I absolutely love this recipe, it’s so easy it’s untrue, plus its fat and dairy free too so that makes it even more amazing as if that were possible! The first time I ever had Bara Brith was on holiday with my parents in Wales, my memory is a bit hazy but we’d just visited a mine, I opted for the Bara Brith in the Cafe with a nice cup of tea to thaw out (my sisters and I were practically weaned on tea!) I seem to recall there was a tiny earthquake that day too. Just think, all those memories conjured up by a simple slice of fruit cake.
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Fair warning, this isn’t one of those cakes that you can decide that you’d like some with a nice cup of tea in an hours time. To get a super moist Bara Brith you need to soak the fruit overnight, it makes a huge difference to the fruit after soaking up all the cold tea – yes, I said cold tea! Each currant, sultana or raisin is simply waiting to burst in your mouth once they’ve soaked for this length of time.
However, on the occasion I re-made this loaf to rephotograph, I cheated (it does happen, I’m not Mary Poppins and practically perfect in every way!) I only left the fruit to soak for 30-40 mins this time and just for a change I decided to use loose leaf earl grey tea that my friend Sally gave me for my Birthday! It was a stroke of genius and really adds a gorgeous perfume to the bake.
Gluten Free Bara Brith Recipe
This Traditional Bara Brith recipe made gluten free is such an easy bake to make, everything goes in one bowl, stir and bake for an hour – simple! Soak your fruit over night in tea for that added moist texture to this Welsh favourite recipe.
- 300 g Dried Fruit any combination but I tend to use mixed fruit
- 250 g Light Muscovado Sugar
- 300 ml Strong Hot Tea I normally use 3 teabags and remove them before pouring onto fruit
- 350 g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
- 1 Large Egg
- Boil kettle and add hot water to 3 teabags in a measuring jug, leave to steep whilst weighing other ingredients.
- Measure out the fruit and sugar in a large bowl, pour on tea (with teabags removed) stir and leave for 8 or more hours
- Read a book, watch 3 films, go to bed…..
- Stir sugar and fruit mixture to mix in any sugar that has settled at the bottom of the bowl, weight out the flour and mix into fruit finally add beaten egg.
- Pour into a 2lb loaf tin. Now you may have a bit extra, see how it goes but this cake does not rise massively so don’t be scared to fill the tin quite high.
- Cook on 150C/300F/Gas 2 for 1 hour 20 mins before checking, it will be crispy on top.
- This cake is super scrummy served with butter and a cup of tea!
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A post packed with 20 delicious Autumn/Winter inspired comfort foods made gluten free, dairy free and in most cases egg free too
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Please can you tell me whether you greased the loaf tins?
Thank you
Hi there Leni. I have a great non stick tin so tend not to need to grease the tin, that said, I would recommend popping some greaseproof paper in the bottom of the loaf tin to ensure you don’t leave any Bara Brith in the bottom when you turn it out. I hope you like the recipe. Rebecca x
Wonder if this would work in a muffin tin with liners? Thanks for this recipe. It’s my first time making bara brith OR gluten free. Wish me luck!
Ooh! I like that idea, i bet it would work you know, this is a good recipe to start if you’re only just venturing into gluten free baking, I’d bake them for 20mins then check with a skewer can’t imagine they’d need much more than that. Good luck and let me know how it goes xx
Will definitely be trying this.
These look lovely! I’m no baker but reckon even I could make these!