An easy to make Fat Free Yorkshire Tea Loaf Fruit Cake Recipe with a moist texture. In this recipe, the fruit is soaked in Yorkshire Tea for at least 4 hours or overnight if you wish and is usually enjoyed on its own or with a slice of creamy, crumbly slab of Wensleydale cheese. You will often find a few thick slices of Tea Bread included in many Afternoon Tea menus.
This light and fruity Yorkshire Fruit Loaf is a staple in our house. So too is this Marmalade Tea Loaf. It is so easy to prepare the fruit for soaking overnight or early in the morning if you want to make something to eat later in the day. It is a much lighter alternative to this Rich Fruit Cake and keeps really well for up to a couple of weeks when well wrapped.
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Ingredients for Making a Yorkshire Tea Loaf
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used to make a Fruit Tea Loaf with possible alternatives and why I may have used them. See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities or click the 'Jump to Recipe' card at the top of this post.
- Dried Fruits - You can buy packets of mixed dried fruits which often contain candied peel. Or you can create your own blend of dried fruits with Currants, Sultanas and Raisins. Note: Although it is best to buy when in season, usually around September and October, don't worry if the packet is a little old and the fruit looks a bit too dry, soaking the fruit in some form of liquid, such as tea for this recipe with help plump them up and bring moisture back into them.
- Tea - Loose leaf freshly made Yorkshire tea or tea bags are fine. Making it good and strong adds lots of flavour to fruit loaf recipes. You could also use fruit tisanes.
- Self Raising Flour - This contains a raising agent, if using plain flour you will need to add baking powder. As a general rule add 1 level teaspoon of baking powder to every 100g plain flour.
- Sugar - I prefer to make my tea loaves with dark brown sugar. The end result is a rich dark flavour with malt and toffee notes. You could use a mix of light and dark soft brown sugar. But if you use white sugar, the colour and taste will be very different.
- Eggs - Medium in size, free range and organic if possible.
- Optional Spices - Although not necessary, you could add spices such as ground mixed spice, Cinnamon or Nutmeg. Just half a level teaspoon should be fine or add to taste.
How To Soak Dried Fruits
Soaking dried fruits produces a moist fruit tea loaf. You can do this and leave the fruit to soak overnight, but in many cases and depending on how dry the fruit is, a minimum of 4 hours is fine.
Step 1: Place the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl, make a fresh pot of strong hot tea or place the tea bags or loose leaf tea in a large mixing jug and pour over some boiling water to just over the required amount needed for this recipe. Some of the liquid will evaporate. A black tea blend will give you the strongest flavour. Note: Leave the tea to brew for at least 4 mins.
Step 2: When brewed, remove the tea bags and weigh the amount of liquid needed for this recipe, if any of the liquid has evaporated top up with a little water or orange juice. Pour the liquid over the fruit giving everything a good mix and cover with a pan lid or clean tea towel and leave for at least 4 hours to allow the fruit to soak up as much of the liquid as possible.
How to Line A Tea Loaf Tin
When you are ready to bake the tea loaves, line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with baking parchment or cake tin liners. If the cake liners are a little on the large side, fold them along the centre to fit the tin.
Step 4: You will notice just how much liquid has been soaked into the fruit and how juicy and plump they look. There will still be plenty of liquid left do not throw any of the liquid away.
Preheat the oven to 160deg c (fan assisted oven)
Step 5: Add the eggs and sugar to the fruit and tea mixture, give this a good mix. Then add the flour and any spices (optional) and give everything a really good mix ensuring there are now dry floury bits of cake batter in the bowl.
How To Bake a Traditional Yorkshire Tea Loaf
Step 6: Pour the Tea Loaf cake batter evenly into the prepared loaf tins. Before pouring in the batter, weigh each tin separately, they should be roughly the same, that way you can ensure there is an equal amount of batter in each tin.
Step 7: Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 - 45 mins or until the fruit loaves are baked. Test the centre of each cake with a cake skewer until it comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool completely before serving.
Note: If you choose to bake this recipe for Yorkshire Tea Loaf in a 2lb(900g) loaf tin, only fill the tin ¾ full allowing extra baking time, about 10 mins or until baked. Any remaining batter can be baked in bun or muffin paper cases.
