Julie's Bara Brith is easy to make and tastes delicious, making it a perfect recipe to share on Recipes Made Easy.
And what perfect timing to share this traditional Welsh cake as it's St. David's (patron saint of Wales) day on 1st March. So sit back, relax, have a cup of tea and read all about Julie's Bara Brith.
This is my fourth visit to a friend's kitchen to shoot for my Friends in the Kitchen series of posts. It is, however, tinged with a little sadness. After 25 years in London, Julie moved back to Wales this weekend to start a new job on Wednesday.
I first met Julie a few years back when she joined our local dinner party club. Little Welsh Julie made up for what she lacked in stature with her bubbly personality and her love of all things sparkly. We are surely going to miss her at our future get togethers.
Julie's Bara Brith
Being the lovely sociable girl that she is she managed to find time and space between packing boxes for me to pop along while she made a loaf of Bara Brith.
The recipe she used was based on this recipe from the Visit Wales website. She explained to me how, while the original Bara Brith recipe was made with yeast, this unyeasted version is used by many, as it is far simpler to make. "I know my aunty would never have bothered with yeast," she told me.
She also explained to me that when growing up she always remembered that most Welsh households would have a Bara Brith in the fridge ready just in case anyone came to call. Which they usually did. It would be considered rude not to offer a cup of tea and something to go with it.
Easy to make tea loaf
It really didn't take long to make up the cake. The fruit needs to be soaked overnight in tea, which Julie had done the night before. Then it was just a case of stirring in the flour, mixed spice, sugar and eggs.
Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin, and into the oven to bake for about 1 hour.
Time for a cup of tea!
"Sorry," she says. "I haven't got any cake to eat. You will have to wait" she laughs.
And so we do, it's not that long before some delicious aromas are coming from the oven.
Despite being in the middle of packing, Julie managed to find some pretty cups and saucers and plates to serve the Bara Brith. We put it out on the balcony to speed up the cooling process and, as it was a reasonably nice day, we decided to take the final pictures there. No chance of a removal box sneaking into the picture that way.
Bara Brith will keep well
Bara Brith should be stored for two days before eating for the flavours to mature. There on this occasion there was no chance that was going to happen.
As soon as it was cold enough, we sliced it and I can assure you it tastes pretty darn good while still slightly warm, as well as a couple of days later (I took some home with me just to make sure. It's important to do proper research!).
We did follow the Welsh tradition of serving it spread with plenty of butter - I liked it with and without butter. Just saying, Julie!
Apparently, you can keep it for up to 7 days but I wouldn't know as the piece I took home barely lasted the two days, it was so good.
Bara Brith – Speckled Bread.
Equipment
- 900g/2lb loaf tin
- baking parchment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) mixed dried fruit eg. currants, sultanas and raisins
- 300 ml (½ pt) strong hot black tea
- 250 g (9oz) self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice (pumpkin spice)
- 100 g (3½oz) demerara sugar
- 2 medium eggs beaten
- butter to serve
Instructions
- Place 400g dried fruit in a large mixing bowl and pour in 300ml tea. Stir to combine and leave to soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan)/350°F/gas mark 4. Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment.
- Sift 250g flour and 1 teaspoon mixed spice into the bowl with the fruit and add 100g sugar. Add 2 eggs, then stir until well blended.
- Spoon into the prepared tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool on the rack for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Susie says
Love this recipe ! I have to cover with foil part way through otherwise it browns too much.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Glad you like the recipe. It could be your oven is just a bit hotter than standard ovens do vary but glad the foil helps solve the problem
Lorraine says
Delicious cake … doubled the spices and added healthy dollop of homemade marmalade in the batter. Took a little longer to bake, but worth it! The dog loves it too! Will make it again and might try Earl Grey tea next time.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Changing the tea will give the cake's flavour a subtle different nuance. Enjoy
Louise says
After my Mam died I was yearning for a taste of home. Growing up in Wales, my Mam always had barabrith, (which she always called 'spice bread'), or Welsh cakes, (which she called bake-stones as they were cooked on a flat cast iron griddle), in the tin ready for visitors. I tried your recipe but though the taste was good, the texture was a little gritty. I looked at other recipes which differed in that the sugar is mixed with the fruit and tea and soaked, rather than adding it with the rest of the dry ingredients. This seemed to solve the gritty problem! I also like to add a little ground ginger and swap the sugar to dark muscovado for a richer taste. I now have a taste of Wales, and a reminder of my dear Mam, she would be proud I am still flying the dragon despite living in England! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So pleased you liked the recipe. I personally have never had a problem with the sugar remaining gritty, although I can imagine that might have been an issue in the past as sugar seems to be much finer that it was in the past. I shall have to try making it with dark muscovado too as I love the rcih almost burnt caramel flavour of dark muscovado. I have a recipe for Welsh cakes on my other blog Only Crumbs Remain, which you might like to try https://onlycrumbsremain.com/welsh-cakes/
Lynne marks says
Made this a lot in the last few years always make it in 1 lb loaf tins 1 for a 94 yr old friend and one for my husband but now I make 2 for my friend one to eat and one to freeze because my husband and I have gone vegan so I make 2 for my husband it’s very easy to make it vegan and tastes just as good for the eggs I use 2 flax eggs I’m so happy we can still eat it best cake
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I'm so pleased you like the recipe so much and that you have been able to adapt to make Vegan so you can continue to enjoy it.. Thank you for the 5 star review.
