Tea Loaf

Nov 6, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Easy

A dense, moist fruit loaf made by soaking dried fruit overnight in strong black tea, then stirring it into a spiced batter with no butter at all. It keeps well and is traditionally served in slices spread with butter. Makes 1 loaf in about 11 hr 55 min.

Prep 15 min

Cook 70 min

Cooling 9 hr 15 min

Total 11 hr 55 min

Servings 12

Ingredients

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servings

2 ⅔ cups (375 g)mixed dried fruit, raisins, sultanas, currants and peel
⅔ cup (150 g)light brown sugar
1 cup (250 ml)strong black tea, hot, freshly brewed
2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp (10 g)baking powder
¼ oz (4 g)ground mixed spice, or apple pie spice
1 pinchfine salt
1 (50 g)egg, large, beaten
½ tbsp (10 g)unsalted butter, for the pan
¼ cup (60 g)salted butter, softened

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Instructions

Put the mixed dried fruit and light brown sugar in a bowl, pour over the hot strong black tea and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and leave to soak at room temperature overnight, at least 8 hours, until the fruit is plump.
Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease the loaf pan with the unsalted butter and line the base and long sides with parchment.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground mixed spice and fine salt together.
Stir the beaten egg into the soaked fruit and its liquid, then fold in the flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick.
Scrape into the pan and level the top.
Bake until risen, firm and dark golden and a skewer in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cover loosely with foil after 45 minutes if it darkens too fast.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a rack, about 1 hour. For the best texture, wrap and leave overnight before slicing.
Serve in slices spread with the salted butter.

Tips

Use a robust tea such as English breakfast or Yorkshire tea so the flavor comes through.
The loaf slices more cleanly and tastes better after a day wrapped in parchment and foil.
Measure the fruit by weight; too much fruit for the batter makes the loaf crumble.
Do not taste the raw batter; it contains raw egg and uncooked flour.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make tea loaf?

Plan on 15 minutes of prep and 1 hour 10 minutes of cooking, plus 10 hours 30 minutes to rise and rest. The recipe makes 1 loaf (12 servings).

How should I store tea loaf?

Wrap well and keep at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.

Can I make tea loaf ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with english breakfast tea.

Variations

Bite-size pieces: bake in a greased 24-cup mini muffin pan for 18 to 22 minutes, or cut the cooled loaf into 1-inch (2.5 cm) fingers.
Earl Grey loaf: soak the fruit in 250 ml (1 cup) Earl Grey tea and add 1 tsp (2 g) finely grated orange zest to the batter.
Marmalade tea loaf: stir 60 g (3 tbsp) orange marmalade into the soaked fruit with the egg; bake time unchanged.
Two small loaves: divide between two 7.5 x 3.5-inch (19 x 9 cm) pans and bake 45 to 55 minutes.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

259 Calories / serving

4.8g Fat

52.9g Carbs

3.6g Protein

30.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3108 cal · 58g fat · 635g carbs · 43g protein · 368g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.