Classic Tea Brack

Tea brack is pretty hard to beat as a winter cake. It's dead easy to make, rich and tasty, lasts for ages and freezes well. In Ireland it is usually served buttered like bread with a strong cup of tea. [editor's note: it makes great hiking food. Forget about Cliff bars and granola snacks - pack a couple of slabs of tea brack for a real treat on at the end of a walk on a cold winter's day.]

Ingredients

• 8 oz sultanas
• 4 oz raisins
• 4 oz currants
• 6 oz of demerara sugar
• 1/4 pint of hot tea
• 1 egg
• 8 oz of self raising flour

Mix the dried fruit, sugar and hot tea together. Cover and leave overnight.

Heat your oven to 160 C, 325 F or gas mark 3. Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin.

Add the egg to the fruit mix, beat well, then gradually stir in the flour

Place the mixture into the tin and bake for about 60 minutes until firm. Test the cake with the blade of a knife. The cake should be firm but the knife blade not completely clear when it is withdrawn, i.e. the cake is cooked but still moist.