This is a super cake for making use of the ends of packets of dried fruits and nuts. Based on the traditional tea loaf the fruits are soaked in hot tea, any flavour, or substitute fruit juice. The fruits plump up after overnight soaking. The loaf cake does not contain any fat and only uses one egg. It keeps well and can be frozen!
Makes 1 x large AGA loaf tin or 2 small
1 x 900g AGA loaf tin, buttered and lined with baking parchment
375g dried fruit – use a selection including glacé cherries
100g nuts – walnuts or brazils or cashews or hazelnuts
225g brown sugar
300ml hot tea
1 egg, beaten
280g wholemeal self raising flour
Method:
Soak the dried fruits, sugar and nuts in the hot tea overnight. Then stir in the egg and flour and turn into the prepared 2 lb loaf tin.
2 oven AGA: Place the tin into the half size roasting tin and slide onto the lowest set of runners in the Roasting Oven with the cold plain shelf set on the second set of runners down. Cook until risen and set, about 40 minutes then transfer the hot plain shelf into the Simmering Oven and place the loaf tin on top and cook for a further 30 minutes or until cooked through. Test with a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done, if not cook a little longer. Alternatively divide between two smaller tins.
3, 4 and 5 oven AGA: Cook on the oven grid shelf set on the floor of the Baking Oven for about 55-65 minutes, or until risen and cooked through. Test with a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done, if not cook a little longer.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. Serve sliced with or without butter – a personal choice!
Conventional cooking: Bake at 180ºC (350ºF), fan oven at 160ºC, Gas Mark 4 for about 55-65 minutes, until risen and cooked through.
Dawn Roads
AGA Demonstrator
