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Home » Baking

Tea Bread with Cinnamon and Cherries

January 31, 2022 by Jane Saunders 4 Comments

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English fruit tea bread with text overlay.
Tea bread with text overlay.
English tea bread with text overlay.
English fruit tea bread with text overlay.

This Cinnamon Cherry Tea Bread needs no fancy adornments. It’s richly fruited, lip-smackingly tangy and delightfully light. This fruit loaf is also very easy to make.

Overhead view of fruit tea bread that is partially sliced and buttered.

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Contents hide
1 What is tea bread?
2 Why this fruit loaf is worth making
3 Ingredients notes
4 Step-by-step instructions
5 Expert tips
6 Frequently asked questions
7 Other dried fruit recipes to try out
8 Cinnamon Cherry Tea Bread

This cinnamon & cherry tea bread is all you could wish for in a cake. There’s a lovely tartness from the cherries, which mellows nicely with the cinnamon and a touch of honey.

Confession: tea bread never used to excite me at all – I’d always politely pass if offered a slice.

That was until a few years ago when I spotted some on a hotel breakfast buffet table. It looked rather good, so I took a slice. That slice was soft, with a good crumb and it was bursting with plump & juicy dried fruits. Then there were the intoxicating notes of tea & spices on offer. Free for the taking, if you like.

In just one bite my life-long abstinence from tea bread was put to rest. I was smitten. And shortly afterwards, this lovely fruit loaf was born.

Overhead view of cinnamon and cherry tea bread cake partially sliced.

What is tea bread?

Tea bread, also known as tea loaf or fruit loaf, is a fatless cake brimming with dried fruit that has been lovingly steeped in strong tea for hours. It’s a highly traditional English cake, particularly popular in Yorkshire. Similar cakes include the Welsh Bara Brith the Irish Barmbrack. And have you seen my Lincolnshire plum bread? It’s a knockout recipe.

Of course, it partners well with a good cup of tea at any time of the day.

If you’re a big coffee lover you may want to take a look at my coffee and date bread too.

Why this fruit loaf is worth making

Aside from delivering a cake that is enviably rich, soft and moist this recipe is worth making because it is also:

  • Easy and quick to make once the fruit has steeped in the tea
  • Deliciously fruity
  • Low-fat
  • And by its very nature, a fruit loaf should not be decorated, so absolutely no cake decorating skills are required. That’s a sweet baby bonus in itself.

    Ingredients notes

    I chose to soak the fruit in Ceylon tea which tastes fresh with a subtle tanginess to it. I thought this tangy edge would match those tart cherries perfectly. But you can use regular black tea or even Earl Grey if you prefer. I recommend using tea bags rather than loose leaf tea as they are easy to remove after the soaking time is up.

    Dried cherries are easy to get hold of in supermarkets and online these days. They are a more unusual ingredient in a tea bread recipe, but they certainly do add an extra flavour dimension, so it’s well worth hunting them out.

    Feel free to use up dried fruit that has become a little old in this fruit loaf recipe. Since it is soaked in ample liquid, a lovely plumpness is guaranteed to be returned to the fruit.

    Cinnamon pairs well with the Ceylon tea and the cherries but feel free to swap this for chai spice, pumpkin spice or mixed spice.

    Step-by-step instructions

    1. Put the dried fruits and tea bags into a large bowl. Pour the just boiled water on top and leave to soak for 2 hours (or overnight). Remove the tea bags and discard
    2. Put the sugar, honey and eggs into a large bowl and mix, with electric beaters, until pale and thick (the consistency of fairly thick custard). This will take around 5 minutes
    3. Measure out the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir to combine, then sieve half into the batter and fold in
    4. Mix the dried fruit, soaking liquid and the orange zest into the batter
    5. Sieve in the remaining flour and fold through
    6. Spoon into the baking tin and bake for 50-60 minutes in the oven
    7. Allow to cool completely in the tin
    Collage of images showing fruit loaf being mixed.
    Collage of images showing fruit loaf being made and put into a baking tin.

    Expert tips

    • Don’t skimp on the soaking time for the fruit. The longer you can leave it, the better as the fruit will keep on absorbing the tea as it sits in it, making the final bake all the softer and better for it
    • And keep on beating the eggs, sugar and honey together for a good 5 minutes to enable the mixture to thicken and incorporate some air
    • Don’t forget to line the baking tin to avoid the cake getting stuck in the pan
    • If you can’t get hold of dried cherries use sultanas instead
    • Need a vegan tea loaf? Try this one
    • Need a gluten-free tea bread? How about this one?

    Frequently asked questions

    How should it be stored?


    Honestly, wrap this tea bread up in foil or parchment for 24 hours (once cold) to let the flavours fully develop before slicing into it. From this point, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days if wrapped well and stored at room temperature.

    Alternatively, freeze the entire loaf or slices for up to 2 months.

    How should fruit loaf be served?

    Any fruit loaf, including this cinnamon & cherry tea bread, is heavenly served just as it is. There is absolutely no need for a glaze or icing. Adding either would be a travesty actually.

    However, a generous slick of lightly salted butter elevates this culinary delight even further (I will never pass up the chance for butter).

    It can even be toasted if desired. Oh and try serving it with a slice of English cheese sometimes too. You’ll be surprised how well the combination pairs up.

    Is tea bread healthy?


