Mary’s Tea Time Cake

Mary’s Tea Time Cake is a simple recipe that makes a tea time cake that is packed full of fruit and is absolutely delicious with a cup of tea.

Mary's Tea Time Cake

Why make Mary’s Tea Time Cake?

Mary’s Tea Time cake is one of those recipes that you want to make again and again.  There is no denying that Mary Berry knows her stuff when it comes to baking.

I’ve made this so many times and it always turns out perfectly.  I wanted to share it with you because even if you have never baked before, you can make this cake, it is perfect for beginners

I came across the recipe for the cake in a magazine and cut it out to put in my recipe folder. In the days before Pinterest and other digital methods of saving, I cut out recipes and kept them in a folder. It’s something I have been doing since in my early teens.

I have a huge resource of recipes that I like to look through for inspiration. Many recipes have never been made and others like this one are made again and again.

What is a Tea Loaf?

Tea Bread or Tea Loaf is a traditional British cake.  Dried fruit is soaked in tea, preferably overnight, and then mixed with flour, sugar, spices and an egg.  The loaf is then baked slowly and left to cool in the tin before cutting into slices.

Different regions and countries have their own speciality tea bread.  In Wales, it is Bara Brith, in England, Tea Bread is most associated with Yorkshire where it is served with Wensleydale cheese. In Ireland, the fruited tea bread is known as Barm Brack. 

Mary's Tea Time Cake in Bowl

What ingredients do I need for Mary’s Tea Time Cake?

All the ingredients are everyday items that you are likely to have in your larder already:

  • mixed dried fruit
  • soft light brown sugar
  • hot tea
  • self-raising flour
  • lemon zest
  • egg 
Raisins

What kind of dried fruit should I use?

You can buy ready mixed packets of dried fruit. They usually contain raisins, sultanas, currants and mixed peel.

But you can also use any combination of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries or dried cherries.  Cut up larger dried fruits like apricots, prunes and dried apples into small pieces and include them in your mix.

What kind of tea should I use for Mary’s Tea Time Cake?

I usually use black tea, an ordinary tea bag works just fine. Mary suggests Earl Grey Tea which has a distinctive, slightly floral taste. 

Almost any black tea will work well with this recipe. It is also good to use Chai spiced tea or to make it with Rooibus (Redbush) tea, Some fruit teas such as Lemon & Ginger or Red Fruits also work well in this recipe.

How long does the fruit have to soak in the tea?

Soak the fruit in the tea overnight.  The fruit will soak up all the tea and plump up beautifully. If I forget to soak the fruit overnight and want to make this tea time cake, then two hours is the minimum soaking time.

Mary's Tea Time Cake in tin on cooling tray with dried fruit

Do I need any special equipment to make the tea loaf?

You will need a 900-gram (2 lb) loaf tin, a grater for the lemon zest, a bowl, and a spoon. That’s it, no need for electric mixers or fancy gadgets.  In fact, if I don’t have a lemon, I just leave that out.  It does add extra flavour but I’ve made it without the lemon zest and it’s not absolutely essential.

Why do I need to leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes to cool?

Cool the cake in the tin to help keep the moisture in the cake. Leaving it to cool a little will also help you remove the cake from the tin. Although I always line my loaf tin with a baking parchment liner, so it always comes out clean.

Can I make Mary’s Tea Time Cake ahead of time?

Make the cake ahead of the time you want to eat it and it will reward you by tasting twice as good! Store the cake wrapped in aluminium foil in a cake tin for up to 5 days. My problem is that I can never keep the cake that long!

freezer with boxes

Can I freeze the Tea Time Cake?

Cut the Tea Time Cake into slices once it is completely cold. Lay the slices out on a baking tray covered with baking parchment and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, store the slices in a container or plastic bag for up to 3 months.

To defrost simply take out the number of slices you need and place them on a cooling tray covered with a clean tea towel for about an hour until they are fully defrosted.

Vegetarian

This cake is suitable for vegetarians.

Gluten Free

Mary’s Tea Time Cake contains wheat flour and is not suitable for a GF diet. For a similar recipe that is Gluten Free try this Bara Brith recipe from Gluterama.

How do I serve Mary’s Tea Time Cake?

Serve the cake cut into slices. It’s a lovely moist cake so I don’t serve it with butter, however, you can spread it with butter if you prefer. Serve this cake with tea or coffee, it also makes a great addition to your lunch box or on picnics because it holds together well.

