Home » Baking » Apricot Tea Bread Recipe
By Janice Pattie 72 Comments
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Apricot Tea Bread is one of my all-time cake tin favourites. It’s really simple to make you just need to plan ahead to soak the dried fruit in advance.
Then you simply mix in the other ingredients and pop it into the oven. The resulting cake is sweet and moist and delicious. It gets even better if you wrap it in foil and keep it for a day or two.
Dried Apricots
I do not remember a time when I did not love the taste of dried apricots. However, it is only relatively recently that the soft, plump ready to eat apricots we know and love have become available.
The apricots I remember from my childhood and teens were hard and dry, that is until you soaked them in hot tea which they soaked up eagerly, turning into a luscious sweet treat.
Making Easy Apricot Tea Bread
You will notice that I have used a variety of dried fruits in my Apricot Tea Bread. It is a very adaptable recipe and it’s nice to include some raisins, sultanas or, in this case, a mixture of dried cranberries and dried cherries.
If you want to keep it simple, then use only dried apricots. Cut them into halves or quarters with a pair of scissors and you will get a nice even spread of fruit across the tea bread.
If the pieces are small there is less risk of them sinking to the bottom of the cake.
More Tea Bread Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen
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An everyday cake, simple to make. Full of tea-soaked fruit, it slices beautifully and keeps well in an airtight tin or wrapped in foil.
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This a lovely moist fruit cake, there is a hint of whisky, black treacle and dark brown sugar also add a lovely depth to the flavour.
Check out this recipe
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Apricot Tea Bread
Janice Pattie
A rich and fruity tea bread packed full of delicious apricots and other dried fruits and oh so easy to make.
4.42 from 48 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Bookmark
Prep Time 2 hours hrs
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Baking
Cuisine British
Servings 10
Calories 278 kcal
Ingredients
- 350 grams (2⅓ cups) mixture of apricots and other dried fruit
- 225 grams (1¼ cups) light or dark muscovado sugar
- 300 millilitres (1¼ cups) hot tea
- 275 grams (1⅓ cups) self-raising flour
- 1 (1) orange, zest only alternately use lemon zest
- 1 (1) large egg beaten
Instructions
Cut the dried apricots into halves or quarters, I find a pair of scissors is the best way to do this, although you can use a knife.
Put the dried fruit and sugar in a bowl and pour over the hot tea.Leave it overnight to soak up the tea, but I didn’t have time, so mine got 2 hours and was still pretty wet.
Heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2
Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment or one of those clever loaf tin liners.
Add the flour, orange or lemon zest and beaten egg to the fruit and tea mixture and stir with a spoon till mixed through.
Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hrs or until it is well risen, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Peel of the baking paper or liner and serve sliced with or without butter.
Notes
You can use all apricots or a mixture of apricots and other dried fruits like raisins, sultanas or dried cranberries.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 5gFat: 1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 11mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 3gSugar: 41gVitamin A: 1290IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1.3mg
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Reader Interactions
Comments
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Camilla @FabFood4All says
Lovely Janice and if I'd had some Apricots I would have started soaking straight away. I was expecting to see yeast in the ingredients but this is so easy that I shall have to make it the next time I have some dried apricots:-)
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Janice Pattie says
You don't need to use apricots, I've made it with dates before, any dried fruit will do. I just love apricots and always have them in the house. It is super easy to make.
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Debs Dust Bunny says
I LOVE dried apricots. I must give this recipe a try. Thank you!
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Claudia says
Hi Janice,
this looks abolutely delicious! I have eaten a similar bread in Switerland several times that had been made with dried pears.
I made the experience several times as well that many liquids won't add an intense taste when baked. Regarding (green) tea, matcha could be a solution. I never tried that myself so far, just a thought.
Cheers,
ClaudiaReply
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Helen Paterson says
I still have some dried apricots leftover from the Nigel Slater cake I made so think this one might be on this weekends 'to do' list.
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Choclette says
It looks lovely Janice – dried apricots are delicious.
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Corina says
Tea bread reminds me of my gran. It looks so easy to make I might try and have a go. I'm such a lazy blogger I haven't made anything new for ages but I am feeling the beginnings of inspiration!
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Caroline says
Mmm, you've reminded me that it's been too long since I last made a teabread. I love them too.
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Baking Addict says
I like the idea of soaking the fruits in tea before baking. Thanks for entering AlphaBakes.
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Priyanka says
Hi, what kind of tea would you recommend?
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Janice Pattie says
I use black breakfast tea but you can make it with any kind of tea.
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Patent Lawyer says
I'm closing my eyes, imagining a slice of this with my cup of tea of an afternoon! So gorgeous!
