Bara Brith, the classic Welsh Tea Bread, packs tea soaked fruit into a lightly spiced loaf that is dreamy slathered with butter. The crushed sugar cubes is a fun and yes, sweet touch.

Sugar-Crusted Bara Brith

Ingredients:

400g/14oz mixed dried fruit (such as lemon peel, orange peel, raisins, currants)
75g dried cranberries
8 oz hot strong black tea
100g butter
2 Tbs orange marmalade
2 eggs, beaten
450g self-rising flour
175g light soft brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
4 Tbs milk
50g crushed sugar cubes

Directions:

1. Mix together the dried fruit and cranberries in a large bowl, then pour the hot tea over. Cover with cling film and leave to soak overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉.

3. Grease and line the bottom of a 900g/2lb/9 x 5 inch loaf tin with baking parchment.

4. Melt butter and marmalade together in a saucepan. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs.

5. Drain any excess tea from the fruit.

6. Mix the flour, sugar and spices together, then stir in the fruit, butter mixture and milk until evenly combined. If the batter does not softly drop from the spoon, add a little more milk.

7. Spoon batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Sprinkle with the crushed sugar.

8. Bake for 1-1¼ hrs until dark golden and a tester inserted comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it starts to over-color before the middle is cooked.

9. Leave to cool completely in the tin and serve sliced.

Recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine

What could be better with Welsh Tea Bread than a slice of indie pop from Wales? I love this bendigedig pounding tune.

Check out Tree Of Wolves on Facebook and Bandcamp, where the band is offering the song as a free download.

Cheers!