Bara Brith (Welsh Fruit Cake) |
Author: rDKqj53oL-s
Bara brith (‘speckled bread’) is a traditional Welsh tea-time fruit bread, although this recipe is more like a cake than a bread.
- 450 g (16 oz) mixed dried fruit
- 450 g (16 oz) self-raising flour OR 450 g (16 oz) plain flour + 4 tsp baking powder + ½ tsp salt
- 2 teabags (any flavour)
- 100 g (3½ oz) brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp orange marmalade
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- Milk (or water)
- Soak the teabags in 300 ml (10 fl oz) of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove the teabags and add the fruit. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
- In a separate bowl beat together the sugar, egg and marmalade and add to the fruit. Sieve in the flour and spice, and mix well.
- Add in the soaked fruit plus any liquid and mix with a spoon. If necessary, add small amounts of milk (or water) to adjust the consistency of the batter to that of a thick cake mix.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 2lb (900 g) loaf tin and bake at 160°C for about 1½ hours. You may need to cover the loaf with some foil about halfway through baking to prevent the top from burning.
- Check that the loaf is cooked by inserting a skewer. Leave to cool in the tin for about an hour before turning it out, then baste with warm honey.
Calories: 274 Fat: 1.0 Sugar: 10.3 Fiber: 4.0 Protein: 5.4 Cholesterol: 13.9
The flavour of the bara brith can be altered slightly by using different ingredients. For example, use Earl Grey tea or a spicy masala tea; replace two tablespoons of fruit with chopped stem ginger; add a tablespoon or two of honey.
Slice thickly and spread with butter, then serve with a nice cup of tea.
Recipe by Titli's Busy Kitchen at http://titlisbusykitchen.com/recipe/bara-brith
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