Irish tea bread
This recipe has been baked for decades within our family, I think it originally came from a 1970’s book of cake recipes. It’s one of the easiest cakes to make. Key to getting this cake right, is soaking the dried fruit for a proper length of time, at least 12 hours.
This recipe makes two cakes in 2lb cake tins.
Ingredients 2 cake
750g Mixed fruit (or 150g Currants , 150g Raisins, 375g Sultanas and 75 mixed peel)
300ml Tea
4 tbsp Whisky
340g plain flour
340g Brown sugar
3tsp Baking powder
3 tsps Mixed spice
3 eggs beaten
Method
Prepare two 2lb cake tins, buttering or lining bottom with silicone paper.
Switch on the oven at 180 degrees.
Soak fruit for at least 12 hours ie overnight in tea and whisky.
Mix flour, sugar, spices, baking powder. (I often use the Kenwood with a K beater)
Add the soaked fruit, together with the beaten egg.
Mix. Pour into the two 2lb cake tins buttered and lined with silicon or baking paper.
Place in preheated oven 180ºC second shelf from top.
Cook for 1 hour 10mins, or until it passes a knife test. (Knife test: push a clean knife into the body of the cake, if it comes out clean, without any cake mix, the cake is cooked)