This is my easy recipe for slow cooker tea loaf, the slow cooker fruit cake you will love.
All year round a simple fruit cake like this is delicious with a cup of tea or coffee for a nice break from your day.
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 jobs at home!
What is tea loaf
If you haven’t come across it, tea loaf or tea bread is a traditional English bread/cake made with dried fruit soaked in hot black tea to plump it up.
It is often baked in a loaf tin and is often served spread with butter.
For my slow cooker tea loaf I use 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.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make this tea loaf fruit cake (the exact quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page):
- mixed dried fruit – the bags of dried fruit you use for Christmas cakes or other baking are perfect – containing currants, mixed peel, sultanas etc.
- tea bag – to make up the hot black tea to soak the dried fruit in
- butter – I use unsalted as that is what I keep in stock in my fridge.
- light brown sugar
- eggs – I use free-range medium or large eggs.
- self-raising flour – ideal for baking as it gives some lift to the cake!
- cinnamon – adding a lovely warming flavour that complements the dried fruit.
Instructions
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this slow cooker tea loaf recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step 1. Put the dried fruit in a bowl, Make black tea in a jug, pour the hot tea over the dried fruit and mix well. Soak the fruit in tea for 2-3 hours or overnight.
Step 2. Make the cake mixture. First cream the butter into the light brown sugar.
Step 3. Mix in the egg and beat well, then sift in the flour and cinnamon. The mixture will be quite dry, don’t worry as you will add the soaked fruit next.
Step 4. 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.
Step 5. Mix well. Then grease and line your slow cooker pot with baking paper or (affiliate link) large paper cake cases, then pour or spoon in the tea loaf mixture.
Step 6. Cook on high for one and a half to two hours, with a tea towel under the lid to catch drips, or until fully cooked.
Note that times may vary based on your slow cooker. Keep an eye out for burning. Use a skewer or knife to test the centre of the cake to check when it is ready. Rotate the bowl if it appears to be catching on a hotspot.
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
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!
Recipe
Slow Cooker Tea Loaf
Ingredients
- 375 g (2½ cups) mixed dried fruit I used currants, mixed peel and sultanas
- 250 ml (1 cups) hot tea
- 50 g (¼ cups) butter or margarine
- 100 g (½ cups) light brown sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 225 g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
- 3 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Make the tea in a jug then measure your dried fruit into a large bowl.250 ml hot tea, 375 g mixed dried fruit
- 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.50 g butter or margarine, 100 g light brown sugar
- 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.1 medium egg, 225 g self-raising flour, 3 tsp cinnamon
- 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.
Dom says
Sumptuous cake. First time using a slow cooker for anything other than the usual slow cooker stuff. I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes soon! Thank you Lucy!!!!
bakingqueen74 says
Brilliant to hear, thanks Dom!
Zoe says
I’ve just made this recipe, my first at baking a cake in a slow cooker. I had to leave it an extra an hour longer than stated because my slow cooker is a tad tired. I am so impressed by this! Thank you for taking the time to do this recipe and write about baking in a slow cooker, I found it all very informative and helpful to bake a beautiful cake
bakingqueen74 says
awesome Zoe, so glad you enjoyed your cake and found this recipe useful.