Bara Brith
Bara Brith
Ingredients
- 300 ml strong hot black tea
- 300 g mixed dried fruit
- 75 g sultanas
- 75 g currants
- 50 g halved glace cherries
- 100 g soft dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons black treacle
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 tablespoon nutmeg
- generous pinch sea salt
- 1 orange, zest of
- 3 tablespoons runny honey, to finish
Instructions
- 1
Pour the hot tea over the mixed dried fruit, sultanas, currants, and halved glace cherries in a large bowl.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Stir through the soft dark brown sugar and black treacle. Cover the bowl and leave to soak for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. This allows the fruit to become beautifully plump and the tea to become deeply flavoured.
⏱️ 3 min
- 3
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 160
- 4
Stir the beaten egg into the soaked fruit mixture. Do not drain the fruit; all the tea goes into the loaf.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
In a separate bowl, combine the self-raising flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Add the orange zest to the dry ingredients.
⏱️ 3 min
- 6
Add the dry ingredients to the wet fruit mixture and fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
⏱️ 3 min
- 7
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and level the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
⏱️ 2 min
- 8
Bake for around 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. If the top starts to get too dark, loosely cover it with foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. The loaf is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out without any wet batter attached.
⏱️ 75 min•🌡️ 160
- 9
Leave the Bara Brith in the tin to cool for 10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 10
While the loaf is still warm, gently heat the runny honey until it is easily brushable. Brush the honey generously all over the top of the loaf, allowing some to soak into the cake.
⏱️ 3 min
- 11
Cool the Bara Brith completely before slicing. For best results, wrap it once cool and leave it until the following day, as it gets even darker, stickier, and more delicious as it sits.
⏱️ 240 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Bara Brith
- 300 ml strong hot black tea
- 300 g mixed dried fruit
- 75 g sultanas
- 75 g currants
- 50 g halved glace cherries
- 100 g soft dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons black treacle
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/3 tablespoon nutmeg
- generous pinch sea salt
- 1 orange, zest of
- 3 tablespoons runny honey, to finish
Instructions
- 1
Pour the hot tea over the mixed dried fruit, sultanas, currants, and halved glace cherries in a large bowl.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Stir through the soft dark brown sugar and black treacle. Cover the bowl and leave to soak for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. This allows the fruit to become beautifully plump and the tea to become deeply flavoured.
⏱️ 3 min - 3
Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan) and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 160 - 4
Stir the beaten egg into the soaked fruit mixture. Do not drain the fruit; all the tea goes into the loaf.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
In a separate bowl, combine the self-raising flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, and a generous pinch of sea salt. Add the orange zest to the dry ingredients.
⏱️ 3 min - 6
Add the dry ingredients to the wet fruit mixture and fold everything together until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
⏱️ 3 min - 7
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and level the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
⏱️ 2 min - 8
Bake for around 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. If the top starts to get too dark, loosely cover it with foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. The loaf is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out without any wet batter attached.
⏱️ 75 min•🌡️ 160 - 9
Leave the Bara Brith in the tin to cool for 10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 10
While the loaf is still warm, gently heat the runny honey until it is easily brushable. Brush the honey generously all over the top of the loaf, allowing some to soak into the cake.
⏱️ 3 min - 11
Cool the Bara Brith completely before slicing. For best results, wrap it once cool and leave it until the following day, as it gets even darker, stickier, and more delicious as it sits.
⏱️ 240 min