Irish Tea Cake Dried Fruit (Printable version)

Lightly sweetened tea cake packed with dried fruit and spice, perfect for teatime or breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dried Fruit

01 - 7 oz mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas)
02 - 2/3 cup hot strong black tea

→ Cake Batter

03 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
10 - 1/4 tsp salt
11 - Zest of 1 lemon

→ Optional

12 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

# Directions:

01 - Combine the dried fruit and hot tea in a medium bowl. Let soak for at least 30 minutes to plump the fruit, then drain thoroughly.
02 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Grease and line an 8-inch round or loaf cake pan with parchment paper.
03 - Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
05 - Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add lemon zest to the dry mixture.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Fold in the soaked dried fruit and nuts (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
08 - Spoon batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 55-65 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The tea soaked fruit stays incredibly moist without making the cake soggy or heavy
  • Its one of those rare cakes that actually improves after a day or two wrapped up
  • Simple enough for a weekday treat but special enough for afternoon guests
02 -
  • Really drain the soaked fruit well or the excess moisture will make the cake heavy and dense
  • Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how evenly the batter comes together
  • This cake actually tastes better on the second or third day as the flavors develop and settle
03 -
  • Soak the fruit overnight in the refrigerator for even deeper flavor and plumper texture
  • Add a tablespoon of Irish whiskey to the fruit soaking liquid for an adult version

Go back