Recipe
Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Icing
A moist banana loaf topped with tangy cream cheese icing and a simple banana finish.
Traditional Bara Brith
In the Oven
serves 10
Bara brith is a dependable Welsh tea loaf where dried fruit is soaked until plump, then baked into a gently spiced loaf.
It keeps well, slices neatly and is best served with a cup of tea and a little butter. Soaking the fruit first is the small step that makes the loaf moist rather than dry.
8 hrs prep1 hr 15 mins cook9 hrs 15 mins total
Put the dried fruit and brown sugar in a bowl, pour over the hot tea, stir and leave to soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
Stir the flour, mixed spice, beaten egg and orange zest, if using, into the soaked fruit until no dry flour remains.
Spoon into the tin, level the top and bake for 65-75 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Slice when cool and serve with butter if liked.
Keep cooking
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