Gluten Free Irish Tea Bread (Barm Brack)

With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to share a Gluten Free recipe for Irish Tea Bread (Barm Brack), a cake that in Ireland we eat around Halloween. It is a delicious cake to have in the fall months with butter and a cup of tea.

If you want to keep the Irish tradition of the ring in your Barm Brack then once your mixture is prepared, wrap a cheap ring or charm in a little parchment paper then stir it into the mixture before adding to your loaf pan. The tradition being that whoever gets the ring in their slice of bread will be the next to wed. 

This Gluten Free Tea Bread (Barm Brack) is not a light and airy cake, but dense and full of fruit. As you can see, the loaf slices beautifully. An added perk to this Gluten Free Tea Bread is that it is also dairy-free! Yep, no butter, milk or yogurt!

This tea bread is based on a recipe where dried fruit is soaked in hot tea which absorbs the liquid and flavour of the tea and the fruit plumps up. 

5 from 1 reviews

Gluten Free Irish Tea Bread (Barm Brack)

 

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Author: Laura Blaine

Ingredients

• 350g Dried mixed fruit, I used a mixture or raisins, golden raisins, sultanas, dried orange peel.
• 228g/1¼ cups soft, dark brown sugar
• 300 ml Hot black tea (stronger is better) I used 3 tea bags
• 285g/1¾ cups Gluten free self raising flour, sifted
• 1 Egg, Beaten
• 1.2 tsp mixed spice
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

1. Put all the dried fruit into a bowl with the brown sugar and pour the hot tea over the top. Cover and let stand on the counter overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C Fan/ Gas Mark 4
3. Grease and flour the inside of a loaf tin and set aside.
4. Pour the fruit/tea mixture into a large bowl.
5. Next, add the beaten egg.
6. Add the gluten free flour, mixed spice, xanthan gum and baking powder and mix well.
7. At this point add in your ring/charm wrapped in parchment paper. (see note in post above). Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan.
8. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the gluten free tea bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove and place on a cooling rack. Be sure to cool completely before slicing.

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