Barmbrack

Name: Barmbrack
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 300g mixed dried fruit; 200ml strong hot black tea; 100g soft light brown sugar; 1 egg, beaten; 250g self raising flour; 1 tsp mixed spice; 25g butter, for the tin

A tea-soaked fruit loaf, sliced and buttered, traditionally baked for Halloween.

Time1 hr 40 plus soaking
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.28 a head
Oven170°C (150°C fan)

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

10 servings

Ingredients

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300 gmixed dried fruit
200 mlstrong hot black tea
100 gsoft light brown sugar
1eggbeaten
250 gself raising flour
1 tspmixed spice
25 gbutterfor the tin

Method

1
Put the dried fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea. Cover and leave overnight to plump up.
2
Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line a 900 g loaf tin.
3
Stir the egg into the soaked fruit. Fold in the flour and mixed spice until just combined.
4
Spoon into the tin and level the top.
5
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.
75 min
6
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out. Serve in slices with butter.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.