Put on the kettle and embrace the ‘plumpcious’ joy of a tea loaf with Rick Stein

“I really think afternoon tea without a slice of cake is not worth having,” says the chef.

Source: Rick Stein's Cornwall

--- Watch Rick Stein making his traditional fruit tea loaf in season 3 of Rick Stein's Cornwall, 8.30pm Thursdays on SBS Food from 6 April to 8 June, with episodes available at SBS On Demand for 30 days after they air. ---

 

“It’ll be all lovely and plumpcious,” says Rick Stein as he sets a bowl of fruit to steep in tea.

Plumpcious. What a great word, Rick Stein! And such a good fit with the comforting, uplifting nature of a slice of tea loaf – which is what he’s making when he uses that wonderfully evocative adjective, pouring hot tea over dried fruit and leaving it to plump up, ready to add to the cake batter.

“It’s my firm belief that a slice or two of tea loaf with butter and plum compote is simply the best pairing of a cup of tea ever,” says Stein, working in his kitchen after a visit to a Cornish tea plantation, in the latest series of Rick Stein’s Cornwall.    

“I really think afternoon tea without a slice of cake is not worth having really and what I particularly like is a cake with fruit in it.  I suppose the sort of master cake with fruit is Christmas cake, but actually, during the year, I just love this tea loaf. What I really like about it is you can taste the tea in it and it makes it that bit different.”

Rick Stein samples his freshly made tea loaf Source: Rick Stein's Cornwall

This brings us to an interesting point about tea loaf – it’s a tricky thing to define.

Tea loaves are, along with tea breads and tea cake, part of a family of lovely bakes, often but not always made with dried fruit. The Oxford Companion to Food describes tea breads and tea cakes as a family of “yeast-leavened baked goods considered suitable for afternoon tea or high tea in Britain, including many spiced, fruited and enriched breads and buns”. But there are many ‘tea cakes’ and ‘tea loaves’ that don’t use yeast, too, especially here in Australia. (An aside, for those who love old recipes: Wondering about tea cakes send me on a lovely visit to the older books on my shelf. I am particularly enchanted with a 'Tea Cake' recipe in a treasured 1945 CWA cookbook, which has given me a whole new appreciation for the idea of spreading butter on tea cake/loaf. In this recipe, the bottom side of the still-warm cake, now forming its top after being turned out, is spread thickly with butter and sprinkled with spiced sugar and chopped nuts, with the mixture sets as it cools).

Mulberry tea cake Source: Michelle Crawford

A tea loaf is usually loaf shaped, but some loaf-shaped versions are called tea cakes (like the mulberry tea cake pictured above). Some are iced, some are not. And some versions use tea, like Stein’s, but many do not.

Confused? Don’t worry about it. Whether you make Rick Stein's fruit loaf (with tea), a traditional Irish barmbrack (also with tea), or a clever ‘Use it all’ loaf (without), the key thing is that they are all lovely with a cup of tea.

Here are some of the SBS Food team's favourites to try:

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Donal Skeehan's barmbrack

Barmbrack Source: Donal's Kitchen Hero

"Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruit cake which is also known as Irish tea cake depending on the time of year that you’re eating it," Donal Skeehan explains. "This recipe makes a really beautiful, moist loaf, packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which has sat overnight in cold tea and whiskey to soak up all the goodness... I used to get it in my school lunchbox around Halloween every year. Traditionally, a ring is baked into the cake, and there would be great excitement every year as to who would get the slice with the ring in it."

Lola Orr’s potato tea loaf

Potato tea loaf Source: Destination Flavour

From the Destination Flavour recipe archive, this recipe uses mashed potato in the mix, along with raisins and lemon zest (no tea in this one), to create a simple loaf that's perfect with a swipe of butter.

Rick Stein's fruit tea loaf with plum compote

Rick Stein's fruit loaf with plum spread Source: Rick Stein's Cornwall

Stein's recipe soaks mixed dried fruit in strong tea, to add extra flavour. Enjoy this traditional loaf with butter, or make Stein's plum spread and top your slice with a generous spoonful of that, too.

Nana’s date nut loaf

Date and nut loaf from Monday Morning Cooking Club Source: Harper Collins

A date loaf is a long-standing favourite in Australian kitchens, including that of Monday Morning Cooking Club member Jacqui, who shared this recipe in the MMCC book It's Always About The Food. While many traditional date loaf recipes soak the fruit in boiling water, this recipe adds flavour by using tea to soften the dates. 

Use it all loaf

Use it all loaf Source: Murdoch Books / Cath Muscat

"This tea loaf recipe is a staple at the Cornersmith cafe and in our kitchens at home. We love it because you can throw in any grated fruits or vegetables, any nuts, seeds or choc chips and any spices you need to use up and it always works," says Alex Elliott-Howery and Jaimee Edwards of this versatile recipe, which appeared in their book of the same name (you can see more of the clever recipes they shared with us from Use It All here).

Lemon raspberry loaf

Lemon raspberry loaf Source: Mary Makes It Easy

The loaves above are all lovely served with butter. If, instead, you're looking for an iced fruit loaf, try this pretty bake. It comes from cheery Canadian Mary Berg, who shared this recipe in the first episode of the new season of Mary Makes It Easy, currently airing on SBS Food and at SBS On Demand. "The only thing that makes a lemon raspberry loaf better? A lemon raspberry glaze!" she says. A slice of this delicious lemony, sweet-tart loaf is perfect with a cup of tea. (There's no tea in this loaf since it uses fresh, rather than dried, fruit.) If you have blueberries on hand, rather than raspberries, try this glazed blueberry lemon loaf recipe from Anna Olson.

Tea cakes, too

Apple tea cake Source: Plum Books / Luisa Brimble

While we've been focussing mostly on tea loaves, it would be a pity not to give some love to tea cakes, too. While tea and nut loaf recipes can have a denser texture than other cakes, sometimes, the only difference is shape. Try the pretty apple tea cake pictured above, enjoy a simple but lovely chai tea cake made with tea, lean into the buttery goodness of a myrtle tea cake, featuring native Australian flavours (and a generous icing-to-cake ratio!), or serve up individual apple honey tea cakes. Cake meets dessert in this apple and saffron teacake from Matthew Evans, while this turmeric tea cake (sfouf) uses tahini to grease the tin, creating a moist outer to the dense almond cake,

And jam to serve...

Raspberry chia jam Source: Simon & Schuster

If, like Rick Stein, you enjoy a fruity spread on your slice of tea loaf/tea cake/tea bread, our jam recipe collection has some excellent options. When strawberries are plentiful, try strawberry and vanilla conserve. Other berry conserves also work well with traditional, dried-fruit-based tea loaves - try a blackcurrant jam, blackberry jam or a raspberry chia jam (pictured above). If you're lucky enough to have access to rosellas, make this rosella jam. Save your banana peels for banana peel caramel jam or discover the vibrant joy of rose petal jam. Or for an even easier topping, try rhubarb and rosemary smash.