Candlebridge Bakery Timeless Tea Brack Recipe at MyDish

Candlebridge Bakery Timeless Tea Brack

5 stars based on 11 reviews Rate this Recipe

Method

  • 1. Start by boiling the kettle and adding three tea bags and let them stew for a few minutes until the colour is rich, dark golden colour

  • 2. Remove the teabags and squeeze the tea from the bag and allow the sultanas and cherries to soak in the tea for about 20 minutes while you prepare the brack

  • 3. You can preheat your oven now to 170oC and start buttergreasing a 2lb loaf tin

  • 4. Using an electric mixer, add the beaten eggs and castor sugar and mix until pale and creamy.

  • 5. Now add the muscavado sugar and keep mixing!

  • 6. Sieve the self raising flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a separate bowl.

  • 7. Mix the dry ingredients well together.

  • 8. You can start folding in the flour, 2 tablespoons at a time in to the sugary mix.

  • 9. Don't worry if it it looks a little dry, because now's the time to add the cherries, fruit & tea mix to the mixing bowl.

  • 10. Mix until nice and creamy. Set your mixer to a low speed as you don't want to liquidise the cherries!

  • 11. Stop the mixer and shake the excess mixture from the blades and then carefully transfer the batter into your loaf tin

  • 12. Let it rest now for a few minutes... (5 minutes!) This is what I call "The Settling Time"

  • 13. After which time, you can start preparing the topping for the cake. Take 8 glace cherries and half them. Take a handful of castor sugar and drizzle over the cake creating a sugar crisp base and then place the halves of cherries on top of the sugar coating. With a gentle touch, tap the cherries into the batter but don't submerge the cherries!

  • 14. So don't worry, next take a handful of castor sugar and shake it gently over the batter covering the cherries if they are still visible to you! Shake another handful of castor sugar!

  • 15. Finally, shake over some ground cinnamon over the castor sugar and now place the cake on the middle shelf of your oven for 30 minutes

  • 16. After 30 minutes, slide the cake out and cover with tin foil (shiny side over the cake) Place a stainless steel knife or spoon on top to keep the foil in place (remember it will be very hot when removing from the oven!)

  • 17. Set your oven time for another 30 minutes and then perform the skewer test by inserting a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready, if not, leave it in the oven for a further 5 minutes and then check again

  • 18. Replace the foil and a cool stainless steel knife on top to keep the foil in place while you wait for the final cooking stages!

  • 19. When your cake is ready (skewer test proves clean prongs), remove it from the oven and take your time and turn the cake onto a wire tray and let it cool. You can cover it with a clean tea towel.

  • 20. Shake some castor sugar and cinnamon mix over the cake and leave to cool

  • 21. When the cake has cooled, you can either slice it and enjoy it with some butter or wait until the next day... choice is yours!

  • **Original Recipe by L Shannon, The Candlebridge Bakery Ireland... 6th July 2010 **

    • Tips

    • *** My Star Tips! ***

      1. The "Settling Time" is important because the cake mix is a batter, and all batters need that little bit of time to rest.

      2. This is a brilliant recipe for a tea brack whereby if you really can't wait 24 hours for fruit to soak in tea or liquers, then this is the recipe for you!

      3. Remember not to worry if the cake mixture becomes crumbly and dry while you're mixing it. Just add the tea and fruit mix and everything will be fine again and transfer it into your buttergreased loaf tin.

      4. If you don't have cinnamon, then use a little ginger but cinnamon tends to sparkle the taste buds!!

    Comments Add your comment

    • Absolutely beautifully moist cherry & fruit cake with a toasted sugar & cinnamon topping to give it that extra special timeless tea time brack that will grace the tables at tea for generations to come! Enjoy with lashings of butter & a hot cup of tea!

      by candlebridgebakery on Tue Jul 6 2010   reply to this comment

    Ingredients

    • DRY INGREDIENTS
    • 8oz Self Raising Flour
    • 1½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
    • 3 Tablespoons Mixed Spice
    • 2oz Light Muscavado Sugar
    • 2oz Castor Sugar
    • FRUIT MIX
    • 300mls Fresh Brewed Tea
    • 375g (13.23oz) Combination of sultanas and french glace cherries
    • 2 Large Farmhouse Eggs, beaten
    • SPICED SUGAR TOPPING
    • 2 Handfuls Castor Sugar
    • 4 Shakes Ground Cinnamon
    • 8 French Glace Cherries, halved

    By Views 1020  Added Tue Jul 6 2010


    Dedicating this recipe to myself and my desire for "something nice with me cuppa tea" kinda cake!! Moist fruit & cherry cake with gentle flavours of cinnamon and spices

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