Yorkshire Tea Cake Recipes

YORKSHIRE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• 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.

TEACAKES

Steps:

• Warm the milk with the butter in a pan until the butter has melted, then add 100ml water to cool the mixture to room temp. Tip the flour, yeast, sugar, spice and 1 tsp salt into a bowl, making sure the yeast is on the other side of the bowl to the salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter in, mixing until it forms big flakes, then bring together with your hands. Tip on a surface and knead until smooth (about 5 mins). Put the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave until doubled in size, so about 1-1 ½ hours.
• Line a tray with baking paper. Tip the mixed dried fruits into the dough and knead them in, trying to disperse them evenly throughout the dough. Cut your dough into 6 even-sized balls, take each ball and, using the cup of your hand, and pressing down a little with your palm, roll the ball in a circular motion on the surface to create tension across the top of the bun and a neat round shape. Place onto a tray about 5cm away from each other and press down with your palm to flatten the dough down a little, creating the teacake shape. Cover loosely with an oiled sheet of cling film, for a further 45 mins, or until they have doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Brush the top of each bun liberally with the egg wash, then bake for 20 mins on the top shelf of the oven, until the buns are golden and well risen. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then slice in half, toast and slather with butter if you like.

YORKSHIRE TEA LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the freshly made tea to the mixed dried fruit. Cover and set aside for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow all the goodness of the tea to soak into the fruits.
• In the morning, preheat the oven to 160 C fan-assisted and grease and line two 1-pound loaf tins with baking parchment. I use cake liners.
• Add the eggs into the soaked mixed fruit, followed by the sugar. DO NOT remove any of the remaining liquid. Mix thoroughly.
• Add the finely ground tea leaves to the flour and incorporate before adding this into the fruit mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour evenly into the prepared tins and bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven.
• Leave in the tins to cool completely before turning out.

YORKSHIRE TEA CAKE

Steps:

• Sift flour and sugar into bowl and rub in butter.
• Add sugar and currants, tossing together lightly.
• Blend yeast with milk.
• Add all at once to dry ingredients, mixing together until dough is firm.
• Knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cover and leave to rise for 10 minutes. Knead well again, dividing into 6 pieces, then roll into 6" rounds.
• Cover and leave to rise until almost double in size.
• Bake just above centre of preheated 400F oven for 20 minutes.
• To serve, split open and spread thickly with butter (Can be split open and toasted before buttering).