Yorkshire Barm Brack (Fruit Cake)

Yorkshire Barm Brack is a rich and delicious moist fruit cake with a hint of Scotch whisky baked in a loaf tin (pan). The cake is packed with dried fruit, cherries and citrus peel and the flavour is enhanced by the black treacle and dark brown sugar.

Why should I make Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Yorkshire Barm Brack is a really delicious fruit cake that is easy to make. Many similar tea loaves like Mary’s Tea Time Cake contain no butter but this is a slightly richer version of a tea loaf. The cherries, peel and a small quantity of Scotch Whisky also add a special something to this Barm Brack.

What is Barm Brack?

Barm Brack is not only made in Yorkshire, there are similar fruit cakes in the culture of Ireland and Wales.  In the Irish language bairín breac means speckled bread, and bara brith means speckled bread in Welsh. A traditional barm brack is made with the froth or “barm” leftover after fermenting beer or ale which is mixed with sultanas and spice to make a heavy, fruity bread.

The more modern version of barm brack is often called a ‘tea brack’ because you soak the dried fruit in tea overnight. This helps the fruit to plump up and makes the cake really delicious. Although this cake isn’t traditional to Scotland, my recipe also includes a little Scotch Whisky.  I think it is a real game-changer taking a simple everyday fruit cake to a rather special one.

What ingredients do I need?

All the ingredients for Yorkshire Barm Brack are easily available and you are likely to already have many of them in your larder and refrigerator. You will need:

• dried fruit
• candied mixed peel 
• glace (candied) cherries 
• strong, black tea
• butter
• soft dark brown sugar
• eggs
• flour
• black treacle (molasses)
• whisky
• nutmeg
• lemon juice
• ground almonds

Scroll to the end of this article to find the full recipe and all quantities of ingredients, with step-by-step photo instructions

What kind of dried fruit do I need?

In the UK you can buy bags of mixed dried fruit that also contain dried peel. However, I like to mix my own dried fruit. To do this you will need a mixture of raisins, sultanas and currants. I like to use equal quantities of raisins and sultanas and fewer currants.

What are currants?

Most people are familiar with raisins and sultanas but not everyone knows about currants. Currants are small, sweet dried grapes. They are not dried blackcurrants but a specific variety of raisins called Black Corinth.

In the US they are known as Zante currants or Corinth raisins, outside the US they are generally known simply as currants. Currants are the oldest known raisins and their intensely sweet taste works really well in combination with other dried fruits like raisins and sultanas.

Can I make Yorkshire Barm Brack using only raisins?

Yes, you certainly can. If you only have raisins then the cake will still be delicious, you can also use only sultanas. However, I wouldn’t recommend that you use only currants. They have lots of flavour but are not as juicy as raisins and sultanas.

What kind of tea should I use to make the Barm Brack?

If you can get it then I recommend you use Yorkshire Tea. The Yorkshire tea blend makes a strong black tea with lots of tannin. However, if you can’t get Yorkshire Tea then use a good strong black breakfast tea. The tea combines beautifully with the other ingredients and is a good contrast for the sweet dried fruits, sugar and treacle.

What is treacle?

Black treacle is a dark sticky syrup that is a by product of the sugar refining process. Treacle is best known as an ingredient in cakes like gingerbread. It is also used to make sweets like liquorice and treacle toffee.

Is molasses the same as black treacle?

Molasses is similar but not the same as black treacle. It has a strong, bittersweet flavour and dark, almost opaque appearance. It is also generally thicker than treacle. However, you can use it if you are not able to get the more refined black treacle.

What kind of whisky should I use in the Yorkshire Barm Brack?

I use Scotch Whisky in the Barm Brack. I like to use a good quality blended whisky rather than a single malt. Single malt is the whisky I prefer to drink but a good quality blended whisky works perfectly well in this recipe. You can also use Irish whiskey or bourbon.

You can now actually buy Yorkshire whisky! Filey Bay, the first Yorkshire Single Malt Whisky is made in Yorkshire by The Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery I have not tried it but I guess if you want to be really authentic then that is one to use.

What can I substitute for whisky?

Use other strong spirits with a rich flavour such as brandy or dark rum. If you prefer to use a non-alcoholic substitute, then make more strong black tea and add that in the place of the whisky.

I don’t have any nutmeg, what can I substitute?

Freshly grated nutmeg has a distinctive lightly spiced flavour. If you don’t have nutmeg then use ground mixed spice which contains nutmeg as well as a mix of all spice, cinnamon, mace, cloves, coriander and ginger. If you don’t have mixed spice then you can leave it out of the cake.

Can I make Yorkshire Barm Brack ahead of time?

Fruit cake is always better if you can keep it for a little while and let it mature. Keep Yorkshire Barm Brack wrapped in foil and in a cake tin for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Absolutely! This cake freezes really well, I recommend you slice it and lay the slices of cake on a baking tray (sheet) covered with baking parchment. Open freeze the slices of cake and once frozen, store in a freezer-proof container for up to 3 months.