Margaret says
Great fruit loaf. Earl Grey tea also works well to soak fruit.
I love it with a little sharp cheddar cheese instead of butter.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So happy you liked it, Margaret, I imagine the Earl grey gave it some interesting extra flavour notes. Good idea to eat with cheese.
Andrea Badman says
Hi, I have been put off making this cake as neither my husband or I drink tea,but decided to tried this with Rooibos tea.
Pleased to say it works really well and tastes lovely.
I am going to try a batch with my Fruit tea.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Woohoo glad you gave it a go. Ohh I drink Rooibos tea too I shall give it a try.
Cee Cee says
Absolutely delicious cake! So moist and scrumptious inside. Loads of options to customise as well - I added a bit of macadamia nuts in mine. 🙂
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Cee Cee so pleased you liked the cake. What a fun evening we had making that cake together over zoom
Bernard Foulkes says
I’m going to try this when I get a reply from you , can I use coffee instead of tea ? Thanks B
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I can see no reason why you couldn't use coffee but it will ofcourse change the flavour and Im not sure if that would be a in a good way or not. You could also use apple or orange juice. Ive made it before with both successfully.
Julie says
Hi Julie, Greetings from Australia....I did make this wonderful cake and it tasted divine just as all comments said, wondering if I can use all dried Apricots please...would love your feedback.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
HI Julie glad you like this cake as much as I do. I've not tried it with just dried apricots cbut I don't see why it wouldn't work, but t would of course taste totally different. Im very tempted to try.
Julie says
Greetings from Australia...Can the fruit be soaked in Orange Juice or is the strong black tea a better option, if so why so ? Going to give this recipe a go, looks lovely.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Strong black tea is traditionally used in Bara Brith so you would need to use that if you want it to be authentic. It doesn't taste of tea in the final cake it just adds interesting notes to the flavour but if you prefer you could soak the fruit in orange juice instead. Do let me know what you think when you have tried it Im pretty sure you will love it its certainly a very popular recipe on the blog.
Hope says
Jacqui, I just finished making and eating my first bara brith! My wife and I absolutely love it!! It was so easy and I love that it uses no oil or butter and only 1/2 cup of sugar. Of course, we didn’t wait the suggested two days before eating it, but I can’t imagine it could taste that much better. We will see if we don’t finish it off before Tuesday!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
It is easy and yes delicious and like you I struggle every time to keep it more than a day or two so I only have my friends word for it that it tastes better on keeping. So pleased you liked the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate. This sort of comment always makes my day 🙂
Margaret says
I love this recipe. Its so easy and quick and produces the most delicious treat!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Margaret I'm pleased you liked it. It has certainly become a regular in our house since Julie made it for us.
Linda says
This is a fantastic no fail recipe. The cake is delicious and a great favourite in our family. It is great to have a recipe you can rely on to produce perfect results every time. Thank you so much for sharing.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you Linda, Glad you liked it. I love this recipe as it keeps so well (when I can resist not eating it all at once).
Kim says
I’ve tried many bara brith recipes and this is by far the favourite.. everyone who tries it love it.. diolch yan fawr from a very happy Welsh woman
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thank you for the glowing endorsement. Julie will be pleased,
Lesley Garden says
A fabulous recipe, simple to follow and really easy to bake. I’ve never tried bara brith before but used to enjoy my Granny’s tea loaf. This was delicious spread with butter and served with a cup of tea. I didn’t manage to leave it 2 days, instead I ate it warm! I’ll be making this loaf again.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Keeping it more than 2 days is a real challenge when it tastes this good!
