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 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
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.
Sue says
I am just trying this for the first time. Can you cook it on low for longer or doesn’t it rise then?
bakingqueen74 says
No you need to cook on high with cakes, as you said.
Tracy G says
I used Earl Grey tea in mine. I set the fruit to soak Thursday evening to make on Friday. Unfortunately I became ill with a migraine so only got round to making it this afternoon. I had to add more tea as the fruit had soaked up everything! At the young age of 56 I have made the best fruit cake I’ve ever done! Thank you so much for your lovely recipe x
bakingqueen74 says
Brilliant to hear, Tracy!
Mags Thomson says
I made – almost -your recipe last weekend (no fat in mine) Thrilled as it was the first cake I had baked in a sc and it turned out so well. I found a huge slow cooker a few weeks ago so a great freebie! It meant that my cake was in a 2lb loaf tin. Took more than 3 hours to cook (but solar powered!)
Huge thanks for some really inspiring recipes- I’m thinking I will have to buy a medium sized slow cooker to try them all out. I have a 1.6l one otherwise which you say is likely to make burned cakes!
Many many thanks
bakingqueen74 says
ah that’s lovely Mags, thanks for leaving a comment. You could try in the small one but whenever I tried they used to be wet in th centre but burnt around the edges!
Sharon Brookes says
Just made this cake ! So easy and so delicious ! Definitely going to a favourite in our house !
bakingqueen74 says
that’s great Sharon!
Paul says
Well I like baking cakes . I didn’t know until I read it somewhere that it could be baked in a slow cooker . I made one using your recipe. Results perfect . I found it was better after a couple of days in an airtight tin . But I couldn’t resist a couple of buttered slices with a jogging of good cheese ,as soon as it came out slow cooker . Very very happy with your recipi on this tea loaf . I put half the amount of sugar in and 250 gm of sultanas . I found it was sweet enough without the extra sugar and sultanas but tasty oh yes I eat every last crumb . So now I’ll be looking at your recipes . Oh I nearly forgot I made some bread wow lovely , As it was rising it was cooking at the same time ,saving ages on time waiting but it filled the cooker to the top . Thank you .
Fiona says
My first ever slow cooker cake. I baked it for 3 hours on high setting (was not ready when checking after 1.5 or 2 hrs). So, I gave it the extra hour and it turned out just great. I double lined the slow cooker pot with baking paper which definitely prevented it from burning and used a tea towel under the lid as well.
The texture and flavour of the cake is improving after a couple of days, it’s so lovely and moist now. Really yummy. Next time I make it, I’ll try experimenting with mixed spice for a change.
Thanks for posting this recipe, I had absolutely no idea that you could make a cake in the slow cooker!
bakingqueen74 says
brilliant, glad to hear it Fiona!
Shirley says
Can you freeze this cake
bakingqueen74 says
Yes you can freeze this tea loaf, wrap it well first.
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
Carol says
I’m not impressed at all. It’s been in the slow cooker for 2.5hrs now and it’s still sloppy. I’m using a ninja slow cooker which is a reputable make
bakingqueen74 says
Hi Carol, as answered on Pinterest, as I say in all my recipes, the time very much depends on your particular slow cooker. I believe Ninjas are multi cookers so perhaps the slow cooker is quite a slow one (that’s good!). I would just keep cooking till it is cooked through. See making a cake in a slow cooker for all my tips.
Linda says
Hi, after 4 hours on high in my instant pot, it was still very moist on top and I was waiting to go to bed. So I stuck it in my Ninja on Airfry for 20 mins at 170 and then it was perfect. I think I maybe shouldn’t have included so much of the tea that wasn’t absorbed into the mixed fruit. Lesson learned for next time. Also, I added only 1 teaspoon of cinnamon but found that was it overwhelming and wouldn’t put use cinnamon next time (let alone 3 teaspoons!) Another lesson learned for next time. Happy baking!
bakingqueen74 says
Thanks for leaving your comment Linda, slow cooking in an instant pot is very different to a slow cooker I believe, only the equivalent of cooking on the low setting of a standard slow cooker I have heard. Also, if there was a lot of leftover tea then perhaps it was not soaked for long enough. Thanks for reporting on how this cooks in an instant pot, it is a shame you had to put it in your air fryer as well!
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.