Loaded with fruity goodness, this Moist Tea Loaf or Irish Tea Brack is perfect served with a refreshing cup of tea. Try it sliced and buttered or plain as a vegan fruit tea loaf.
Moist Tea Cake or Irish Tea Brack
This Moist Fruit Tea Loaf reminds me of the date loaf that my grandmother often served for afternoon tea, except that was made in a round tin. It shared the same, rich fruit flavour. My friend Mia calls it an Irish Tea Brack and makes it all the time. Make it using Nerada Tea grown in Queensland’s tropical Daintree for a full flavoured cake. Just remember to soak the fruit a day, or at least a couple of hours before you want to make the cake. The dried fruit then becomes tasty fruit bombs that explode in your mouth as you enjoy the cake.
It’s fun to fill your home with the delicious aroma of a cake baking in the oven and revive the art of afternoon tea. You could even get out the good china! The cake slices and butters well when cold. You can also freeze slices, so there is always cake on hand for afternoon tea. I have also enjoyed the cake topped with warm custard for dessert. It tasted similar to Christmas pudding! There’s no butter or eggs in the recipe, so it’s a vegan fruit tea loaf too!
Here’s what Irish born Noirin says about this recipe.


Make this easy moist fruit tea loaf
Moist Fruit Tea Loaf or Irish Tea Brack
Printable recipe card at the end
Suitable as a vegan fruit tea loaf, this Moist Fruit Tea Loaf is super easy to make and full flavoured. It is a perfect match with tea. The Irish would call it an Irish Tea Brack.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 7cm-deep, 11x21cm loaf tin.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of mixed dried fruit
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup raw sugar*
- 1/2 tbsp of bicarbonate soda
- 1 cup cold black Nerada tea (for variation you could substitute Chai or Earl Grey tea)
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- Extra raw sugar, to sprinkle
*I used grainy coconut sugar instead. You could substitute another but make sure it is a grainy sugar as texture plays an important role here.
Method
- Put the fruit, sugar and bicarb soda in a large bowl, then pour over the cold Nerada tea. Cover and stand overnight, in a cool, dry place.
- Next day, heat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 7cm-deep, 11x21cm loaf tin. Sprinkle the sides and base with the extra raw sugar. This makes the cake easier to get out and gives an extra crunch to the exterior.
- Stir the golden syrup and self-raising flour into the fruit mixture and mix well. The dough will be quite stiff, but this is okay.
- Transfer mixture into a prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Optional – sprinkle a little extra sugar on top for texture and appearance.
- Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out really clean. (I undercooked the cake the first time.) Set it aside to cool for five minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy with a cup of Nerada tea – black or with a dash of milk.

Australia’s own tea
Nerada Tea grows in the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. One of the world’s freshest teas, it can travel from the field to your cup in just four weeks depending on the season. Nerada says their environmental footprint on the Atherton Tableland is low and no pesticides are used in crop cultivation.
Enjoy your Fruit Tea Cake
Step back into the slow lane with this cake and enjoy a cuppa with friends and family. You’ll be glad that you did. You might also like to bake these amazing Choc Caramel Brownies or try your hand at making the perfect scone or this jaw-dropping Chocolate Coconut Milk Cake.

Moist Fruit Tea Loaf
Loaded with fruity goodness, this moist fruit tea loaf is
perfect served with a refreshing cup of tea. Try it sliced and buttered or
plain as a vegan fruit tea loaf.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of mixed dried fruit
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup raw sugar*
- 1/2 tbsp of bicarbonate soda
- 1 cup cold black Nerada tea (for variation you could substitute Chai or Earl Grey tea)
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 cups self-raising flour
- Extra raw sugar, to sprinkle
Instructions
- Put the fruit, sugar and bicarb soda in a large bowl, then
pour over the cold Nerada tea. Cover and stand overnight, in a cool, dry place. - Next day, heat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 7cm-deep,
11x21cm loaf tin. Sprinkle the sides and base with the extra raw sugar. This
makes the cake easier to get out and gives an extra crunch to the exterior. - Stir the golden syrup and self-raising flour into the fruit
mixture and mix well. The dough will be quite stiff, but this is okay. - Transfer mixture into a prepared loaf tin and smooth the
top. Optional – sprinkle a little extra sugar on top for texture and
appearance. - Bake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the
middle comes out really clean. (I undercooked the cake the first time.) Set it
aside to cool for five minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool
completely.
Notes
I used grainy coconut sugar instead. You could substitute another but make sure it
is a grainy sugar as texture plays an important role.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 310mgCarbohydrates: 62gNet Carbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 37gSugar Alcohols: 37gProtein: 3g

Thank you Sue. I am a big fan of this recipe.
This recipe is the best! Soaking the dried fruit in tea gives the cake a lovely taste. It turned out tasty, moist and morrish, hard to stop at one piece. I loved a buttered slice with a cup of tea. Will definitely make this cake again … and again! Thank you for sharing the recipe.