Dianne says
Just so easy. I made two, one for a bake sale and one for us. Just had a couple of slices with butter and a cup of tea. Hubby loved it too. I had a tub of glacé cherries which needed using up, so put them in too. Gorgeous.
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
So glad you liked it Dianne. Easy recipes like this that taste great too are just the best.
Barry cartwright says
Made this recipe in December made two and froze one to be eaten at a later date it was really nice.
I’ve just soaked the fruit so I can make another two cakes tomorrow .
It only takes about fifteen minutes to makes.
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
So pleased that you are enjoying this recipe and thanks you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and comment you have made my day:) Enjoy the next batch.
Anji says
What a great recipe! I love how easy this is to make and how lovely it turns out every time. I make this Bara Brith every few weeks and it is always popular. Thank you for a great recipe that is easy to follow with great photos too!
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
Anji, I am so glad you like it and thank you for taking the time to comment. I have my friend Julie to thank for this great recipe so I cant take all the credit this time.
Anne says
Made this , so simple and absolutely delicious! Fool proof recipe.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
So glad you liked it. It really makes my day when someone lets me know, they have made a recipe of mine. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Janice says
Not sure what Demerara sugar is? I'm in the US so have no idea. This looks very good. My Grandmother made an applesauce cake with raisins in it--- had to use 1 cup of raisins and 1 cup of water simmered until water was gone. This recipe reminded me of that. Thanks for sharing.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Janice Apologies in the time it has taken to reply. Demerara is a type of brown sugar. Generally speaking, “golden” brown sugar has a light, delicate flavour without the heavy molasses notes of darker brown sugars. Regular brown sugar is dark and moist and is used for tasks where you want more of a molasses kick. Demerara sugar is darker still, with large crystals that give it a crunchy texture. In this case you could substitute either light brown sugar or granulated sugar.
Your grandmother's apple sauce cake sounds delicious.
Connie says
No butter or oil,can it be set up
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
No set up:)
Esther says
Hi.can I reduce the amount of fruits?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Esther, It may be possible to reduce the fruit slightly, I haven't tried it as I feel you really need to have the fruit to keep this tea bread authentic. Jacqui
Nancy Parris says
what spices are included in your "mixed spices?"
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Nancy
Mixed spice, also called pudding spice, is a British blend of sweet spices, similar to the pumpkin pie spice used in the United States. Cinnamon is the dominant flavour, with nutmeg and allspice.
Hope this helps
Jacqui
Nancy Parris says
thanks. I plan on making this soon!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I hope you like it as much as I do. Do pop back and let me know.
Terry W says
Can you tell me when the fruit is added and also if the fruit needs to be drained before adding it in?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Terry, The flour and other ingredients are added to the bowl of the fruit (step 3) and not the fruit to the flour etc (so no you do not drain it, most of the tea will have been absorbed into the fruit). sorry, it wasn't clear to you. I have reworded step 3 slightly to make it clearer in the future.
Dorothy Bregon says
What does the mixed spice consist of?
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
You might know it as Pumpkin spice. Mixed spices usually conatains cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice cloves etc. The spice mix will vary according to brands but theres a recipe on the BBC Good Food site if you want to make your own https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/181605/mixed-spice
Juanita says
What a yummy cake and lovely photos of Julie! She will be sorely missed
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
You are so right Juanita, we will miss Julie, but she promises to come and visit us frequently, I hope she does. The cake is delicious. I will make sure I have one ready when she does:)
Paul Jack says
Yes agree Julie will be missed! Maybe she will find her way to the south of France sometime. I am baking the cake tomorrow and get in on the table for guests breakfast on Sunday!!
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
Hey you never know maybe she will. Do let me know what you and your guest think.
Monika Dabrowski says
This cake looks lovely, Jacqui, full of fruit, spice and tea! I love the idea of soaking the fruit in strong tea! I am sure it tastes amazing! And I love the fact there are so few ingredients in this recipe.
Jacqueline Bellefonatine says
I know Monika, How can a cake this simple taste this good. So please that Julie suggested it when I asked her to do a quick friends in the kitchen before she moved back to Wales.