Let’s paint you a picture. It’s a nice sunny day and you’re in the mood to bake. You’ve absolutely got to get rid of those dried fruits that’s been in the cupboard for ages but you also want something to make the strong flavour of the fruits more sublime. That’s where the tea comes in! With our special ‘tea’ tea cake, enjoy your evening cuppa with a little bit of Christmas in your mouth. 

Dried fruit tea cake is super easy to make, and a fantastic recipe to try out with your family during weekends or school holidays! 

What is Dried Fruit Tea Cake?

Dried fruit tea cakes are essentially a dried fruit cake enhanced with steeped tea. The most common dried fruits used in these cakes are raisins, apricots, and figs, but other fruits such as dates, prunes, and cranberries can also be used. Tea of any kind is added and the cake is often flavoured with additional ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, and orange peel. 

A popular choice of tea to bake dried fruit cake with, is specialty fruit teas such as Cinnamon Pear Pleasures Fruit Tea and Apple Garden Fruit Tea.The flavour explosion comes from your choice of tea, so pick wisely. 

Dried fruit tea cakes are often served as part of a traditional afternoon tea, and they can also be enjoyed as a dessert or snack. When made with quality ingredients, these cakes are moist and flavorful, with a delicate balance of sweetness and acidity. If your mouth is watering from reading this description, check out our incredible recipe!

Ingredients 

• 350g mixed dried fruit
• 2 cups of cold tea (for your overnight soak)
• 125g caster sugar
• 125g unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 egg 

Recipe:

Step 1  

The first step to creating your own delectable dried fruit tea cake is mixing up 350g of the dried fruit of your choice. If you care more about creating an insta-worthy cake than enjoying something that excites your taste buds, go for jewel bright fruits with contrasting colours such as orange, red, and green. Glowing orange mandarins, ruby-red apples, and emerald-green pears is bound to look great over the spongy golden-brown base. 

Once you’ve stirred 350g of dried fruit in a bowl, add two cups of cold tea in any flavour of your choice. If you’re struggling to figure out a tea flavour that combines well with your choses fruits, you cannot go wrong with our Vanilla Cranberry Forest Fruit Tea. Finish by covering the mixture and leaving it to soak overnight.

Step 2

Grease a 25cm x 10cm loaf pan and preheat the oven to 170°C. 

Step 3

Drain the dried fruit of any excess cold tea that hasn't been absorbed and place the fruits in a saucepan with the butter and sugar. Fill the saucepan with 150ml of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the dried fruit, butter, and sugar are boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. This will allow the ingredients to blend nicely and dilute into one another for better-tasting dried fruit tea cake. Next, allow the mixture to cool before sifting in the flour, mixed spice, and egg. Finish by thoroughly stirring everything until the batter is of nice, even colour and consistency.

Step 4

Pour the dried fruit tea cake batter into the prepared baking pan and ensure that the mixture is spread evenly through all sides of the pan. Bake the batter in the 170C preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes. Alternatively, bake until a skewer can be cleanly inserted into the centre of the cake. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover with baking paper or foil.

Step 5

Once the dried fruit tea cake is properly baked, carefully remove the dessert from the oven and allow it to cool in the baking pan for 20 minutes before turning the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. You don’t want your delicious cake to burn anyone’s tongue! Once the cake is cooled, you can slice it and serve with butter and a cup of our Strawberry Sunset Fruit Tea. If you crave a little more sweetness, you can place a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side of the serving plate.