YORKSHIRE TEA CAKE
Ingredients
- 2 good-quality strong
- black tea bags
- 4 tbsp brandy
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 115g/4oz sultanas
- 75g/2½oz raisins
- 50g/1¾oz currants
- 180g/6½oz strong bread flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp medium-cut orange marmalade
- 120g/4oz soft brown sugar
- 1 large free-range egg
- at room temperature
- lightly beaten
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter
- melted and cooled until tepid
- 2 tbsp marmalade
- marzipan fruits (optional)
- gold leaf (optional)
Directions
- Place the tea bags in a bowl and add 200ml/7fl oz hot water
- the brandy
- rosewater
- honey and dried fruit. Cover and soak overnight
- or until the fruit is plump. (If you are short of time
- you can cheat a little by warming the ingredients gently to speed up the process).
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line a 450g/1lb loaf tin with baking paper.
- When the fruit is plump
- strain it and discard the liquid and tea bags.
- Sift the flour
- baking powder
- cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl. Add the marmalade and brown sugar. Stir in the egg and melted butter and combine to form a soft dough. Add the fruit and thoroughly mix together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes
- or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out and cool on wire rack.
- To decorate the cake
- brush the cake with marmalade. Cut the marzipan fruits in half and place on top of the cake. Use the gold leaf to gilt the marzipan fruits.

