When I came across the fruity tea cake recipe in BBC Good Food, I couldn't resist trying this out immediately. Sadly, I didn't have "dried berries and cherries" that the original recipe suggested and I didn't particularly want to rush to the shop to buy them at 10pm. So, I emptied all my dried fruit jars and got 250g of mixed dried fruit, apricots and prunes. Well, That's all I had. So, I adjusted the original recipe for tea soaked dried fruit. I used Earl Grey tea instead of normal tea because I love the flavour.
Next morning, I found all the dried fruit looked plump and juicy and ready for me to bake a cake with them.
The cake was really rich in flavour and moist.... and really really low-fat. Look at the independents. :)
Ah, and it would be even nicer if I added some kind of
liqueur, like brandy, cointreau or cherry liqueur to be a bit naughty. :) Perhaps I could add some spice such as cinnamon and cloves to make a version of Christmas cake.
250g mixed dried fruit, apricots, and prunes
200ml hot Earl Grey tea
Juice of 1 orange (about
75ml/2½fl oz) plus zest
50g
butter (or Low-Fat spread)
100g
light brown sugar
1 egg
225g
self-raising flour
4 tbsp
demerara sugar
Method
1.
Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the hot tea, orange
juice and zest. Cover with cling film, then leave for at least 4 hrs or better
still overnight.
2.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 2lb
loaf tin. Beat together the butter (or low-fat spread) and sugar until creamy,
then beat in the egg followed by the flour. Carefully stir through the fruit
mixture including the tea and the orange juice. Spoon the mixture into the tin,
then smooth over the surface with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle all over with a
thick layer of demerara sugar.
3.
Bake for 1 hr or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out
clean. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out.
No comments:
Post a Comment