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Sweeter Life Club says
I like this apricot flavor very much that's why I also like your delicious Apricot Loaf Cake.
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Lucy says
Oh I am a big fan of apricots too, the tip to soak them in tea is great as I think the plump ones you can get now have a few nasties in them as well as being more expensive so I’d much rather use the traditional dried ones!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Lucy. Prunes are also lovely soaked in tea.
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Mandy says
Sounds so good Janice – I am a huge fan of tea loaves like this and also love dried apricots so will have to give this a try. Love the blue plate you’ve used in your photos as well. Thanks for linking to my earl grey and rhubarb loaf x
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Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Mandy. It’s definitely a favourite with us and a friend of mine has made it and had some great compliments.
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Monika Dabrowski says
Your tea bread looks great, and I love how simple it is to make, and with so few ingredients. Thank you for including my recipe in your post!
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Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Monika. Yes, it’s really easy to make and never fails me.
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Elizabeth says
That is one seriously gorgeous looking tea loaf! It’s been ages since I’ve made a tea loaf and I’m suddenly craving one with my afternoon cuppa. I’ll give this a try!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Elizabeth. You make such lovely bakes, I’m sure will whip up a tea bread in no time.
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Nickki says
I absolutely love fruit loaf and this looks packed with fruit. I would love a slice!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Nickki. You’ll need to make one so you can enjoy a slice!
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Corina Blum says
I love dried apricots too and we always have a bag of them in the cupboard. This tea loaf looks delicious with them in!
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Janice Pattie says
Oh yes, they are so delicious and really make this tea bread special.
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Mmm, that’s just bursting with fruit! I really fancy some now with a cup of tea 🙂
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Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Cathy. It is perfect with a cup of tea.
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This looks wonderful!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you Kat, it’s a simple recipe but always turns out well.
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jenny walters says
What a lovely recipe. I just love Tea Bread but strangely haven’t made some for years. So feeling suitably inspired. My daughter loves apricots too. Pinned to my cake board! Thank you so much for sharing with #CookBlogShare
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, it’s one I often forget about too, but oh how much fun to rediscover!
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Claire Thomas says
I don’t make enough tea bread, so thank you for reminding me of it’s wonderful versatility – this would be perfect to have on hand for 3pm nibbles I reckon!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Claire. Yes, it ideal for afternoon nibbling!
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Jacqueline Meldrum says
Oh yum! You can’t beat a good tea loaf, especially spread with butter. YUM! Sharing this one now and drooling a bit too!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Jac. It is lovely with butter, but also good without as it is nice and moist.
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Choclette says
I’m all for traditional bakes at the moment, so this is getting a big thumbs up for me. Plus I love dried apricots – mmm!
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Janice Pattie says
Traditional recipes do seem to be popular and dried apricots are also my favorite dried fruit.
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Heidi Roberts says
I love old fashioned tea breads/cakes. I sometimes like to soak my fruit in earl grey tea then I use some of the liquid in the tea bread.
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Janice Pattie says
Earl grey is a lovely tea to use in a tea loaf.
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Camilla Hawkins says
I haven’t made a tea bread in too long, your recipe looks divine Janice!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Camilla. It’s a lovely cake to have in the cake tin or slice and freeze, so you can take it out as you need it.
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Sisley White says
Your photography is so stunning! I’m dribbling over my computer. I have to make this
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Sisley. I really appreciate your compliment as your photography is always very beautiful. The Apricot Tea Bread is very delicious, I hope you enjoy it.
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Tel says
Has anybody actually cooked this? Does it work without any fat??
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Tel
I have been making this recipe for years and it certainly does work without fat. If you scroll down the comments you will see that Lesley has made this tea bread with excellent results. I hope you enjoy the recipe.Reply
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Tel says
Thanks, I have made it and it does work. I still can’t work out how but it’s very nice. Thanks again!
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Janice Pattie says
That’s good to hear. Enjoy!
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Alexandra says
Delicious – I have never had a bread made from tea before, but I will be changing that soon! Big tea fan, and love my apricots too!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Alexandra. It’s more of a cake than a bread but please do try it, everyone seems to love it.
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Denise bellion says
Could you please tell me what I could use instead of muscovdo sugar none in the shops at the moment
ThankyouReply
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Denise, thanks for getting in contact. Ideally, any soft brown sugar would do, but you could probably also make the tea loaf with caster sugar if you can’t get brown sugar. It won’t taste quite the same but it should still give you a lovely Apricot Tea Loaf. Janice
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Lesley says
I love tea bread and this is now my favourite recipe for it. I used apricots, cranberries and currants and dark muscavado sugar as that is what I had in the house. The result is a delicious, fruity, flavoursome bake. So easy to make and a recipe I will now return to again and again. A perfect tea bread.
