your mixing bowl. We never add the egg straight in just in case any shell goes in. If/when it does, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell or a tea spoon.
Mix everything together.
Add the fruit
Pour the fruit and tea into your mixing bowl, and gently fold it into your mixture.
Keep mixing until it is all well combined.
Bake the tea loaf
Get your kids to spoon or pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture into the corners and level the top.
Bake the tea loaf for 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours. It’s ready when it’s turned a nice golden colour and a skewer or sharp knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.
If the top of your loaf starts browning too much on top before the inside is cooked, cover it loosely in foil.
Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes. Then take it out the tin and pop it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy.
Tea loaf
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spatula
- 2 lb loaf tin
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 350 g (1 ½ cups) dried mixed fruit
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange
- 300 ml strong tea
- 1 egg
- 275 g (2 ¼ cups) self raising flour
- 225 g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
Instructions
PREPARE THE FRUIT
- Brew 3-4 tea bags in hot water for five to ten minutes until it is nice and strong.
- Measure out the dried fruit, and zest the lemon/orange and pop it in a small bowl. Add the brewed tea and leave it to soak for at least six hours, or preferably overnight.
MAKE THE TEA LOAF
- Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C / 320F and grease and line a 1lb loaf tin. We find the easiest way to line the tin (unless you have loaf liners) is to cut a strip the width of the tin, and then do the same in the other direction. Leave some overhanging so it's easier to remove from the tin later.
MIX THE REMAINING TEA LOAF INGREDIENTS TOGETHER
- Measure out the flour, egg and sugar and put them in a mixing bowl. Mix everything together.
ADD THE FRUIT
- Pour the fruit and tea into your mixing bowl, and gently fold it into your mixture. Keep mixing until it is all well combined.
BAKE THE TEA LOAF
- Spoon or pour the batter into your prepared loaf tin. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture into the corners and level the top.
- Bake the tea loaf for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours. It's ready when it's turned a nice golden colour and a skewer or sharp knife inserted in the middle should come out clean.If the top of your loaf starts browning too much on top before the inside is cooked, cover it loosely in foil.Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes. Then take it out the tin and pop it on a wire rack to cool completely.
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If you enjoyed this tea loaf, you’ll like our other loaf recipes, our sultana cake, and our favourite easy bakes for children.
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