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Irish

Barmbrack

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Bairín breac

A dense, moist Irish fruit loaf of dried fruit soaked overnight in strong tea, lightly spiced and sliced thickly with butter. Traditionally baked at Halloween.

Barmbrack is an Irish cake from Ireland, ready in about 1 hour 45 minutes and made with black tea (brewed) and raisins. It serves 12 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 45 min
Serves
12
Level
Beginner
Calories
230

Plus overnight soaking of the fruit in tea.

Ingredients

12 slices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pour the hot tea over the dried fruit and sugar, stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 170 °C and line a 900 g loaf tin (opens in a new tab). Sift the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and spices into the fruit, add the egg (opens in a new tab) and mix well.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon into the tin, level and bake until risen, firm and a skewer comes out clean. Cover with foil if it browns too fast.

  4. Step 4

    Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then on a rack. Serve sliced, spread with butter (opens in a new tab).

    About this dish

    Origin
    Ireland · Well documentedThe Halloween brack traditionally hides a ring, said to foretell marriage for whoever finds it. This quick 'tea brack' uses baking powder instead of yeast.More food from Ireland
    Dish
    Snack · Breakfast · Cakes · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked
    Taste
    sweet, fruity, aromatic / warmly spiced
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
    Without the optional extras: Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Festive & celebration · Budget-friendly
    Cook more with
    Black tea (brewed) · Raisins · Brown sugar · All-purpose flour · Baking powder · Allspice
    Techniques
    Baking · Fermentation

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
    • May contain: Sulphitesfrom raisins

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    230 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 97 g · recipe makes 12

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 6%
    • Carbohydrate 91%
    • Fat 3%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy230 kcal238 kcal
    Protein3.8 g3.9 g
    Carbohydrate55.1 g56.9 g
    Net carbohydrate53 g54.7 g
    Sugars33.9 g35 g
    Added sugars12.1 g12.5 g
    Fibre2.2 g2.2 g
    Fat0.7 g0.7 g
    Saturated fat0.2 g0.2 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol16 mg16 mg
    Sodium98 mg101 mg
    Salt equivalent0.2 g0.3 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    304 mg
    Calcium
    82 mg
    Iron
    1.8 mg
    Magnesium
    19 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    7 µg
    Vitamin C
    1 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    66 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: butter.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • It slices better and tastes better after a day wrapped in foil.

    Storage

    • Keeps a week wrapped in an airtight tin.

    Reheating

    • Lovely toasted and buttered.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 15 min

      Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

    2. Rest · about 12 h

      Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

    3. Bake · about 1 h at 170 °C

      Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

    4. Cool · about 30 min

      Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

    5. Start to finish: about 13 h 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    If something goes wrong

    • Gummy or wet crumb

      Likely causes

      • Under-baked
      • Sliced while hot
      • Hydration too high for the flour

      What to do

      • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
      • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
      • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
    • Collapsed or sunken middle

      Likely causes

      • Oven door opened too early
      • Too much leavening or sugar
      • Under-baked centre
      • Over-proofed yeast dough

      What to do

      • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
      • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
      • Test the centre before removing
      • Proof less
    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Cracked or domed top

      Likely causes

      • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
      • Too much leavening
      • Overmixed batter

      What to do

      • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
      • Use the exact leavening amount
      • Fold just until combined
    • Big holes or tunnels

      Likely causes

      • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
      • Air trapped while shaping bread
      • Uneven proof

      What to do

      • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
      • Degas gently and shape tightly
      • Proof covered in an even, warm place
    • Dry or crumbly

      Likely causes

      • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
      • Over-baked
      • Too little fat or sugar

      What to do

      • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
      • Check 5 minutes early
      • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

    Reviews & corrections

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