Ingredients
Dried fruit mix
- 250 g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants)
- 200 ml strong black tea, cooled
Dry ingredients
- 225 g self-raising flour
(or plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder) - 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp mixed spice or nutmeg (optional)
Wet ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2–3 tbsp honey or maple syrup
(optional — keeps it lightly sweet) - 1 medium mashed banana or 80 g unsweetened applesauce
(adds moisture without fat)
Instructions
1. Soak the fruit
Put the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the cooled tea.
Cover and soak:
- Minimum: 4 hours
- Best: overnight
This makes the loaf naturally moist and sweet.
2. Prepare the oven
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
- Line a loaf tin (about 2 lb size) with baking paper.
3. Make the batter
Add to the soaked fruit:
- egg
- honey/maple syrup
- mashed banana or applesauce
Mix well.
Then stir in:
- flour
- cinnamon
- mixed spice
Mix until just combined.
Do not overmix.
The batter should be thick but spoonable.
4. Bake
Spoon into the loaf tin and smooth the top.
Bake for:
- 40–50 minutes
Check with a skewer:
- it should come out mostly clean.
If browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.
5. Cool
Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
It slices best once fully cooled.
Tips
- For even lower sugar, skip the honey completely.
- Add orange zest for more flavor without calories.
- Whole wheat flour can replace half the flour for extra fiber.
- Keeps 4–5 days in an airtight container.
- Freezes well in slices.
Serving ideas
- Toasted with a little low-fat yogurt
- With tea or coffee
- As a healthier breakfast loaf
