Gluten Free Barmbrack

A teatime favourite I grew up with and a cake my Mother loved to make as it is so easy and so delicious. Barmbrack being a traditional afternoon Welsh tea cake, is bursting with fruit which has been soaked overnight in strong black tea. It is slowly baked and served with lashings of butter! This recipe uses gluten free flour for those with a gluten intolerance.

For the traditional recipe click the link Wesh Barmbrack

12 slices

Overnight soak plus 10 mins mixing

2 hrs

150ºC

Ingredients

500g mixed dried fruit

- raisins, sultanas, dried peel
200g soft brown sugar
250g gluten free self- raising flour

- sifted
1 egg

- beaten
250ml strong black tea

Instructions

Night before baking:
01 Soak dried fruit and brown sugar over night in the black tea.
Prepare baking tin:
02 On day of baking lightly grease (butter or oil) a 10cm x 20cm loaf tin, and line with baking paper.
Make cake:
03 Spoon all the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Level the top.
Bake:
04 Cook slowly in the oven for up to 2 hours, preferably on the middle shelf.
Cool and store:
05 Allow to cool in the tin 10 minutes before turning out onto cake wrack. When cold store in airtight container or wrap with foil. Leave overnight before eating.
Serve:
06 Delicious thickly sliced and smothered with fresh butter.

Notes

This fruit loaf tastes better when left a day but as it is made with gluten free flour, it will only really keep maximum of 3 days unlike its counterpart made with wholewheat flour. See my recipe for Welsh Barmbrack - link in the introduction.