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Fruity Tea Cake — The Easy 3-Ingredient Eggless Fruit Cake
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, and this Fruity Tea Cake is one of those recipes you'll want to keep handy.
It is quick, easy and very economical to make because there are no eggs and no butter in the cake. In fact, the basic recipe uses just three ingredients: cold tea, dried fruit and self-raising flour.
And it tastes great!
At around $2.44 to make, using baking ingredients bought from Aldi, this is a very budget-friendly cake for morning tea, lunchboxes or an easy afternoon snack.
Slice it and serve it as it is, spread it with a little butter, or slice and freeze it so you have a quick grab-and-go snack ready when you need one.
One of the things I particularly like about this recipe is how easy it is to change the flavour simply by replacing the tea. Fruit juice or flavoured milk work beautifully and turn the basic recipe into something quite different without adding any extra work.
It is quick, easy and very economical to make because there are no eggs and no butter in the cake. In fact, the basic recipe uses just three ingredients: cold tea, dried fruit and self-raising flour.
And it tastes great!
At around $2.44 to make, using baking ingredients bought from Aldi, this is a very budget-friendly cake for morning tea, lunchboxes or an easy afternoon snack.
Slice it and serve it as it is, spread it with a little butter, or slice and freeze it so you have a quick grab-and-go snack ready when you need one.
One of the things I particularly like about this recipe is how easy it is to change the flavour simply by replacing the tea. Fruit juice or flavoured milk work beautifully and turn the basic recipe into something quite different without adding any extra work.
Fruity Tea Cake
Ingredients
2 cups cold tea
2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 cups self-raising flour
Method
1. Place the mixed dried fruit and cold tea in a bowl and leave the fruit to soak for 10 minutes.
2. Add the self-raising flour and beat until well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin lined with baking paper.
4. Bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Leave the cake in the tin for five minutes.
6. Turn onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.
Ingredients
2 cups cold tea
2 cups mixed dried fruit
2 cups self-raising flour
Method
1. Place the mixed dried fruit and cold tea in a bowl and leave the fruit to soak for 10 minutes.
2. Add the self-raising flour and beat until well combined.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin lined with baking paper.
4. Bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Leave the cake in the tin for five minutes.
6. Turn onto a cake rack and leave to cool completely.
Easy Fruity Tea Cake Variations
Once you know the basic recipe, you can easily change it using whatever you have in the pantry.
Chocolate Fruit Cake
Replace the 2 cups cold tea with:
• 2 cups chocolate milk
This gives the cake a lovely chocolate flavour while keeping the recipe just as simple.
Orange Fruit Cake
Replace the 2 cups cold tea with:
• 2 cups orange juice
Orange and dried fruit are a natural combination and this variation makes a lovely bright, fruity cake.
Spicy Tea Cake
Make the basic Fruity Tea Cake and add:
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
Add the mixed spice with the self-raising flour.
Sultana Cake
Replace the mixed dried fruit with:
• 2 cups sultanas
Add:
• 1 teaspoon lemon essence
Add the lemon essence to the cold tea before soaking the sultanas.
Once you know the basic recipe, you can easily change it using whatever you have in the pantry.
Chocolate Fruit Cake
Replace the 2 cups cold tea with:
• 2 cups chocolate milk
This gives the cake a lovely chocolate flavour while keeping the recipe just as simple.
Orange Fruit Cake
Replace the 2 cups cold tea with:
• 2 cups orange juice
Orange and dried fruit are a natural combination and this variation makes a lovely bright, fruity cake.
Spicy Tea Cake
Make the basic Fruity Tea Cake and add:
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
Add the mixed spice with the self-raising flour.
Sultana Cake
Replace the mixed dried fruit with:
• 2 cups sultanas
Add:
• 1 teaspoon lemon essence
Add the lemon essence to the cold tea before soaking the sultanas.
Make It From What You Have
Don't feel that you need to make a special trip to the supermarket for this cake.
The whole idea is to use what you already have.
No tea? Try fruit juice.
Have flavoured milk that needs using? Turn it into cake.
No mixed dried fruit? Use sultanas.
You could make several versions of this recipe simply by changing the liquid or dried fruit according to what's already in your pantry and fridge.
That's my kind of baking.
Make One for the Freezer
This cake freezes very well, so once it is completely cold, slice it and freeze the individual slices.
Separate the slices with baking paper if necessary and store them in a freezer container or bag.
Then you can take out just one slice at a time for lunchboxes, morning tea or those afternoons when you'd really like something sweet with a cuppa.
It saves buying packaged cakes and snacks, and because the cake is already sliced there's no temptation to cut an enormous piece!
Why This Recipe Is a Cheapskates Favourite
There are no expensive or unusual ingredients.
There are no eggs.
There is no butter.
There is very little preparation.
And you can adapt it to use what you already have.
For around $2.44 a loaf, that's a very handy recipe to have in your repertoire.
Simple ingredients, very little effort and a delicious cake at the end of it — that's economical home baking at its best.
Don't feel that you need to make a special trip to the supermarket for this cake.
The whole idea is to use what you already have.
No tea? Try fruit juice.
Have flavoured milk that needs using? Turn it into cake.
No mixed dried fruit? Use sultanas.
You could make several versions of this recipe simply by changing the liquid or dried fruit according to what's already in your pantry and fridge.
That's my kind of baking.
Make One for the Freezer
This cake freezes very well, so once it is completely cold, slice it and freeze the individual slices.
Separate the slices with baking paper if necessary and store them in a freezer container or bag.
Then you can take out just one slice at a time for lunchboxes, morning tea or those afternoons when you'd really like something sweet with a cuppa.
It saves buying packaged cakes and snacks, and because the cake is already sliced there's no temptation to cut an enormous piece!
Why This Recipe Is a Cheapskates Favourite
There are no expensive or unusual ingredients.
There are no eggs.
There is no butter.
There is very little preparation.
And you can adapt it to use what you already have.
For around $2.44 a loaf, that's a very handy recipe to have in your repertoire.
Simple ingredients, very little effort and a delicious cake at the end of it — that's economical home baking at its best.
