Brambrack

Brambrack is a traditional Irish recipe for a classic holiday teacake of a soaked fruit, flour, spice, egg, sugar and marmalade batter with orange zest that's oven baked until golden and which, traditionally had trinkets baked within it. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Irish version of: Brambrack.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

50 minutes

Total Time:

70 minutes

Additional Time:

(+2 hours maceration)

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Baking Recipes Cake Recipes Irish Recipes

Brambrack is a traditional Irish cake eaten on holidays. According to the tradition objects are added to the dough before baking — objects that will mean something for the person receiving the slice. (For example: coin-wealth or good fortune; ring-will marry within the year; bean-poverty; pea-will not marry within the year; matchstick-unhappy marriage; thimble-single for life.)

Ingredients:

390g chopped mixed fruit
360ml hot black tea
310g flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
300g caster sugar
80g lemon marmalade
1 tsp freshly-grated orange zest

Method:

Add the dried fruit to a bowl, pour the tea over them and allow to soak for 2 hours. Drain the fruit at the end of this time and squeeze out any excess tea.

Beat together the egg, sugar, marmalade and orange zest until well combined then add the fruit and stir into the mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Gently fold in the flour until just combined then pour into a well-greased ring mould (Bundt pan).

Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C (350°F/Gas Mark 4) and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly browned and springs back when pressed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 2 hours before tipping onto a wire rack.

Allow to cool completely before serving.