Somehow, to me this teabread just has to be eaten in winter; on a cold afternoon when you’re warm inside. It doesn’t feel right in the summer. So now I have the chance to make it, not that it is time-consuming but there is preparation to do the night before. This is based on my mother’s recipe which is I think the traditional Welsh one, bara brith, but there are variations around the UK. 
It’s a strange recipe, no fat and only one egg. I use a campo egg, not one of Pablo’s, but bought from the village. D and Pablo had gone to the ferretería; D stopped outside the doorway which leads to the small general store and told Pablo he needed to buy eggs. Pablo shook his head and pointed down the street. They went into the tabaquería, the tobacconist’s, where six brown, dirty eggs were produced from beneath the counter. D bought them all for €1. Bargain!
175g currants
175g sultanans
225g light muscovado sugar [I only had dark brown, so used that]
300ml strong tea
275g self-raising flour
1 egg 
The night before you plan to make the cake, measure the currants, sultanas and sugar into a bowl [above]. Add the hot tea, stir, cover, and leave overnight. Next morning it will be thick and gooey [below].
Pre-heat the oven to 150C. Lightly grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper [papel para cocinar]. 
Beat the egg in small bowl. 
Stir the fruit mixture well to combine, before adding the flour and egg. Mix until blended. 
Turn the mixture into the loaf tin [below]. Level the surface, and give the tin a tap on the table to pop any trapped air bubbles. 
Bake for 1½ to 1¾ hours or until well-risen and firm to the touch [below]. A fine skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. 
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. 
We eat it sliced and buttered. It keeps well in a tin.
5 to remember
que lleva mucho tiempo – time-consuming
tradicional – traditional
galés – Welsh
las pasas – the currants
las pasa sultanas – the sultanas
Notes on a Spanish Valley 
Looks lovely!
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I know, looking at the photo it makes me want to go and bake it again! SD
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My ex mother-in-law used to make a loaf like this that she called “Brack”. It was always a lovely, moist cake – but I lost the recipe years ago. I’ll try your tea bread … it looks familiar. Thanks for the reminder, Sandra 🙂
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Try it! This took me straight back to my childhood. SD
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I’m definitely making this, thank you
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And it’s stuffed with fruit so is healthy-ish too! SD
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yumm!!
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Thx. I was afraid my description didn’t do it justice, it sounds kind of plain but is really is one of the nicest cakes I’ve made. SD
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i want to eat it 😛
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Looks so yummy! Save me a slice, please. I’m catching the next flight to Andalucia and I’ll be hungry when I land.
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Ah but this is strictly an English teabread, so I am cheating a little! SD
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Lovely to see that bara brith has spread from the Home Country to Andalucía! Yours looks delicious – wish I had a piece to go with my cuppa!
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Via Yorkshire, where I come from! Thx for reading our Spanish story. Hasta luego. SD
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This looks lovely! I have a couple of clarifying questions, though, from my American kitchen. 😉 What temperature should I bake this at? And I’m not familiar with sultanas; what are they?
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Sultanas are like a golden raisin, I guess. I’ll check out the temperatures and let you know. SD
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150°C/300°F/Gas 2. From now on I will put all three temperatures in my recipes! Enjoy making it. SD
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Ah, good! I have a box of golden raisins in my pantry even now. Come to think of it, in that context, the name sultana does ring a bell.
Thanks for checking on the temps for me!
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I’m going to give this a try. It looks delicious 🙂
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Go on, treat yourself! SD
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I did and it was. Everyone else thought so too so I didn’t get to taste much of it myself! Will be making it a regular 🙂
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