Earl Grey Tea Loaf 

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A delightfully delicate Earl Grey Tea Loaf – this soft, fruit-filled sponge is perfect for an afternoon treat, light pudding, or even sweet breakfast.

I love Earl Grey. I love cake and I love dried fruit. So really, a fruity Earl Grey Tea Loaf was always going to be a win.

I’m a bit fussy with fruit cake. Husband loves a proper dense Christmas Cake.

You know the kind that is packed with fruit and booze and weighs a ton? I don’t mind it, but I could live without it equally.

I’ll have a slice and I’m done. Husband is often eating Christmas cake well into January.

This Earl Grey Tea Loaf isn’t that. Yes, it’s a fruit cake. But, it’s light and soft. It’s sweet, but the delicate earl grey flavour compliments it really well.

It’s the perfect sweet, fruity treat.

Is Tea Loaf the Same as Tea Cake?

Ah, now, there was my issue. What to call it. It could be an Earl Grey Tea Loaf. It could also be an Earl Grey Fruit Loaf.

I really wanted loaf in there, because it’s loaf-shaped, and looks more like a loaf cake than a sandwich cake. But, after that who knows.

It’s not a tea cake in the sense that tea cakes are bread-based. But then it doesn’t have butter or other fat in like cake. But, it’s got tea in it, and you can totally spread it with butter.

Call it what you will. Cake, loaf, tea or fruit! It’s nice. That’ll do me.

What Flavour is Earl Grey?

I love drinking Earl Grey Tea, but I also think that it’s perfect for baking with. It’s got such a lovely floral flavour, that complements other flavours without overpowering.

But, what flavour is Earl Grey? The Twinnings website tells us that

“Earl Grey tea is a flavoured tea, made from a blend of Keemun tea with Bergamot oil. Bergamot is a type of orange that mainly grows in Italy and France, and is said to be a hybrid of lemon and bitter orange plants.”

So let’s go with that!

Can You Butter This Earl Grey Tea Loaf?

So, it is a cake. You can eat it as it is. In the first 3 days, it’s wonderfully moist, and the fruit helps it to stay soft for longer.

But, you can also spread it with butter for something a little different. Tastes fab! I believe some crazy people also put cheese on fruit cake. You can try that, I’m not going to!

What Flavours Work Well with Earl Grey?

Earl Grey has that lovely soft flavour that I find works well with lots of different things. In this case, it compliments both the fruit and sponge wonderfully.

Earl Grey also tastes fantastic paired with lemon, lavender, Elderflower and sweet flavours like honey or maple syrup. Even a slice of banana bread would be fantastic served with a hot cup of Earl Grey tea.

How Long Will An Earl Grey Tea Loaf Stay Fresh?

Kept in a sealed tub or container (I used a glass cake stand with domed lid) this Earl Grey Tea Loaf will stay wonderfully soft for up to three days. I find that the fruit helps to keep it fresh.

If it starts to stale slightly, pop it in the oven or under the grill to warm it up for a few minutes, and spread with some butter.

Does a Tea Loaf Freeze Well?

Yes! This tea loaf freezes very well. Either wrap the whole cake once cooled, and pop it in an airtight tub to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to two months. Or, slice, and freeze slices individually.

Thaw on the side or in the fridge when you are ready to eat, and then keep in an airtight tub, consuming within 3-4 days.

Is Earl Grey Tea Loaf Healthy?

Ish? It’s very low in fat, which is great. It’s got a good bit of sugar in it, and obviously, you’d be better off eating an apple. But, it’s far better for you than a giant wedge of chocolate cake would be.

Can You Substitute Light Brown Sugar for Dark Brown?

Honestly, I do this all of the time. If a recipe has one kind, but I have the other, I use what I’ve got!

Dark brown sugar has a more complex, richer flavour. But, light brown sugar certainly works, and this Earl Grey Tea Loaf tastes fantastic, whichever you use!

Can You Use Different Fruit in Cake?

Absolutely yes! I don’t always use apricots. I wouldn’t buy them for this recipe, but if we’ve got them, I add some.

You want the fruit to weigh around 375-400g, but within that, try any dried fruit that you like, or whatever you’ve got in your cupboards.

Earl Grey Tea Loaf

Author NameAuthor: Donna

A delightfully delicate Earl Grey Tea Loaf – this soft, fruit-filled sponge is perfect for an afternoon treat, light pudding, or even sweet breakfast.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Sweets

Cuisine British

Servings 12 Slices

Calories 175 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 150 ml Just boiled water
• 3 Earl Grey Teabags
• 150 g Raisins
• 75 g Glace Cherries (Chopped into small chunks)
• 75 g Dried apricots (Chopped into small chunks)
• 75 g Mixed peel
• 150 g Dark brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 250 g Self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons Mixed Spice

Instructions

 

• Pour just boiled water into a jug with 3 teabags, stir well and leave to brew for 5 minutes before squeezing the teabags out and discarding.
• Place all of the fruit into a bowl and pour over the tea.
• Stir, and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 160 degrees (fan assisted) and line or grease (or both) a loaf tin.
• Beat the eggs and sugar together until well combined.
• Stir in the fruit and tea.
• Sift in the flour and mixed spice and mix together until the flour is smoothly incorporated and the fruit is evenly distributed.
• Pour into the loaf tin, spread evenly and bake for 1 hour.
• Test to make sure it’s cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre, it will come out clean if it’s ready, if not, bake for a further 5-10 minutes.
• Once cooked through, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before tipping on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.

Keyword easy loaf cake

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