Easy recipe for slow cooker tea loaf!
One of the great things about slow cookers is that they don’t generate as much heat as your normal oven. On a sultry, storm-coming evening like tonight, I can use my slow cooker to bake a tea loaf without heating the house up further, and while getting on with other things.
Perfect in my book! I used a standard tea loaf recipe, cramming in loads of currants, mixed peel and sultanas, and flavouring it with plenty of cinnamon. So comforting and great to slice up for a snack.
How to Make Slow Cooker Tea Loaf
Soak the fruit in tea for a couple of hours. Make up the cake mixture.
Grease and line the pot with baking paper or a cake liner. I like to use (affiliate link) these cake cases.
Then simply put the mixture in your slow cooker.
Cook on high for about 1.5 to 2 hours with a tea towel under the lid to catch drips.
In the meantime, do whatever you please!
In just a while you can enjoy a slice of rich homemade fruit cake with a cup of tea. Would you even know it was baked in a slow cooker?
Tea loaf is quite similar to the Welsh bara brith, they both have the same origins I am sure. Dried fruit soaked in tea is a great old-fashioned way of baking.
More Slow Cooker Cakes To Try
If you have now caught the slow cooker baking bug, make sure you check all my Slow Cooker Desserts to find even more recipes!
Also make sure you check out my tips on baking in a slow cooker (with loads of slow cooker baking recipes) and how to make a cake in a slow cooker for loads of additional tips and tricks!
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Pin my slow cooker tea loaf for later
Slow Cooker Tea Loaf
Ingredients
- 375 g mixed dried fruit I used currants, mixed peel and sultanas
- 250 ml hot tea
- 50 g butter or margarine
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Equipment
Instructions
- Make the tea in a jug then measure your dried fruit into a large bowl.
- Pour the hot tea over the dried fruit and mix it well. Cover the bowl and leave it to soak overnight if possible or for a few hours. I soaked mine for 3 hours and this seemed plenty, as the fruit plumped up and soaked in a lot of the tea.
- Cream the butter with the sugar in another large bowl.
- Add the egg and beat well.
- Sift in the flour and cinnamon and mix. It may look dry at this stage but will be fine after you add the soaked fruit and any remaining tea.
- Add the fruit and any remaining tea. If there is a lot of remaining tea the best method is to pour some off into a bowl, and add it bit by bit until the mixture is moist but not too runny.
- Mix well.
- Grease and line your slow cooker pot with baking paper, then pour in the tea loaf mixture.
- Cook on high for one and a half to two hours. Keep an eye out for burning. Use the skewer test in the centre of the cake to check when it is ready.
I
ALISON says
Tastes really amazing even without buttering the slice of cake. Also, it keeps well (1 week +) in an airtight container. Didn’t dry out or impair the flavour. My favourite recipe!!!
bakingqueen74 says
brilliant Alison!
Gina says
Hi, how long can you keep this cake, before it loses its freshness
bakingqueen74 says
I would keep it for 2-3 days in an airtight tin.
Tracy says
I’ve just put this recipe into my slow cooker…… I’ve put a tea towel under the lid hope this is right….. first time trying anything apart from a stew in my slow cooker x
bakingqueen74 says
Great! Yes a tea towel under the lid will stop drips of water falling onto the cake.
Sammy says
Made recipy today but doubled it changed the flour to gluten free and made it egg free too. I put my slow cooker on hot as you said but mine also burnt round edge, I think I know why we in the uk has a 240 vots electric currant. My slow cooker has a medium setting as well so should have used this. The cake turned out well apart from edge next time may put a cake tin to cook in and also use lower setting .
Lisa Dodge says
Made this today and took Almost 2h before skewer came out clean however the bottom and edges on one side are burnt, how do you stop this, would it be best to turn down for the last 30 mins? After cutting a few bits off still tasted great
bakingqueen74 says
I would turn the bowl round party way through as it sounds like there is a hotspot on one side, and switch to low for the last half hour. I’d also suggest using more layers of baking paper to protect it. Glad it tasted good!
Matthew Parsons says
Hi, just trying this Delicious recipe for the first time, does it cook with lid on or off?
bakingqueen74 says
Lid on please with tea towel under it to stop drips falling on the cake!
Lesley says
Lovely…I used Chai tea bags to make the tea which added extra spice. Wonderful with butter after slow cooker tomato soup for lunch
bakingqueen74 says
Brilliant! Love the idea of chai tea
Sam says
Have just put this in the slow cooker and then realised that the cinnamon had been left out. Rats. Guess it’s normally added with the flour but can’t see where it’s referred to in the instructions.
bakingqueen74 says
Hi Sam yes that’s right, with the other dry ingredients. Seems to have been lost from the instructions, I will update it.
bakingqueen74 says
I’ve added it in now!
Tracey Burns says
Tried for the first time yesterday, very impressed
bakingqueen74 says
brilliant thanks for letting me know Tracey!
Janet says
don;t understand measurements—don’t know metric if that’s what shown on fruitcake recipe
bakingqueen74 says
Hi Janet, US measurements are available if you press the blue US customary text below the measurements, it switches it for you.
Janice says
I must have missed this recipe. What a great idea, I’m definitely trying this one.
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks Janice this one works so well!
Sandra says
Love slow cooking recipes. Tried this bit it took alot longer to cook than your recipe suggested!.
bakingqueen74 says
Hi Sandra! Cooking times do vary a lot from slow cooker to slow cooker. I try to explain this in my posts when I say cook for 1.5 to 2 hours and check the centre to see when it is ready. They really do vary in temperature and how they operate, depending on model, make, type of slow cooker, and size etc, so you have to get to know your own slow cooker and how long cakes normally take. Hope you’ll be making another soon!
Emma - Bake Then Eat says
I love tea loaf and never thought of trying it in a slow cooker, brilliant idea.