A Welsh Tea Cake keeps well (in the refrigerator for the long term), and can also be frozen for future enjoyment. I have been baking for over 50 years, but it was not until recently, that I started weighing ingredients, to bake. The scale I use is nothing fancy or expensive, but it does have a tare setting and that makes it very easy to use! This loaf of Welsh Tea Cake is the first recipe I have baked weighing out ingredients.
We all start each a new process somewhere, this was my somewhere.
A fine beginning if I do say so myself! The scale has been used for pasta and many other foods through the years, but now I have a strong desire to try my hand at more cakes and bread recipes calling for ingredients by weight. While it might seem that there are many steps involved to make this cake, each is but a snippet of hands-on time.
This is mostly a "hands off" recipe, perfect for baking on a busy day.
There is actually more set it aside and wait time, that hands on work. Making it the perfect recipe for a busy baker. This will leave you free for to get other tasks completed or even a bit of daydreaming...and to be honest we all need a break from time to time. It turns out, a bit of relaxing and daydreaming goes very nice with a cup of tea and a slice of Welsh Tea Cake. I like mine with a smear of butter. You do start this loaf the day before baking by soaking the dried fruit in tea...
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
- black tea bags or loose tea as needed
- dried raisins
- dried cherries
- dried cranberries or dates
- brown sugar
- Mixed Spice for Cakes, our recipe found through the link.
- egg
- Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour, our recipe found through the link.
- orange marmalade OR
- apricot jam/butter, if desired follow the link for recipes!
You will also need the following:
- medium-sized mixing bowl
- loaf pan
- silicone spatula for mixing
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- scale
Now we are ready to begin!
Welsh Tea Cake
by the seat of my pants!
inspired by the Spruce Eats
325-degree oven
inspired by the Spruce Eats
325-degree oven
UPDATED: 05.16.2025
The day before:
2 c boiling water
4 black tea bags
1 pound mixed dried fruit - see suggestions below
Place the tea bags in a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the bags, let steep until just warm. Remove tea bags letting the tea drip back into the mixing bowl, but do not squeeze the bags.
Stir in the dried fruit, settle the fruit down into the tea and place a large dinner plate on top of the bowl, to cover. Let sit overnight.
On baking day:
1 egg
1/4 c brown sugar, our recipe can be found here.
2 T marmalade of choice, we used this Fresh Tangerine Marmalade but this Apricot Butter would also be delicious!
1 t Mixed Spice for Cake, our recipe found here.
8 oz. Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour, our recipe can be found here.
Remove the plate, stir the fruit and tea mixture. Add the egg, brown sugar, marmalade, and spice, mix well.
The day before:
2 c boiling water
4 black tea bags
1 pound mixed dried fruit - see suggestions below
Place the tea bags in a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the bags, let steep until just warm. Remove tea bags letting the tea drip back into the mixing bowl, but do not squeeze the bags.
Stir in the dried fruit, settle the fruit down into the tea and place a large dinner plate on top of the bowl, to cover. Let sit overnight.
On baking day:
1 egg
1/4 c brown sugar, our recipe can be found here.
2 T marmalade of choice, we used this Fresh Tangerine Marmalade but this Apricot Butter would also be delicious!
1 t Mixed Spice for Cake, our recipe found here.
8 oz. Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour, our recipe can be found here.
Remove the plate, stir the fruit and tea mixture. Add the egg, brown sugar, marmalade, and spice, mix well.
Stir in the self-rising flour, making sure no dry pockets of flour remain. Scoop batter into a prepared standard loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 75 minutes or until done in your oven.
Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Wait until completely cooled before slicing. Serve with butter if desired.
 |
| Traditional Welsh Tea Cake. |
*notes on dried fruit. Use what you like, the above cake is 8 oz. standard raisins, 4 oz. dried cherries, and 4 oz. of other dried fruit from my pantry. I used our home-dried plums, which have no resemblance to commercially dried prunes. Other fruits I have used include cranberries, currants, and dates. Many bakers use dried citrus peels, however, I do not care for the flavor or texture, if you do, I encourage you to use them!
Storage options for Welsh Tea Cake. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months. You may freeze for longer storage. Let thaw in the refrigerator before cutting and serving.
UPDATE: For your convenience, a "copy and paste" version of Welsh Tea Cake has been included below.
You might also enjoy:
#WholeWheatThat’sGoodToEat!
#DIYHomemadeHousehold
#wholefoodingredients
Thanks
for stopping by!
We
offer new and delicious recipes as well as DIY ideas for your home, regularly.
