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BARA BRITH

Bara Brith, a classic Welsh tea loaf, is a moist and flavorful fruit cake, beautifully topped with a sweet, sticky tea glaze!

EQUIPMENT

  • 2lb/1kg loaf pan
  • Large bowl and medium bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Pastry brush (for glaze)

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g mixed dried fruit
  • Zest of 1 large orange
  • 200g dark brown sugar (substitute with light brown sugar or light/dark muscovado sugar)
  • 280ml strong hot tea (two tea bags)
  • 260g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder (level)
  • 1 tsp mixed spice (level)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (level)
  • 1 medium egg (room temperature)
  • 30g unsalted butter (melted)

INSTRUCTIONS

The Night Before Baking:

  • Add two tea bags to a jug and fill with 280ml of boiled water. Stir and let it brew for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the dried mixed fruit, orange zest, and dark brown sugar. Pour in the hot tea and stir. Cover with film and refrigerate overnight.

The Day of Baking:

  • Preheat your oven to 160°C/140°C fan.
  • Remove the bowl from the fridge. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the fruit liquid in a small bowl for glazing the cake later.
  • Line a 2lb/1kg loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt.
  • Add the egg and melted butter to the fruit mixture and stir to combine.
  • Pour the entire fruit mixture (including all the liquid) into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold the mixture together until just combined, ensuring no pockets of flour remain. The mixture will be quite thick.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the top with a spatula or spoon. Place the pan on the lowest shelf of the preheated oven and bake for about 80 minutes. After 40 minutes, loosely cover the pan with foil to prevent the top from burning.
  • Check the cake’s doneness by inserting a cake skewer or cocktail stick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done; if there’s batter on it, bake for another 5 minutes before testing again.
  • Once baked, remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire cooling rack. Brush the top with the reserved fruit liquid. Let it cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before transferring it to the wire rack to cool completely.

Bara Brith can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or double-wrapped in film for up to 5-6 days.

APPLE CIDER CAKE

This apple cider cake is absolutely irresistible! It’s incredibly moist with a rich apple cider flavor, filled with a delicious apple cider caramel, and topped with creamy cream cheese frosting and a beautiful apple cider caramel swirl. Apple cider enthusiasts will fall head over heels for this decadent treat!

If you’re craving more apple-inspired desserts, don’t miss my apple cider donuts, mini apple pies, apple pie cheesecake, apple pie bars, apple cider cupcakes, or classic apple pie! Fall really is the best time for all things apple!

INGREDIENTS

For the Apple Cider Reduction:

  • 6 cups (1440 ml) apple cider

For the Apple Cider Cake:

  • 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (95 g) unsweetened apple butter, at room temperature

For the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
  • 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Apple Cider Reduction:

  • Add 6 cups of apple cider to a large saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat and let it simmer for 40-50 minutes until reduced to 1 cup. Start checking at 40 minutes, and let it simmer longer if needed. Let it cool completely before using in the cake batter.
    (You’ll use half in the cake batter and the other half in the caramel sauce.)

For the Apple Cider Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the granulated white sugar, brown sugar, and butter on high speed for 2 minutes using an electric mixer (or stand mixer with a paddle attachment).
  • Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
  • Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of apple cider reduction, and apple butter. The batter will look curdled but will come together once the dry ingredients are added.
  • Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 48-52 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cool.

For the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce:

  • While the cake bakes, make the caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining apple cider reduction, butter, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cream. Let it simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Pour the caramel into a bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • While the cake cools, make the frosting by whipping the butter on high speed in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
  • Add the cold cream cheese and mix on medium speed until fully combined and fluffy.
  • Sift in the powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed for 1 minute until fluffy.

Assembling the Cake:

  • Once the cake is completely cool, lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper and place it on a serving plate. Poke holes in the top of the cake with a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Transfer the cooled apple cider caramel sauce to a piping bag and pipe the caramel into the holes of the cake. If the caramel is too thick, gently warm it to make it easier to work with.
  • Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Drizzle extra caramel over the frosting and swirl it gently with the back of a spoon.
  • Cut the cake into 16 squares and serve! For an extra touch, drizzle more apple cider caramel over each piece before serving. Enjoy!