Ingredients
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150 ml strong cold tea
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175 grams brown sugar
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450 grams mixed dried fruit
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110 grams mixed peel
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1 teaspoon mixed spice or pumpkin spices mix + extra for the syrup
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250 grams plain (all purpose) flour
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1 egg, lightly beaten
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1 teaspoon of baking powder
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100 grams white sugar
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100 grams water
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Salted Irish butter to serve
Optional traditional additions:
-
1 ring
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1 pea
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Piece of a cloth
-
Money
Directions
- Place the cold tea, sugar, mixed dried fruit and candied peel in a bowl.
- Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and allow to infuse overnight.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Grease a 2-pound loaf tin and line the base of the tin with some baking parchment.
- Stir the tea and dried fruit mixture and add the egg. Stir to combine.
- Sieve over the flour and baking powder and combine into the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- If you are putting in a ring, coin, rag, pea etc, wrap it in tin foil or baking parchment and place it into the cake mixture at this stage.
- Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours.
- In the meantime, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, bring to the boil the white sugar and water until the sugar dissolved. Remove from the heat and add extra mixed spices. Set aside to cool until needed.
- When the cake is baked, remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
- Turn the cake out of the tin, and crush with syrup.
- Place on a serving platter and slice.
- Serve warm with some salted Irish butter.
