Tea brack from way back
Shared by Bernadette · 5 October 2026
The story behind the recipe
When I was a child, I sometimes felt a little deprived. You see, everything in our house was homemade. I envied my townie friends who had shop-bought bread, cornflakes and all those lovely convenience foods that were so tempting in the adverts. I longed for a taste of what they had.But looking back now, I realise just how lucky I was. Then I became a mother , and one day I found our old childhood barmbrack recipe. It soon became a favourite in our own home — not just at Halloween, but throughout the year.And now I’m a granny, and that little tradition has found its way into another generation.There’s something so special about making it from scratch — the measuring, the mixing, the smell filling the kitchen as it bakes, and then, of course, the listening. Yes, listening to a cake! I’ve taught my three granddaughters how to listen to a cake to know when it’s ready. ❤️
- Bernadette
Ingredients
Tea Brack From Way Back 12 oz plain flour 12 oz raisins Zest of 1 orange[optional] Half pint cold tea 8 oz brown sugar 1 oz each of chopped peel and cherries[optional] 1 oz almonds chopped Half teaspoon each of mixed spice and salt [I sometimes add ginger] 1 egg 1 teasp baking powder
Method
Method. Steep overnight fruit sugar and tea Next morning Preheat oven to 170degrees. Sieve in flour/spice/salt/bakingpowder Stir in egg Pour mix into 7inch round tin or 2 1 lb loaf tins Bake at 170 degrees gas 3 for 1 hour Glaze with honey when cooked
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