How to make the perfect tea brack and the common mistakes to avoid

A taste of Ireland if ever there was one, there is nothing better with a cup of tea than a thick slice of brack smothered in butter

Tea brack must be slathered with butter and served with a cup of steaming tea. 

Don't forget to soak

There are only a few rules when it comes to making a tea brack and soaking the fruit in tea is one of them. Catherine Leyden of Odlums says overnight and so does Darina but Clodagh McKenna goes renegade and suggests that four hours is enough. While most recipes call for cold tea, I use hot tea every time and the results remain the same, if not plumping quicker. 

Choose your spices carefully

A traditional addition to tea brack is mixed spice, but recipes often include cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice. If in doubt, ask a member of your family what they put in theirs and follow suit. 

Experiment with your fruit

When tea brack was conceived it would have included currants and maybe sultanas but now the world of dried fruit is infinitely bigger. I tend to use up all the half bags of dried fruit I have in my baking press for tea brack and have found dried cranberries and golden raisins a great success. I have also chopped up apricots and dates in a pinch and they both work well too. 

The addition of citrus

Whether mixed peel, the zest of an orange or a squeeze of juice, there is no denying that the addition of citrus lifts a tea brack immeasurably. I like to add the zest of an unwaxed orange to the tea as I am soaking. 

The tea itself

Tea brack should be made with strong tea of your choosing. I have experimented with Earl Grey and while it adds a floral note that is delicious, I always come back to very very strongly brewed Barry's Tea. 

Wait before you cut

It is very hard, but you must wrap your tea brack in a tea towel as it cools and allow it to cool completely before slicing and serving. This will ensure even slices and no crumbles. 

Ballymaloe Irish tea brack

recipe by:Darina Allen

This traditional brack is made with a strong cup of tea and is delicious spread with lots of butter

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 1 hours 30 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 110g sultanas

• 110g raisins 

• 110g currants 

• 50g natural glacé cherries, halved or quartered

• 300ml hot tea

• 1 egg, whisked

• 175g soft brown sugar

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 level tsp mixed spice

• 50g candied peel

Method

1. Put the dried fruit and cherries into a bowl. Cover with hot tea and leave to plump up overnight.

2. Th next day, line a loaf tin with silicone paper. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3. Add the whisked egg, soft brown sugar, flour and mixed spice to the fruit and tea mixture. Stir well. Put the mixture into the lined loaf tin.

4. Cook in for about 1½ hours or until a skewer comes out clean.

5. Leave to cool on a wire rack. Keeps very well in an airtight tin