Storage
Fruit Tea loaves will keep for up to a couple of weeks if stored correctly. I usually wrap mine in baking parchment and cling film. Make sure you fully re wrap to prevent the cakes from drying out.
Note: I have never frozen fruit loaves so am not sure how well they would take to freezing and thawing out.
Top Tips
- Tip 1 - When soaking the dried fruit, allow enough time, at least 4 hours, for the mixed fruit to soak up as much of the brewed tea as possible.
- Tip 2: There is no need to discard any of the remaining liquid left over after the fruit has been soaked.
FAQ
Any freshly brewed tea is fine to use when making a Tea Loaf. Fruit Tisanes are also nice to use.
Other Recipes Containing Dried Fruit That You May Like to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
After making this recipe please let me know how you got on by leaving a comment below. Especially if you used alternative ingredients.
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Recipe
Fat Free Yorkshire Tea Loaf Fruit Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 2 x 1lb Loaf Tins
- Loaf Tin Liners
Ingredients
- 350 ml Freshly Made Tea
- 350 grams Mixed Dried Fruit
- 2 Eggs medium
- 200 grams Dark Soft Brown Sugar of Light and Dark Sugars
- 1 teaspoon ground mixed spice optional and to taste
- 270 grams Self-rising Flour
Instructions
HOW TO SOAK DRIED FRUITS
- Soaking dried fruits is a simple process when making a fruit loaf. You can do this and leave the fruit to soak overnight, but in many cases and depending on how dry the fruit is, a minimum of 4 hours is fine.
- Place the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl, make a fresh pot of strong tea or place the tea bags or loose leaf tea in a large mixing jug and pour over some boiling water to just over the required amount needed for this recipe. Some of the liquid will evaporate. Note: Leave it to brew for at least 4 mins.
- When brewed, remove the tea bags and strain if using loose leaf tea, and weigh the amount of liquid needed for this recipe. If any of the liquid has evaporated top up with a little water or orange juice. Pour the tea over the fruit giving everything a good mix and cover with a pan lid or clean tea towel and leave for at least 4 hours to allow the fruit to soak up as much of the tea as possible.
- When you are ready to bake, line 2 x 1lb loaf tins with baking parchment or cake tin liners. If the cake liners are a little on the large side, fold them along the centre to fit the tin.
- You will notice just how much liquid has been soaked into the fruit and how juicy and plump they look. There will still be plenty of liquid left DO NOT throw any of this away.
- Preheat the oven to 160deg c (fan assisted oven)
- Add the eggs and sugar to the fruit and tea mixture, give this a good mix. Then add the flour and any spices (optional) and give everything a really good mix ensuring there are now dry floury bits of cake batter in the bowl.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared loaf tins. Before pouring in the batter, weigh each tin separately, they should be roughly the same, that way you can ensure there is an equal amount of batter in each tin.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 40 - 45 mins or until the fruit loaves are baked. Test the centre of each cake with a cake skewer until it comes out clean. Leave in the tins to cool completely before serving.
- Note: If you choose to bake this recipe in a 2lb(900g) loaf tin, only fill the tin ¾ full allowing extra baking time, about 15 mins extra or until baked. Any remaining batter can be baked in bun or muffin paper cases.
Your Private Notes
Notes
Tea loaves will keep for up to a couple of weeks if stored correctly. I usually wrap mine in baking parchment and cling film. Make sure you fully re wrap to prevent the cakes from drying out. Note: I have never frozen this kind of fruit loaf so am not sure how well they would take to freezing and thawing out. Top Tips Tip 1 - When soaking the dried fruit, allow enough time, at least 4 hours, for the mixed fruit to soak up as much of the brewed tea as possible. Tip 2: There is no need to discard any of the remaining tea left over after the fruit has been soaked. Tip 3: Any freshly brewed tea is fine to use. Fruit Tisanes are also nice to use.
Nutrition
Note: Recipes are tested using Metric only. The provided nutrition information is an estimate for the entire recipe, the calorie accuracy nutritional facts, unit and portion conversion are calculated by a third party app. and are not guaranteed.
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