Bara Brith Tea Loaf

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-11 · Updated 2026-10-11

A moist, spiced Welsh fruit loaf made by soaking dried fruit overnight in strong black tea. Slice it thickly and spread with salted Welsh butter. This Welsh-inspired soup recipe, ready in about 90 minutes, pairs strong hot black tea, soft dark brown sugar, self-raising flour for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 250 calories and feeds 12, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 400 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants)
• 300 ml strong hot black tea
• 150 g soft dark brown sugar
• 300 g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 1 orange zest
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp honey

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Put the dried fruit, sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Pour over the hot tea, stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
2. Step 2: Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line a 900 g loaf tin.
3. Step 3: Stir the egg into the soaked fruit, then fold in the flour and mixed spice until well combined.
4. Step 4: Spoon into the tin and level the top.
5. Step 5: Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cover with foil if it browns too quickly.
6. Step 6: Warm the honey and brush it over the hot loaf to glaze.
7. Step 7: Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Slice and serve with butter.