Fruity tea cake is the perfect accompaniment to a nice hot cup of tea. Dried fruit is soaked in tea with fresh orange zest then added to a simple cake batter and baked to perfection.

Fruity tea cake is the perfect accompaniment to a nice hot cup of tea. Dried fruit is soaked in tea with fresh orange zest then added to a simple cake batter and baked to perfection.

Being British means I drink a lot of tea, but I always love a treat to go with it.  There is a sense of comfort when you sip on a nice hot cup of tea, but it’s always nice to have a little treat with it. That leads me to tell you about how the fruity tea cake came about…

Since my husband and I work from home, I have got him joining me for a cup of tea in the afternoons. While enjoying the tea he would always say to me that we need a nice slice or 2 of cake to go with the tea. Enter the fruity tea cake.

A mixture of dried fruit (I used cherries, blueberries and apricot for color) is soaked in black tea and fresh orange zest. They are then mixed into an easy cake mix with orange juice for a fresh flavor then baked. It could not be easier to for  a delicious and flavorful cake.

Another British favorite to enjoy with tea are classic English Scones. Simply served with cream and jam.

A teacake sliced on a board from above
Yield: 6

Fruity Tea Cake

A tea cake cut showing the dried fruit inside

Dried fruit is soaked in tea with fresh orange zest then added to a simple cake batter and baked to perfection.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (236 ml) black tea, cooled
  • 8 ounces (226 grams) dried fruit
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup (32 grams) unsalted butter, softened plus more for greasing
  • 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 cup (150 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

  1. Pour the tea over the fruit and orange zest, cover and allow to soak for at least 4 hours to overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C with the rack in the center.
  3. Use the butter to grease a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
  4. Cream the butter and sugar together using a hand or stand mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, add the orange juice, then slowly add the flour.
  5. Fold in the fruit (and any tea that has not been absorbed by the fruit.
  6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes until browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.
  7. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 305Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 82mgSodium 406mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 4gSugar 30gProtein 5g