Welsh Tea Loaf

Welsh Tea Loaf

Vanilla and Molasses Cake with Raisins

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 1h
Total Time: 1h 15m
Temp.: 350 °F
Servings: 20
Difficulty: Easy
4.9 (25 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

583
Calories
24.7g
Fat
102mg
Cholesterol
628mg
Sodium
87.6g
Carbohydrate
7g
Protein
Welsh Tea Loaf

Recipe Description

Made famous in our family by my great-grandmother, this Welsh Tea Loaf, also known as Bara Brith, is perfect for any afternoon tea party!

Studded with plump raisins or currants and usually soaked in tea, which we’ve left out for ease of baking and which you can enjoy served in a teacup instead, with the best Welsh Tea Loaf to relax you on any afternoon.

To make Welsh Tea Loaf, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Welsh Tea Loaf

Recipe Features

No specific features for this recipe

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet

    5 min
    Step 1 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Preheat oven to 350 °F and lightly grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

  2. 2

    Cook raisins

    2 min
    Step 2 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine 2¾ cups of water with 15 ounces of raisins and bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for about 2 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add baking soda

    10 min
    Step 3 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Remove saucepan from the heat and stir in 4 teaspoons of baking soda. Allow to cool completely.

  4. 4

    Combine butter and sugar

    3 min
    Step 4 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    In a large mixing bowl, combine 1½ cups of butter and 1½ cups of sugar until light and fluffy.

  5. 5

    Add eggs

    3 min
    Step 5 - Welsh Tea LoafStep 5 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Beat in 3 eggs, 1 at a time and combine well before adding each one.

  6. 6

    Add flavor

    1 min
    Step 6 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Add 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Stir to mix through.

  7. 7

    Add flour

    3 min
    Step 7 - Welsh Tea LoafStep 7 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Add 4 cups of all-purpose flour and mix to combine well.

  8. 8

    Add raisin mixture

    2 min
    Step 8 - Welsh Tea LoafStep 8 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Fold in the raisin mixture and combine well.

  9. 9

    Bake

    60 min
    Step 9 - Welsh Tea LoafStep 9 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Transfer loaf batter to the prepared loaf tins and bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  10. 10

    Serve

    Step 10 - Welsh Tea Loaf

    Allow to cool slightly, in loaf pans to serve at room temperature.

If you love baking but are tired of the same recipes, then this Welsh Tea Loaf recipe is a great option to try that promises outstanding results. Let us know how your loaves come out and share some pictures with us online when you use the hashtag #cookmerecipes online to be in touch!

About the author

Lilly Mathuse

Lilly is an enthusiastic and cheerful young mom. She knows as well as any parent that children can be really picky when it comes to food. And she’s had plenty of experience trying to cook meals that are both tasty and nutritious, and able to satisfy the tastes of a fussy kid right away! To save you some precious time, Lilly's going to share with you all the tricks she learned the hard way, so you don’t have to! She has a wealth of recipes for quick and easy meals for kids and families on a budget.

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
4.9 out of 5 (25 reviews)
Megan
February 17, 2025
Verified

Incredible! This loaf took me back to grandma's tea parties. So easy and delicious, I could eat it all day! 😍

Penelope
February 16, 2025
Verified

Superb tea loaf!

Xena
April 9, 2024
Verified

I tried this recipe and it reminded me of afternoons with my grandma. The loaf was so easy to make and tasted just like hers! Grateful to have this in my collection.

Quintero Alvaro
January 10, 2024
Verified

Este pastel de té es fabuloso y trae recuerdos de la infancia. A mis hijos les encanta.

Karla Méndez
November 14, 2023
Verified

Estoy muy agradecida por esta receta de Welsh Tea Loaf. Recuerda mi abuela, quien siempre lo hacia para las meriendas. Es tan fácil y delicioso, perfecto para compartir en familia.

Diana Smith
October 20, 2023
Verified

Absolutely delicious!

Hannah Johnson
March 24, 2023
Verified

Yum!

Yuri
August 6, 2022
Verified

So good bro!! Made it for tea time with my fam and they loved it! 🥰 Perfectly sweet and super easy to whip up! Definitely a win for us!

Wendy
June 16, 2021
Verified

Exceptional

Lila
April 27, 2021
Verified

Best tea loaf ever! Reminds me of grandma.

Jodie
March 14, 2021
Verified

This recipe brought back fond memories of my grandmother's tea parties, simply delightful.

Andrew Smith
January 16, 2021
Verified

Superb!

Xara
August 2, 2020
Verified

Simply scrumptious treat

Joelle Zanis
May 6, 2020
Verified

Wasn't sure I'd like this a lot since I'm used to eating things like the banana bread or welsh cakes but this was actually good, thx.

Clover Housley
April 30, 2020
Verified

Very happy with how this bread turned out, not to dry or hard and never crumbles, perfect alongside some coffee or tea.

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