Irish Tea Cake Dried Fruit (Print Version)

Moist, subtly sweet Irish loaf infused with tea and studded with plump dried fruit.

# Recipe Ingredients:

→ Dried Fruit

01 - 7 oz mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants, chopped dried apricots)
02 - 1 cup strong black tea, hot

→ Cake Batter

03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
06 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - Pinch of salt
11 - Zest of 1 orange (optional)

→ For Serving

12 - Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
13 - Butter for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Combine the mixed dried fruit and hot black tea in a bowl. Cover and let soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight for optimal results, allowing the fruit to plump up.
02 - Preheat the oven to 340°F. Grease a 2 lb loaf tin and line with parchment paper.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, and melted butter until smooth and well combined.
04 - Add the soaked fruit along with any remaining soaking liquid to the wet mixture, stirring to distribute evenly.
05 - Sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add orange zest if using. Gently fold until just combined—take care not to overmix.
06 - Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top surface evenly.
07 - Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired. Slice and serve plain or with butter.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dried fruit soaking in hot tea creates an incredible depth of flavor that develops beautifully
  • Its one of those effortless cakes that actually tastes better on day two making it perfect for busy weeks
  • You probably have everything in your cupboard right nowno special trips to the store needed
02 -
  • That soaking liquid is liquid golddont drain it off because it carries so much flavor
  • The cake might look done at 50 minutes but check with a skewer because the center takes the longest to set
  • Wait until its completely cool before slicing or youll end up with crumbly edges
03 -
  • Soak the fruit while you sleep and you can bake this straight after breakfast
  • The batter should be thick and sticky not runnythis is normal

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