Mary Berry’s ‘delicious’ tea loaf made from just seven ingredients is ‘perfection’

In Wales the traditional tea bread is known as Bara Brith, meaning 'speckled bread’ and has been a favourite of cake lovers for generations - soaking the fruit in tea gives a wonderful moistness

Tea loaf is a classic British treat often preferred over more well-known bakes like Victoria sponge and carrot cake for its rich flavours and filling, dense texture.

In Wales the traditional tea bread is known as Bara Brith, meaning 'speckled bread’ and has been a favourite of cake lovers for generations. Soaking the fruit in tea overnight gives the cake a wonderful moistness. Mary Berry’s Earl Grey tea bread uses a similar technique and using just seven ingredients this delicious British classic is simple and rewarding to make. First sharing the recipe from her BBC series, Mary Berry's Country House Secrets the expert baker TV host said this made "the perfect tea loaf". Making the loaf is a breeze, Mary promised, with "a quick stir-together job" of soaked fruit and other ingredients, The Express reported.

Mary Berry's tea loaf recipe

Ingredients

• 175g/6oz currants
• 175g/6oz sultanas
• 300ml10fl oz strong hot Earl Grey tea
• 275g/9¾oz self-raising flour
• 225g/8oz light muscovado sugar
• One large free-range egg, beaten
• Butter, for greasing, plus extra to serve

Method

The cake is simple to put together but the process takes one to two hours to allow time for the fruit to fully soak in the tea.

First, boil 300ml of water in the kettle and brew with one or two Earl Grey tea bags until strong, this is what we will use to soak the fruit.

Pour the hot tea over the currents and sultanas in a mixing bowl, give it a stir and cover it. Then leave for one hour, or overnight to allow the dried fruit to soak up the tea.

Once the fruit is plump and full of tea, preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/ Gas 3.5 and grease a 900g loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the flour, sugar and egg in a large mixing bowl and then add the soaked fruit.

If there is any excess liquid in the fruit mixture you can add it to the mix and combine it thoroughly to make sure everything is incorporated.

Now spoon the prepared mixture into the lined tin and level the top. Place in the oven for one hour and 45 minutes, or until the cake is "risen and just firm to the touch", said Mary.

Check in on your loaf after one hour and 15 minutes to see how it's doing. Once its baked leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes when cooked.

After 10 minutes, carefully turn the cake out and remove the paper. To serve, cut the cake into fairly thick slices and spread with butter to serve.