At least once every month, I will bake an Irish tea brack at home. It is possibly one of the easiest and most satisfying recipes to make!
You do have to soak the fruits for a few hours or overnight, but the rest is just weighing and mixing.
It’s delicious fresh on the day it’s made, but to be honest, I prefer it a couple of days later, toasted with butter and jam.
The cake is dense and moist – a real crowd-pleaser!
Clodagh McKenna’s Irish tea brack recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 and a third cups mixed dried fruits, such as raisins, golden raisins, cherries, and currants
- 1 cup cold Irish breakfast tea
- Butter, for greasing
- Half a cup plus one tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice, cinnamon, or nutmeg
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Method:
Place the dried fruits in a bowl and cover with the cold tea. Let it soak for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 5x9-inch loaf pan with butter.
In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and egg until light and foamy.
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and spices, then mix together.
Add the soaked fruits and any remaining tea to the bowl, then mix well.
Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Unmold and cool on a wire rack. This loaf will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
* Originally published in 2016, updated in January 2026.
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