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Janice Pattie says
Thanks, Lesley. It’s a real favourite here too.
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Charls says
Sadly for me this one was an unmitigated disaster. Followed the instructions to the letter and the loaf refused to rise, spilt everywhere into my oven and at last count has been cooking for two hours! Not sure what went wrong for a fairly simple recipe but very disappointed.
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Janice Pattie says
I’m really sorry to hear that, Charls. I’ve made the loaf many times with no problems at all. I hope you’ll give the recipe another try because it really is delicious.
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Maura says
Could you say how many calories etc this is per portion or weight please. I love your recipes – I’m a huge fan but I am finding the excessive amount of intrusive pop up ads truly annoying. Such a shame as it totally spoils the experience. I appreciate they are a necessary evil these days and bring a certain amount of funds but couldn’t you stick to the less invasive ones that your followers could open if required. I don’t think pop up ones actually serve any real purpose other than to annoy. Thanks.
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Maura, thank you so much for your feedback, it is very much appreciated. The calorie count for the Apricot Tea Bread is in the recipe card. It is calculated on 10 slices from 1 loaf at 278 kcal per slice. These are big slices so you could cut them in half if you want a treat with fewer calories.
Thank you also for your understanding about the need for ads, but I have taken on board your feedback about the impact on your experience of pop up ads. I was trialling a different type of ad but have now switched this off. I hope you will continue to enjoy my recipes and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions. Janice
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Charlotte says
This is the second recipe from your website I have made this weekend and both turned out perfectly. This is a lovely loaf, that I will be making regularly now!
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Charlotte. it’s certainly a favourite of ours. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
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Sue Mason says
Im using the soft ready to eat apricots – do I need to reduce the amount of liquid?
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Sue, I use the ready to eat apricots, so the liquid should be fine.
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Sonia says
Hello, stumbled upon your site, the picture was too nice to pass without checking out the recipe.just wish, more people would’ve baked this and then commented. There appear to be only two who actually have! I read reviews to see tweaks people have made, especially if sugar can be decreased or if they used a glass or tin loaf pans etc. My fruits are chopped and soaking. I’ll be sure to let you know how it turned out. Cheers!
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Sonia, thanks for your kind comments. The recipe has been tested using the ingredients as listed and has been baked in a metal pan. I hope you enjoy the Apricot Tea Bread as much as we do.
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Jay says
Hello from the USA and thanks for the wonderful recipe! I admit I didn’t read quite closely enough and used all-purpose flour instead of self-rising, so I made a very dense, very flat loaf (oops) that was still tasty despite my error. Can’t wait to make it properly again sometime; I think it’ll be perfect for gifting to friends and neighbors.
A note: muscovado sugar isn’t common in America — I’ve never seen it stocked in any shops here (and my spellcheck doesn’t think it’s a word at all, ha). Anyone who’s in the same situation will want to use dark brown sugar, not light, and maybe add a bit of molasses. But now I’m very curious to try muscovado!
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Janice Pattie says
Hi Jay, thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed the tea loaf despite the flour mix-up. I know we use self-raising flour a lot more in the UK than you do in the US, so it’s understandable. Muscovado is also sometimes known as Barbados sugar, but your suggestions for a substitute is absolutely correct. Thanks for your attention to helping others 🙂
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Lisa says
Hi, I am from Canada and the substitution is Demerara sugar. This should be readily available.
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Lois Luckovich says
Sounds yummy, I’ve bookmarked this site and will be making this bread as soon as I get the supplies to make it!
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Janice Pattie says
That’s great to hear. I hope you enjoy the Apricot Tea Bread as much as we do.
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Lynda Henshaw says
I made the tea bread a couple of days ago, it is so very delicious, my friends loved it too, I followed the recipe exactly except for the orange zest, it was beautifully moist, has kept well for nearly a week, I will definitely make it again, thank you Janice.
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Janice Pattie says
Thank you, Lynda. I’m glad you enjoyed the tea bread, I think it actually gets better if you can manage to keep it!
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Melissa Forde says
so tasty! I veganized it by swapping the egg with 1/3 cup of vegetable oil and it was perfect! I didn’t have self-rising flour so I just added 1.5 tsp of baking powder and 0.25 tsp salt and it still turned out, though didn’t rise quite as much. will definitely be making this again!
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Janice Pattie says
Oh that’s so interesting. Thanks for sharing and I’m pleased you enjoyed the loaf.
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