Bara brith
Ingredients
- 400 g/14oz mixed fruit e.g. sultanas, raisins, currants
- 300 ml/10½fl oz strong, hot tea
- 250 g/9oz self-raising flour
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 100 g/3½oz Muscovado sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- honey to glaze
Instructions
- Put the dried fruit in a mixing bowl and pour over the tea
- Mix in the sugar and stir well to dissolve
- Leave to soak for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight
- On the following day, sift the flour and mixed spice into the soaked fruit (no need to drain the tea) and stir in the egg. Combine well
- Preheat the oven to 180°C /350ºF/Gas mark 4
- Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with parchment paper or pre-made loaf tin liner
- Pour in the mixture and bake for about an hour until the loaf has risen and is cooked through
- Drizzle a little honey over the top of the still warm cake
- Allow to cool on a wire rack
- Slice and smear with butter before devouring!
If you can resist the temptation, bara brith is at its best a couple of days after baking and keeps for up to a week