This is an old family recipe of Yorkshire Brack, or Tea Loaf, which was served cold, sliced and buttered with a fresh cup of tea. A really easy recipe to make, it contains no fat at all. My main reeason for making this was as a preparation for a Ginger Brack recipe, which will be coming shortly
Makes 1lb Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 large cup (about 300ml) of strong Yorkshire Tea
- 450g Mixed dried fruit (Raisins, Glace Cherries, Mixed Peel)
- 100ml Dark Rum or Whisky
- 200g Dark Brown Sugar
- 225g Self Raising Flour
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Egg
Method
- In a large jug or bowl, pour the hot tea over the fruit. Leave for 15 minutes before adding the Rum or Whisky, then leave for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight) to soak
- In a large bowl, pour in the fruit mixture and stir in the sugar
- Add the flour, mixed spice, Baking Powder and egg and mix well – this should provide a fairly wet mixture
- Grease a 1lb loaf tin and pre-heat an oven to 170oC (fan)
- Pour the mixture into the tin and bake until cooked (about 1hr 15 – 1hr 30 minutes)
- When cooked, allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack
- At this stage the cake can be glazed by brushing with a little honey or jam diluted with an equal part of hot water. Leave the loaf to cool completely
- Serve in polite slices, buttered
James's Recipes 
Great recipe but suggest oven time is much more than 30mins I suspect 1hr 30 mins. (Well thats what it took with my fan oven).
Charlie, thanks for the comment, and thanks to Kate who dropped the same comment in a little while ago. You’re absolutely right – this was typo on my part. Ovens are obviously very variable, but this batter is so wet, I’d be amazed if anyone has this cooked in 30 minutes! I’ve amended the recipe
Thanks for this recipe. Although there are a ton of similar recipes available, this is the one I use as a base. The measurements are just about right for my needs.
However, I do find it way too sweet for my (and my partner’s) taste, so cut the sugar down by a third.
Also, I’ve done a little experimenting and if you want a little variation, try the following :
1) Instead of Rum/Whiskey, use Cointreau instead.
2) Add a little (tablespoon or two) of lemon juice.
3) Replace some of the fruit with some crushed cashews and / o almonds (not whole, otherwise the larger nuts can sink in the mixture!).
4) I also sometimes add a little cinnamon, or even a pinch or two of ginger for variety.
The above is not strictly true to ‘Brack’, but I like to experiment with different things and for me, the above makes a tasty treat with a coffee.
Hi Bruce,
I love other peoples recipes – they provide great inspiration for new variations and I always say that any recipe needs to be tailored to your personal tastes or just what you happen to have available at the time. I’m keen to try your take on this – mine is a very sweet variant so I can image yours to add a different dimension. I love the idea of the nuts. I’ve been meaning to rework this recipe to make a ginger version so will be trying again soon!
Hello James, I don’t like fruit cakes much but I love this and every time I make it, everyone loves it and asks me for the recipe. I use a large roasting tin rather than a loaf tin and it bakes in just over an hour.