Feel free to drop us an email request for any question or recipe you may be
looking for. In addition, like all our guests, we invite you to come for a visit
again and again for new recipes, and my down-home take on frugal ways to keep
your home in tip top shape.
Hey
you, don’t miss a post! Please consider following Scratch Made Food! & DIY
Homemade Household. To follow by email, and/or by RSS feed, complete the
application located on the right-hand side of the blog. Please Note,
some posts may contain affiliate links, thank you for supporting Scratch
Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household.
PS,
friends, and family who love good food and household ideas might love us too!
Tell them about us, and thanks for the referral!
You
may also enjoy, Creative writing from the heart... stories of life,
living, and family.
Scratch
Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household proudly shares with these generous link
parties featured here.
Printable "copy and paste" version:
Welsh Tea Cake
by the seat of my pants!
inspired by the Spruce Eats
325-degree oven
inspired by the Spruce Eats
325-degree oven
UPDATED: 05.16.2025
The day before:
2 c boiling water
4 black tea bags
1 pound mixed dried fruit - see suggestions below
Place the tea bags in a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the bags, let steep until just warm. Remove tea bags letting the tea drip back into the mixing bowl, but do not squeeze the bags.
Stir in the dried fruit, settle the fruit down into the tea and place a large dinner plate on top of the bowl, to cover. Let sit overnight.
The day before:
2 c boiling water
4 black tea bags
1 pound mixed dried fruit - see suggestions below
Place the tea bags in a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the bags, let steep until just warm. Remove tea bags letting the tea drip back into the mixing bowl, but do not squeeze the bags.
Stir in the dried fruit, settle the fruit down into the tea and place a large dinner plate on top of the bowl, to cover. Let sit overnight.
On baking day:
1 egg
1/4 c brown sugar, our recipe can be found here.
2 T marmalade of choice, we used this Fresh Tangerine Marmalade but this Apricot Butter would also be delicious!
1 t Mixed Spice for Cake, our recipe found here.
8 oz. Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour, our recipe can be found here.
Remove the plate, stir the fruit and tea mixture. Add the egg, brown sugar, marmalade, and spice, mix well.
1 egg
1/4 c brown sugar, our recipe can be found here.
2 T marmalade of choice, we used this Fresh Tangerine Marmalade but this Apricot Butter would also be delicious!
1 t Mixed Spice for Cake, our recipe found here.
8 oz. Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour, our recipe can be found here.
Remove the plate, stir the fruit and tea mixture. Add the egg, brown sugar, marmalade, and spice, mix well.
Stir in the self-rising flour, making sure no dry pockets of flour remain. Scoop batter into a prepared standard loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 75 minutes or until done in your oven.
Let rest on the counter for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Wait until completely cooled before slicing. Serve with butter if desired.
*notes on dried fruit. Use what you like, the above cake is 8 oz. standard raisins, 4 oz. dried cherries, and 4 oz. of other dried fruit from my pantry. I used our home-dried plums, which have no resemblance to commercially dried prunes. Other fruits I have used include cranberries, currants, and dates. Many bakers use dried citrus peels, however, I do not care for the flavor or texture, if you do, I encourage you to use them!
Storage options for Welsh Tea Cake. Store in the refrigerator for up to six months. You may freeze for longer storage. Let thaw in the refrigerator before cutting and serving.
~~~~
this looks a bit like home or at least my grandmothers she would make delicious bread like this thanks for sharing
ReplyDeletecome see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Hi Annie! thanks for stopping by.
Deletei have been weighing ingredients for many years - it is the only way to be accurate. i seem to spend ages trying to work out recipes that only give vague amounts like half a cup ... your tea cake looks tasty indeed.
ReplyDeleteI learned to bake with the pinch, handful and spoonful method from my grandmother and my own mom. Weighing is new for me at this ripe old age I have become, but so far I like it! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.
DeleteThanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party - Hope you have a fabulous week!
ReplyDeleteHelen, thank you so much!
DeleteI haven't come across many Welsh recipes. This cake looks delicious. Thanks for the post. Bernadette, New Classic Recipe
ReplyDeleteHi Bernadette, while I have not cooked many Welsh recipes this Welsh Tea Cake was the perfect choice to use my Whole Wheat Self-Rising Flour in! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThis looks awfully tasty, I will save it to try out. Since we have a cancer diagnose in the house, we completely changed the food, mostly all with organic ingredients and trying to make everything with wholemeal flour. So this recipe will be perfect for another healthy snack. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Food Nutters, I turned to whole grain and whole food recipes for health as well. This is a nice traditional cake, but we have a dried cherry version as well...a little lighter than this one, and dried cherries are quite good for us.
Delete