Remove the number of slices you need from the freezer and place them on a cooling tray. Cover with a tea towel and leave for about an hour until they are fully defrosted before serving.

Vegetarian

This cake is suitable for vegetarians, it contains dairy products but no meat products.

Gluten Free

Yorkshire Barm Brack includes wheat flour and is therefore not suitable for a gluten free diet. If you would like to make a similar cake then try this Gluten Free Bara Brith recipe from Gluterama.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Yorkshire Barm Brack?

Serve the Yorkshire Barm Brack cut into slices with a cup of tea or coffee as a snack or for dessert. One of the things I love about visiting tea rooms in Yorkshire is being served a piece of Wensleydale cheese with a slice of fruit cake.

The combination of Wensleydale cheese with fruit cake is a renowned Yorkshire delicacy. There is something about the creamy, crumbly flavour of the cheese that really complements the sweet fruit cake. I think it’s a fabulous combination and a real treat, if you’ve never tried it I can thoroughly recommend it.

Make Yorkshire Barm Brack as a Christmas Cake

In the notes on the recipe card you will find the quantities to make a 22 cm (8 1/2 in) square cake that is ideal as a Christmas Cake. This rich fruit cake with the hint of whisky can be decorated with marzipan and icing to make the perfect centre piece for your celebrations.

More Tea Bread Recipes

Mary’s Tea Time Cake

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. 

Check out this recipe

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

Yorkshire Barm Brack (Tea Loaf)

Janice Pattie

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.

4.91 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe BookmarkSaved!

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Soaking time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 9 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 10

Calories 376 kcal

Equipment

• 900 g (2 lb) loaf pan As a rough guide, a 2lb (900g) loaf tin is about 21cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx)
• loaf pan liner or parchment paper
• medium bowl
• measuring jug
• Measuring spoons
• weighing scales
• Large bowl
• electric mixer or whisk
• Metal spoon or spatula
• Cooling rack

Ingredients

• 300 g (2 cups) dried fruit sultanas, currants and raisins
• 100 g (½ cups) candied peel chopped
• 100 g (½ cups) glace cherries halved
• 200 ml (¾ cups) cold strong, black tea
• 100 g (3½ oz) butter slightly softened
• 100 g (½ cups) soft dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 150 g (1 cups) self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp black treacle molasses
• 2 tbsp whisky
• ¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 60 g (½ cups) ground almonds

Instructions

 

• Place 300g (2 cups) dried fruits, 100g (½ cup) glace cherries and 100g (½ cup) candied peel in a large bowl.
  
• Pour 200 ml (¾ cup) strong black tea over the fruit. Stir well, then cover with a lid or tea towel and leave for at least 8 hours or overnight.
  
• Preheat the oven to 170°℃ (160℃ Fan)/325°F.
• Line a 900g (2 lb) loaf pan with a loaf pan liner or baking parchment.
  
• Place both 100 g (3½ oz) softened butter and 100 g ½ cup) soft brown sugar into a roomy baking bowl. Cream the butter into the sugar until light, smooth and creamy using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
  
• Add one egg to the creamed butter and sugar and beat thoroughly. Then add the second egg and beat again.
  
• Fold 150 g (1 cup) self-raising flour into the mixture with a metal spoon or a spatula.
  
• Add 1 tbsp treacle, 1 tbsp Scotch whisky, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp nutmeg to the batter and mix with a spoon or a spatula.
  
• Stir the pre-soaked dried fruit and add to the cake mixture with 60 g (½ cup) ground almonds. Stir gently until all the fruits are incorporated into the mixture. Make sure you do stir gently so as not to knock the air out of the mixture.
  
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and gently level the surface.
  
• Bake in the preheated oven for 1 ¼ – 1 ½ hours or until dark, golden brown.
• Remove the cake from the oven and place on to a cooling rack and leave the cake to cool in the tin.
  
• Once the cake is cool, slice and serve as it is or in the traditional way with a slice of Wenslydale cheese.
  
• Yorkshire Barm Brack keeps well when stored in an airtight container, or wrap in foil.

Notes

This recipe was originally published to be baked as a larger cake in a 22 cm/ 8½ in square cake tin. However, I have found that the loaf cake is much more manageable to make and eat!

If you would like to make the original cake, here are the quantities:

550 g dried fruit – sultanas, currants and raisins
225 g candied peel chopped
225 g glace cherries halved
300 ml cold strong, black “Yorkshire” or other tea
150 g butter slightly softened
150 g soft dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
225 g plain flour all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp black treacle molasses
100 ml whisky
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
2 tsp lemon juice
110 g ground almonds

Follow the directions as for the loaf cake version and bake in preheated oven at 170°C (160C Fan)/325°F for 2 – 2½ hours or until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 98mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 3gSugar: 24gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

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