More Tea Time Cakes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

Apricot Tea Bread
A rich and fruity tea bread packed full of delicious apricots and other dried fruits and oh so easy to make. 
Check out this recipe
apricot tea bread end cut.
Brilliant Blender Banana Bread
Sure to be a crowd-pleaser, this Banana Bread is made in a blender, so quick and easy. It’s a great addition to the tea table or for snacks and lunch boxes.
Check out this recipe
Brilliant Banana Bread made in the blender, it's so easy
Yorkshire Barm Brack (Tea Loaf)
This a lovely moist fruit cake, there is a hint of whisky, black treacle and dark brown sugar also add a lovely depth to the flavour.
Check out this recipe
slice of yorkshire barm brack on plate with mug of tea.
Condensed Milk Sticky Date Cake
The recipe for this sticky date cake has been around for many years. handed down from generation to generation. It keeps well and is one of the most delicious fruit cakes I have tasted.
Check out this recipe
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More Tea Time Cakes

Mary's Tea Time Cake Recipe
Mary's Tea Time Cake

Mary’s Tea Time Cake

Mary Berry
An everyday cake, simple to make.  Full of tea-soaked fruit, it slices beautifully and keeps well in an airtight tin or wrapped in foil. 
3.83 from 117 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 12
Calories 233 kcal

Ingredients

  • 350 grams (2 ¼ cups) mix dried fruit
  • 225 grams (1 cups) soft light brown sugar
  • 300 millilitres (1/2 pint) hot tea made with two tea bags.
  • 275 grams (1 ½ cups) self-raising flour
  • zest of a lemon
  • 1 large egg beaten

Instructions
 

  • 350 grams mix dried fruit, 300 millilitres hot tea, 225 grams soft light brown sugar
    Put the dried fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea.
  • Leave to soak overnight, or if you are in a hurry for two hours.
  • Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2
  • Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or use a loaf tin liner
  • 275 grams self-raising flour, zest of a lemon, 1 large egg
    Add the flour, lemon zest and beaten egg and stir with a spoon till mixed through.
  • Bake for 11/4 to 11/2 hrs or until it is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
  • Peel of the baking paper or liner and serve sliced with or without butter

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 23IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
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44 Comments

  1. What a lovely cake – perfect for a treat with a morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea…..or a bedtime mug of cocoa, not to mention the midnight munchies !!

  2. Oh I really need to join in with your linky – Makes all those files of recipes hanging around the house seem necessary! This cake is the sort of cake I dreamed of always having in the cupboard for when guests call – 3 children later, I now realise cake doesn't ever hang around that long! Thanks for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek

    1. It would be lovely to have you join me for #RecipeClippings Helen. My cakes last a lot longer now and sometimes I freeze some slices so I can quickly whip them out of the freezer and, at least, look like I always have cake in the house 😉

  3. Janice, what a lovely loaf! I'd like a slice of it right this minute to go with the Earl Grey I'm drinking. I only recently saw Mary on TV for the first time (I'm in the US, plus I don't have cable, so I have to wait for shows to come out on Roku streaming) and she seemed soooo nice.

    1. Aw Mary is a lovely lady. I met her briefly at the BBC Good Food Show when she signed a couple of books for me. You should try the cake it's really good.

  4. Hi Janice, happy new year! Love the idea of recipe clippings, god knows I have enough of them! Great looking loaf – very solid and sustaining. Hope you're well and that spring doesn't feel too far away, Lucy

  5. ah finally a blog post about cakes after all the healthy recipes , one must treat oneself now and again hehhehe, I love your recipe challenge idea too Janice , I have a large collection of clippings !

  6. I do love these kinds of cake – just so satisfying with a cup of tea. I have to say I'm not a big fan of Mary Berry but everything of hers that I've cooked turns out brilliantly

  7. Oooh that looks so good. I love this kind of tea cake. My grandma used to bring somethingije this out after lunch on a Sunday and serve each slice slathered in butter!! Gorgeous!

  8. Looks wonderful, perfect with a cup of tea mid-morning or mid-afternoon. I wish I could take a slice for work 🙂 x

  9. I love tea time cakes and like yourself have a folder of recipe clippings that I want to try, this fruit cake looks wonderful. I would love for you to stop by and share this and other recipes with us over at Sweet and Savoury Sunday. Have a great day!

  10. Am just making this cake. Having soaked the fruit overnight I drained off the excess tea liquid. Is this correct or do you keep all the liquid in the mix?

    1. Hi Lyn
      I leave add the liquid into the cake, but it will probably work okay anyway, it’s a very forgiving recipe.

      1. Yes, it worked and took less time because the mix was not as wet. I added 1tspn of mixed spice as I had seen it in another recipe. Yummy!

    1. Hi Denis, you are, of course, 100% correct. My phrasing is inaccurate and I will amend it as soon as I can. Thank you for your feedback.

  11. The cake was fantastic it didn’t last long
    I bake for friends and family too
    I got my grand daughter into baking too
    She said the cake was yummy
    Thank you so much

    1. Thank you, Veronica. I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the tea loaf. I can’t count the number of times I’ve made it and it’s always so good.

  12. mine has turned out delicious and just like the picture. However, it neither rose nor cooked after 1 and 1/4 hours at 140. I had to give it an extra 30 mins at 170. is that recommended temp correct?

    1. Hi there, I’m not sure why your cake didn’t rise. I make this recipe regularly at this temperature and have never had any problem. Not all ovens are the same though so I’m glad you managed to get the cake baked and have enjoyed it.

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Recipe Rating




3.83 from 117 votes (113 ratings without comment)