Victorian Tea Bread Recipe

If you've never tried a slice of English Tea Loaf then you must! It's a delicious tea time cake, and best served alongside a nice cup of tea at around 3pm!

For those of you unfamiliar with tea loaves, you may think it a bit odd to use tea in a cake, however, these types of cakes originate back to wartime days when butter and other dairy products were scarce and pantry ingredients were thus used to make all manner of recipes.

Traditional

This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, checkPrivacy Policy.

Traditional Victoria Sandwich Cake Recipe

This doesn't contain any butter or milk, and just a small egg for binding. So on the plus side, if you're watching your weight, this would be a good option!

The cake itself is incredibly easy to make, no fancy mixing, just add all the ingredients as instructed to a bowl and mix well and pop in the oven. We've added walnuts to this recipe.

Feel free to swap the fruits and nuts around to suit what you have in your pantry, just make sure to stick to the weights in the ingredients so you get a good bake.

Traditional Tea Cake With Cinnamon Recipe From Sainsbury's

The cake is not particularly sweet, so if you do have a sweet tooth, feel free to double up on the sugar quantity.

A tea loaf is a traditional sweet English Bread, although it is more like a cake texture than a bread. It contains a variety of dried fruits which are soaked in tea overnight, and then baked and cooled.

It's usual to serve in slices with a spread of butter or a piece of cheese, together with a cup of tea, such as during an Afternoon Tea.

A Victorian Afternoon Tea Guide

Just make sure the tea is strong, and when making it, allow the tea bags to soak in the hot water for an hour or so in order to draw out as much flavor as possible.

This tea loaf is delicious on its own, however, if you're planning on serving this for an Afternoon tea party, we would suggest some Savory Vol Au Vents, English Scones, Cream Filled Chocolate Eclairs and a Classic Victoria Sponge Cake.

The stronger the tea the better. If using tea bags, use around 4 tea bags in the hot water and allow to steep for an hour or so before adding to the fruit.

Penrhyn Bara Brith

6. Transfer the batter to the baking pan and level the top. Place in the oven for around 55 - 60 minutes.

7. Once risen and golden brown on the top, (the top of the cake should be firm to touch) remove from the oven and transfer from the pan on to a cooling rack.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other ingredients? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Victoria Sponge Cake, Afternoon Tea Cake

1. Weigh out the dried fruit and add to a bowl. Add the sugar followed by the hot tea. Mix well and cover, preferably overnight, but at least for 6 hours.

TIP: the stronger the tea the better. If using teabags, use around 4 tea bags in the hot water and allow to steep for an hour or so before adding to the fruit.

Classic English Strawberry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!

Milk Bread Recipe

Classic English Cherry Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!

Strawberries and Cream Victoria Sponge Cake, a traditional British cake recipe, layers of soft sponge with strawberry jam, fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

Tea

The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. A pure delight to eat!

Fruit Tea Loaf

Easy Rhubarb Compote is a great recipe used for a topping on granola, yogurt, ice cream, cakes and many desserts. Easy simple recipe and takes just minutes to make.

Perfect Warm Crumpets, great for breakfast or anytime! Serve with your favorite jam, or eggs and bacon, delicious whichever way you like them!

Easy English Tiffin is a delicious no-bake British colonial recipe, made of chocolate, crushed cookies, syrup, and raisins, often served at English afternoon tea.

Victorian Tea Menu

Easy strawberry and rhubarb cobbler is a delicious dessert bursting with sharp and sweet flavors from the fruit, with a generous buttery crumble topping

Coffee Walnut Cake is a deliciously easy soft and fluffy cake recipe. Recipe also for a lovely vanilla coffee frosting. A nice cake for the holidays!

Orange or clementine curd is a sweet, thick condiment, easy to make from scratch. Using just four ingredients, this recipe comes together quickly on your stovetop. Use it anything from scones for breakfast to desserts.