    Fruit loaf doesn’t contain butter, oil or margarine. In fact, the only fat it does contain comes from the eggs, so it is a very low-fat cake. That said, it does still contain plenty of sugar, so although in terms of fat it’s healthier than many other cakes around, it is still not exactly healthy.

    Slices of buttered tea bread on a black plate.

    Other dried fruit recipes to try out

    Eccles Cakes with Cinnamon and Nutmeg
    Check out this recipe
    Four Eccles cakes on waxed paper
    Marzipan Cake – A Last-Minute Christmas Cake
    Check out this recipe
    Marzipan cake - A last minute Christmas cake - featured image
    Chorley Cakes
    Check out this recipe
    Close up of Chorley cakes, one split open and one with butter on top
    Spiced Winter Fruit Compote
    Check out this recipe
    Spiced Fruit Compote

    Have you made this cinnamon and cherry tea bread? Let me know how you got along by leaving a comment or rating below. You can also show me your creation on Instagram by tagging me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.

    Why not sign up to receive LittleSugarSnaps newsletters to hear when new recipes are published? You’ll get a free welcome e-book with my top baking tips and 5 favourite cake recipes. Or stay in touch on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

    Close up of a sliced fruit tea bread.

    Cinnamon Cherry Tea Bread

    Jane Saunders
    Richly fruited, lip-smackingly tangy and delightfully light. This Cinnamon Cherry Tea Bread needs no fancy adornments. It’s easy to make and is sure to please even the choosiest of cake connoisseurs.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Baking, Cake
    Cuisine: British, English
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Steeping time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 242kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 175 g Dried cherries
    • 125 g Raisins
    • 30 g Dried apricots
    • 2 Tea bag (I used Ceylon)
    • 275 ml Just boiled water
    • 125 g Light muscovado sugar
    • 3 tablespoons Honey
    • 2 Large eggs
    • 300 g plain (all purpose) flour
    • 2 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
    • Zest of 1 orange
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Chop the apricots roughly then put all of the dried fruits and the tea bags into a large bowl. Pour the just-boiled water on top and leave to soak for 2 hours (or overnight). Remove the tea bags and discard
    • Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/ 310°F and line a 2 LB loaf tin with baking parchment
    • Put the sugar, honey and eggs into a large bowl and mix, with electric beaters, until pale and thick (the consistency of fairly thick custard). This will take around 5 minutes
    • Measure out the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl. Stir to combine, then sieve half into the batter and fold in
    • Mix the dried fruit, soaking liquid and the orange zest into the batter
    • Finally, sieve in the remaining flour and fold through until the flour has been fully incorporated
    • Spoon into the baking tin and bake for 50-60 minutes in the oven. The tea loaf is cooked when a skewer coming out clean. (after 45 minutes cover the top of the cake with foil if you think it might burn but the cake needs longer)
    • Allow to cool completely in the tin

    Notes

    • Don’t skimp on the soaking time for the fruit. The longer you can leave it, the better as the fruit will keep on absorbing the tea as it sits in it, making the final bake all the softer and better for it
    • And keep on beating the eggs, sugar and honey together for a good 5 minutes to enable the mixture to thicken and incorporate some air
    • Don’t forget to line the baking tin to avoid the cake getting astuck in the pan
    • If you can’t get hold of dried cherries use sultanas instead
     
    Storage Instructions
    Wrap this tea bread up in foil or parchment for 24 hours (once cold) to let the flavours fully develop before slicing into it. From this point, it will stay fresh for up to 3 days if wrapped well and stored at room temperature.
    Alternatively, freeze the entire loaf or slices for up to 2 months.
    Serving Suggestions
    Any fruit loaf, including this cinnamon & cherry tea bread, is heavenly served just as it is. There is absolutely no need for a glaze or icing. However, a generous slick of lightly salted butter elevates this culinary delight even further (I will never pass up the chance for butter). Try serving it with a slice of English cheese sometimes too. You’ll be surprised how well the combination pairs up.
     

    Nutrition Per Serving (Approximate)

    Calories:242kcal | Carbohydrates:55g | Protein:5g | Fat:1g | Saturated Fat:1g | Polyunsaturated Fat:1g | Monounsaturated Fat:1g | Trans Fat:1g | Cholesterol:27mg | Sodium:20mg | Potassium:254mg | Fiber:3g | Sugar:23g | Vitamin A:648IU | Vitamin C:1mg | Calcium:74mg | Iron:2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it Today!Mention @littlesugarsnap or tag #littlesugarsnaps!
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    1. Sarah

      May 07, 2016 at 10:10 am

      I’m about to sit down with a cup of coffee and now I want nothing more than a slice of this bread and a nice slab of butter to go along with it – you’re pictures are making me salivate!

      Reply
      • Jane Saunders

        May 07, 2016 at 1:36 pm

        Ha Ha, Sarah. Make sure you bake this in time for your next coffee break 😉

        Reply
    2. Michelle @ giraffes can bake

      April 28, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      This looks sooooooo good Jane, I got very excited when I saw it pop up on my emails!
      I’m not sure I’ve ever tried tea bread, but this will definitely change with this yummines!

      Cherry and cinnamon is the perfect combo too

      Reply
      • Jane Saunders

        April 28, 2016 at 9:04 pm

        Thanks Michelle – it’s not often I get to cause excitement so I’m chuffed. I think tea bread is one of those old fashioned treats that gets a bit overlooked these days with so many wonderful cakes on offer.

        Reply

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