(・・。)ゞ ….. that was my exact reaction when the husband requested for me to bake this for him…. “what? what birth?”
after researching for a bit, i realised it was really but a bread speckled with fruits…. i thought it resembled a fruit cake though..
Recipe adapted from Honest Cooking
Ingredients
450 g / 2 ½ cups dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries, but currants and even dates work wonderfully)
400 ml /1 ¾ cups brewed black tea
225 g / 2 cups self-raising flour (white)
225 g / 2 cups plain wholemeal flour
175 g / ¾ cup unrefined sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp mixed spice (or ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp allspice, pinch of ground clove and a pinch of ground ginger)
½ tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp marmalade or jam (I used low-sugar apricot jam)
Directions
– Night Before: Set the fruit to soak in the tea overnight
– Baking Day: Preheat oven to 175 C / 325 F and grease and line two loaf pans (one large and one small, or else three small)
– In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flours, then add the other dry ingredients and mix.
– Beat the egg and add it to the mixture, along with the jam and fruit (with remaining tea) and stir until just mixed.
– Divide into loaf pans and bake for 1 hour (or until a skewer poked in center comes out clean). (Check the smaller loaves at 45 minutes.)
– Cool in pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn them out and cool completely before storing in an airtight container (or wrap)
Personal notes:
– i halved the recipe and made 6 jumbo tea cakes (in muffin pan. i did not line the pans and merely greased and floured them)
– my tea cakes were baked for 23 minutes
– cake has been frosted with chocolate ganache and broken pieces of bubble sugar. You can refer to this link for a photo tutorial on making bubble sugar. The instructions did not specify how big a rimmed baking pan you should use to contain the sugar syrup, but do use the biggest one you have in the house. my largest pan is a 30 x 30cm pan and i still found it too small…. and oh! if you do not have a candy thermometer like me, just let the sugar solution cook for about 15 mins. mine was done in 14 mins… do give it a swirl so the amber colour does not concentrate on one spot
so here you go… a really simple but gorgeous afternoon tea cake is ready to be served -(๑☆‿ ☆#)ᕗ
Pollution index: 324 (hazardous!!!!!!)
从你手中泡制的都是一些叫人呼叫的杰作,你好强哦!
我也同意我爱人的说法, 没人比你强了!
Wow, such a pretty tea cake and looks like Ferrero Rocher chocolate 🙂
Victoria, your Welsh Bara Brith (what a tongue twister!) tea cakes are wearing crowns I see! And \”jewels\” too 🙂
Looks very yummy especially with the chocolate coated.
oh, i need time to digest the full name of this dessert first, hahahaha! the look of it is so classy with a crown sitting on top. love the shiny outlook too. you are such an excellent baker.
Hi Victoria, you are so talented in making this type of dessert, not just yummy but it looks super adorable!! I wish to be your neighbour :DDD
A very interesting sweet..
WOW! I like this adorable sweet cake. Thumbs UP for it!!! 🙂
Hi Vic,
Can i join you for tea??
The is such a special tea cake 🙂
Looks pretty and yum!
mui
这是一个黑人国王,你为什么不给他画上眼睛和白白的牙齿呢~嘻嘻嘻。。。
这样有创意又美味的蛋糕,我真是第一次见过,感觉皇气十足,只有在皇宫里才能吃得到的高级甜点哦。呵呵呵。