Old Fashioned English Tea Loaf (dairy Free / Egg Free / Fat Free)

Easy Strawberry and Lemon Trifle, quick simple dessert recipe with layers of fresh strawberries, lemon whipped cream, vanilla pudding and lady’s fingers. Great for parties and holidays

Easy Colcannon with Bacon! Decadent creamy mashed potato, bacon & cabbage, combined to make an amazing side or main dish. The perfect recipe for St Patrick's Day.

Bara

Pan-fried tender chicken livers and mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce is a great brunch or supper dish. Delicious served on hot buttered toast. Very quick and easy recipe

Yorkshire Tea Loaf

A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go to basic recipe

The Best Homemade Scotch Eggs, a popular British snack, perfect for a picnic, breakfast, or any occasion. Delicious eggs wrapped in sausage meat and coated in crispy breadcrumbs.

The BEST EVER British Beer Battered Fish and Chips! Great flavours and don't forget your shake of vinegar and sprinkle of salt!

Victorian Seed Cake

Classic English Rhubarb Scones. Quick and Easy to make, moist, light, and fluffy! Perfect for High Tea or Afternoon Tea. This is a very popular recipe and for those searching for a good, reliable English scone recipe, this won't disappoint!

Yorkshire Pudding, a.k.a. popovers are so delicious! Serve as part of a main meal with lots of gravy, or as an appetizer and fill them with goodies. You can also serve these as a dessert, adding some nice fruits or pie filling and ice cream! You decide. They are so yummy!

I love English Muffins! When I lived in England, I would often have these toasted with just a simple spread of butter, or make a bacon and egg muffin from them.

Lavender Tea Bread

Easy Hot Cross Buns are a wonderfully soft, sweet, spiced bun, traditionally made for Easter time. Serve warm or cold, split open, toast and spread some butter and your favourite jam! Delicious!

British Toad in the Hole! It's a delicious easy dinner, with sausages baked in Yorkshire pudding (a.k.a. pop overs). Goes great with some homemade onion gravy. Always a hit with the whole family, easy to make and oh so good!

Tea

Cheesy Sausage and Jalapeno Scones or Biscuits are so light and fluffy! Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dinner, picnics and parties. Freezer friendly too!

Fruity Tea Loaf

How To Make Home Made Custard. A great addition to your dessert. Pour some over your delicious apple pie or pudding! Always a hit at dessert time! Serve warm or chilled.

Easy Sausage Puffs, deliciously seasoned sausage meat wrapped in crispy puff pastry and baked. Easy recipe, great for parties, lunch boxes, picnics. Eat warm or cold, they're so tasty!

A delicious breakfast or snack, these slightly sweet muffins are loaded with juicy tangy rhubarb, soft and fluffy, with added texture from the oats.

Royal Tea Bread

Easy Blueberry Scones recipe, uses basic ingredients.Soft and fluffy inside. Have as a snack or part of a breakfast or brunch with some butter and jam too!

This post is also part of Twinkl’s VE Day Campaign, and is featured in their Best Wartime Recipes to Celebrate VE Day from Home post.To avoid upsetting anyone, or being accused of favouritism, this month’s recipe and the Taste of History will simply be called Tea Bread. The different countries which make up the United Kingdom, each have their own version and within each region there are many ‘original’ recipes! You see why I am so cautious!

In Wales this is known as Bara Brith, in Ireland it is Barm Brack and, as yet the only names I can find for the Scottish version is Fruit Bread or ‘Jock’s Loaf’, but I suspect this latter one isn’t its real name. English recipes seem to be called after the county, town or even village from where each is said to originate.

Afternoon Tea Sandwiches (cucumber, Egg And Cress, Smoked Salmon)

Both the names Bara Brith and Barm Brack, when loosely translated, mean ‘speckled bread’ and this does describe, very accurately, the appearance the dried fruit gives to the finished loaf.

The word Barm can also refer to the froth from fermented ale. As all these breads would have originally been leavened with yeast, it

Traditional