Bara brith

Ingredients

For 10 servings

• •300 g mixed dried fruit
• •200 g light muscovado sugar
• •1 orange zested
• •250 ml hot black tea
• •350 g self-raising flour
• •2 c. à café mixed spice
• •1 egg beaten
• •50 g softened butter plus extra for the tin and to serve (optional)

Method

1. 1.Tip the dried fruit into a heatproof bowl along with the sugar and orange zest. Pour over the tea, stir everything together and leave to soak overnight.
2. 2.Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter the base and short sides of a 900g loaf tin and line with a long strip of baking parchment.
3. 3.Tip the flour and mixed spice into a bowl, then beat in the fruit and its soaking liquid. Add the egg, followed by the butter. Beat until you have a well combined, stiff batter, then tip this into the prepared loaf tin.
4. 4.Bake for 1 hr 25 mins, covering with foil or parchment if the top starts to get too dark. Check with a skewer – if it doesn’t come out clean, bake for another 5-10 mins. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove and leave to cool completely. Serve sliced and buttered, if you like.