Sponsored: Date and ginger tea loaf
Prep time: 30Total time: 
Sponsored: Date and ginger tea loaf
Prep time: 30Total time: 
Ingredients
4 Yorkshire Gold tea bags
75g pitted dates, chopped into small chunks
50g sultanas
50g currants
120g butter, softened, plus extra to grease
170g light brown sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
200g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground ginger
30g stem ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Step by step
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Pour 300ml boiling water over the tea bags in a jug and brew for 10 minutes. Put all of the dried fruit in a bowl, pour over the hot tea and soak for at least 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with baking paper. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarb, mixed spice and ground ginger. Fold these dry ingredients into the creamed mixture with a pinch of salt; take care not to overmix.
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Fold in the soaked fruit, stem ginger and 100ml of the reserved tea. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the top and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cover with foil for the final 5-10 minutes if it is browning too much. Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight tin, or can be frozen.
