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Lady Grey Tea Loaf with Vine Fruits

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Lady Grey Tea Loaf with Vine Fruits

This low fat variation of an English classic uses lightly fragranced Lady Grey tea, with subtle hints of lemon and orange – great for tea in the garden.

Preparation time:
15 mins, plus 4-12 hours soaking
Cooking time:
60 minutes to 75 minutes
Total time:
1¼ hours to 1½ hours, plus 4-12 hours soaking 60 minutes 30 minutes
Serves:
 cuts into 12 slices

Ingredients

  • 2 Twinings Lady Grey Tea Bags
  • 125g golden caster sugar
  • 300g Waitrose Wholesome Vine Fruit Mix
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 225g self raising flour, sifted
  • Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
  • 2 tbsp clear honey, to glaze

Method

  1. Place the tea bags in a heat-proof bowl and add 300ml boiling water. Leave to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the fruit and leave in a cool place to stand for between 4-12 hours, depending on how much time you have.
  2. When ready to cook the tea bread, preheat the oven to 180°C gas mark 4. Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking parchment.
  3. Add the eggs, flour and the zest and juice of the lemon to the fruit mixture and beat well. Pour into the lined tin and bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until a skewer comes out clean.
  4. Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. While it’s cooling, warm the honey slightly in a small pan or microwave then brush the honey over the top of the loaf with a pastry brush. Serve thinly sliced, with a pot of Lady Grey tea.

Cook's tips

The cake will keep well in an airtight tin in a cool place for up to 1 week.
Other types of tea also work well in this recipe, such as Lapsang Souchong or Earl Grey.

Comments and images

Average user rating 5 stars out of 5

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isabelle304

isabelle304 27 March 2009 17:18

Easy to make and smells lovely. Am really not into fruit cakes but this one smells lovely and ends up quite moist.

Freddie Lohse

Freddie Lohse 22 October 2008 18:33

And for the waistwatchers among us, you CAN replace the sugar with granulated sweetener and it will still taste great

Annie M

Annie M 08 October 2008 01:13

The first time I cooked this I forgot to add in the eggs!!???? Thinking that I had completely ruined it, I am pleased to say that in fact it was far nicer than when I cooked it again using two eggs. Next time I shall try just one egg.

Susy Radish

Susy Radish 28 August 2008 15:15

I've made this a couple of times with Earl Grey teabags and it is very easy and delicious. I had to lower the oven temperature as I have a fan oven and it still cooked in just under an hour. C Mansell - the mixture is runny and texture is denser than sponge as there's no fat but you could try adding a bit more flour. A great cake for those watching their weight!

Joanne2

Joanne2 09 August 2008 16:06

So easy to make and delicious. Amust for those that like fruit cakes

Milliemouse

Milliemouse 27 July 2008 16:00

Lovely recipe - not bitter like some tea loaves can be. The first time I made it I found that my oven was too hot even though I set it at the temperature suggested. The second time I made it I lowered the temperature slightly and found that the cake cooked evenly and the cake was a more golden colour inside. I also altered the sugar content very slightly by reducing it to 110g not 125g.

C Mansell

C Mansell 14 July 2008 12:09

The mixture was really runny when we cut it it was like bread pudding - does anyone know what I did wrong?

Ann B

Ann B 09 July 2008 15:35

Easy to make and delicious.

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5 stars out of 5

Average user rating Based on 35 ratings

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Nutritional Info

Typical values per serving:
Energy 208.0kcal
Sugars 33.1g
Fat 1.5g
Saturated Fat 0.4g
Salt 0.3g

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This recipe was first published on Waitrose.com in July 2008