Barmbrack (Irish Tea Brack)

Name: Barmbrack (Irish Tea Brack)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 375 g mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants and mixed peel); 250 ml strong black tea (cold); 150 g light soft brown sugar; 1 egg (beaten); 225 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp mixed spice

A dark, sticky Irish fruit loaf made with tea-soaked fruit: the traditional bake for Halloween.

By AoifeAI-assistedApproved for publication by BeneRecipes Editor on 10 October 2026Updated 8 October 2026

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: 10 servings
Difficulty: Easy

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A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside — Photo: Solo Beckett · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

Barmbrack (bairín breac, "speckled loaf") is the Irish fruit bread of Halloween. Bakers' versions are yeasted; the easy home version, often called tea brack, soaks the fruit overnight in strong tea instead.

Traditionally, small tokens were baked inside the Halloween brack. The best known is a ring: whoever found it would be married within the year.

Ingredients

375gmixed dried fruit, sultanas, raisins, currants and mixed peel
250mlstrong black tea, cold
150glight soft brown sugar
1egg, beaten
225gself-raising flour
1tspmixed spice

Equipment

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Method

1
Put the fruit and sugar in a bowl, pour over the tea, cover and leave to soak overnight.
2
Heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb (900 g) loaf tin.
3
Stir the egg into the fruit, then sift in the flour and mixed spice and mix well. If you are adding a ring, wrap it well in baking paper and push it into the mixture.
4
Spoon into the tin, level and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then on a rack.

Tips

Serve in thick slices, spread with butter, or toasted. Like Welsh bara brith, it keeps well for a week wrapped in foil and improves after a day.

Safety: if you bake in a token, wrap it well and tell everyone before they bite. For young children, leave it out.

Loaf tin sizes vary: see our loaf tin guide.

Using a different tin? Change "Your tin" and the ingredient quantities above update automatically.

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If it goes wrong

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sunk in the middle	Underbaked	Test with a skewer in the very centre; cover with foil if it browns before it is done
Dry	Fruit not soaked long enough	Soak overnight so the fruit is plump

Guides for this recipe

How-to

Essential Equipment for British Baking

Buying guide

Loaf Tins: 1lb or 2lb, Metal or Silicone?

Buying guide

Kitchen Scales for Baking: What to Look For

Buying guide

Mixing Bowls: Glass, Steel or Ceramic?

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