Traditional Welsh Bara Brith Recipes

WELSH BARA BRITH CAKE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, pour the cold tea over the fruit and leave to soak for a minimum of 6 hours, or overnight if possible.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 325 F/170 C/Gas 3 and grease a 2-pound (900-gram) loaf tin with butter and put to one side. To the soaked fruit, add the marmalade, egg, brown sugar, spice, and flour and mix well.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 1 1/4 hours, or until the center is cooked through (when a cake tester comes out clean). Check from time to time to see that the top doesn't brown too much, and cover with a sheet of foil if necessary.
• Remove from the oven and leave the Bara Brith to stand for 5 minutes, then turn out of the tin and place on a cooling rack. Brush the honey over the top to glaze and leave to cool completely on a rack.
• Slice and enjoy. Bara Brith is even tastier when served with a little butter spread over a thick, fruity slice, or for added sweetness, a little jam or honey.

TRADITIONAL WELSH BARA BRITH

Steps:

• This is Wales' traditional rich fruit bread.
• South Wales makes it with baking powder; Northerners prefer yeast as the raising agent. Either way it's delicious.
• Soak the dried fruit and sugar overnight in the tea.
• You can use either fresh tea, or the cold dregs from the teapot (this gives a good strong colour). Next day, sieve the flour and fold it it into the fruit. Mix in the lightly beaten egg.
• Line a small loaf-tin with buttered paper then tip in the mixture, smoothing it well into the corners.
• Bake in a gentle oven at 300 F (150 C) for 1-1/2 hours.
• Cool and store for at least 2 days in a tin so that it matures moist and rich.
• Traditionalists say you should never butter the Bara Brith, but it's lovely that way!

BARA BRITH

Steps:

• Pour hot tea over currants and raisins in a bowl; soak 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease a sheet of parchment paper and use it to line a 2-pound loaf pan.
• Stir demerara sugar into tea and fruit mixture until dissolved completely.
• Mix flour and egg into the tea and fruit mixture until completely integrated into a batter.
• Spread batter evenly into the prepared bread pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden-brown, about 40 minutes. Cool in the bread pan 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.