Bara Brith- Wales #18

Bara Brith- Wales #18

A Welsh Tea Cake, similar to a fruit cake but without all the candied fruit and a little drier.

FIRST SOAK THESE INGREDIENTS OVERNIGHT IN AN ENGLISH BREAKFAST TEA:
13 oz. dried mixed fruit (I used raisins, cranberries, apricots and dates)
1 heaping tsp. ground mixed spice (I used pumpkin spice)
1 oz. honey
zest from 1 med. orange (save orange)
8 oz. hot breakfast tea

1. Put the dried fruit, orange zest,mixed spice and honey into a mixing bowl.
2. Pour  hot tea over mixture and stir to combine.
3. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and leave to soak for 4-5 hours or overnight.

Cake:

juice from orange

1 med. egg, beaten

1 (7oz) large apple, cored, grated 

6 oz. whole wheat self-rising flour, sifted

7 oz. white self-rising flour, sifted

butter to grease pan

1. Preheat oven to 325F,
2. Lightly butter loaf tin, 8"x4"x3", and line with parchment paper.
3. In the fruit mixture add orange juice, egg and the grated apple.
4. Fold in the sifted flour until completely combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and cover the cake tightly with a double layer of foil to prevent the top from browning too much. Continue to bake for a further 1-1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack.

Results: The recipe needs a read through before making so that you soak the fruit long enough. Also, it was a challenge to find the dried fruit in quantities that I needed. I went to 3 groceries stores. Two stores only had mixtures of dried fruit with nuts. At Whole Foods I was able to purchase the quantities needed and the fruits. Again, I made my own self-rising flour for the whole wheat flour---1 cup flour add 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. fine salt. Even though it seems like a long baking time it's needed because of all the moisture from the fruit mixture.

Bottom Line: I would make this again. Folks liked it better than a fruit cake. Serve it with butter,  mascarpone or cream cheese. Best with a cup of tea or coffee. 

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