I used to hate things like this, didn't like fruit in cakes and buns at all. In fact, hard as it may be to believe but I used not like baked goods at all. Yes, I was MUCH skinnier back then! I didn't know what I was missing out on though, and once I started to change recipes to suit what I do like then I discovered that actually, fruity cakes aren't that bad at all. So here's my take on the humble tea loaf...made a bit fancier with posh tea and a variety of fruits.
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients
350g mixture of sultanas, dried apricots and dried dates plus the zest of one lemon
140g dark muscovado sugar
300ml hot black tea made with 2 earl grey teabags
300g self-raising flour
1 large egg
1. Put the fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Stir well, then cover and leave to soak overnight (I actually leave it for 2-3 days).
2. To cook, heat oven to 150C/gas mark 2 and lightly grease a 1lb loaf tin and line with a wide strip of baking parchment (helps lift it out when it's done).
3. Stir the flour and egg into the fruit mixture, turn into the tin and level the surface. Bake for about an hour and a half until well risen and a skewer inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
4. Cool for a few mins in the tin then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully.
Gorgeous on it's own, spread with butter, toasted, or if you're feeling really bad fried with butter and golden syrup! Can be frozen too if you're making it ahead of a party or something, just wrap it in tinfoil and allow to thaw at room temperature.
I found this recipe in GoodFood's 2012 calendar (it's the January recipe). GoodFood do this calender every January issue and it is month upon month of delicious recipes and gorgeous food photography. As is their entire magazine every month actually. Go on, go out and buy a copy. I'll wait...
Anyway, this is a great post-Christmas treat (she says in the middle of March). It's tangy and not too sweet so ideal for the post-chocolate period when we've all eaten far too much. It's also dead handy to throw together if you're expecting people at short notice - almost everyone has a jar of marmalade and some yoghurt hiding in their fridge.
IngredientsCake
175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus extra for greasing)
225g self-raising flour
175g caster sugar
grated zest of 2 oranges
3 large eggs
150g pot of natural yoghurt
Frosting
250g tub mascarpone
85g icing sugar
3 tbsp fine shred marmalade
1. Heat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease a 1kg loaf tin, then line with a strip of parchment.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and orange zest in a large bowl.
3. Beat the eggs, melted butter and yoghurt together in a jug. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Tip the batter into the loaf tin, smooth the top and bake for 50mins-1 hour (until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean). Cool in the tin.
5. To make the frosting beat the mascarpone, icing sugar and marmalade together with a spoon until well mixed. Remove the COLD cake from the tin and strip off lining paper. Spread the top with the frosting and pop in the fridge to chill. Return to room temp before eating. Enjoy!
