Today’s recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf) is a fabulous recipe from an old BeRo book, and makes a lovely tea loaf style cake.
Baking with BeRo – A Vintage Recipe
I’m back in the kitchen today, for weekend baking, and today’s recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf) is a fabulous recipe from an old BeRo book.
I made this recipe EXACTLY as shown in my late mother’s BeRo book, and just as the title of the recipe says, it is indeed very easy.
I have a large collection of BeRo books, the oldest being the 6th edition, which was published in 1928.
I must have baked and cooked from mum’s book (26th million from 1963) many times, but I cannot remember seeing or ever baking this recipe before!
It’s more a tea loaf than a cake, and the easy part of the cake is that you melt the margarine, sugar, marmalade and golden syrup before adding the remaining ingredients.
There’s no rubbing in, or beating, just sifting the dry ingredients into the melted fat mixture, so, as it says, it’s very easy.
You bake it in a 2lb (900g) loaf tin, again more in the style of a tea loaf. The recipe also suggests you serve it in slices, buttered.
I baked this cake (tea loaf) for the weekly cake tin, but, we will indulge in a couple of slices for our Sunday Tea Tray Supper.
I lost my mum 5 years ago now, and it doesn’t seem possible that she’s no longer around to call and ask about old recipes she used to make.
However, I felt incredibly close to her when I was baking this cake – it was as if her spirit was with me in the kitchen, and it was hugely comforting.
That’s why this little battered red book, which is 60 years old now, is one of my most precious possessions.
This lovely old recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf) is perfect for any autumnal tea table, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Make sure it’s liberally buttered, of course, and is served in thick slices with a pot of tea. A Brown Betty teapot and knitted tea cosy seems very appropriate too! Karen
More Be Ro Recipes
Recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf)
Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf)
I'm back in the kitchen today, for weekend baking, and today's recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf) is a fabulous recipe from an old BeRo book.
I made this recipe EXACTLY as shown in my late mother's BeRo book, and just as the title of the recipe says, it is indeed very easy.
It's more a tea loaf than a cake, and the easy part of the cake is that you melt the margarine, sugar, marmalade and golden syrup before adding the remaining ingredients.
There's no rubbing in, or beating, just sifting the dry ingredients into the melted fat mixture, so, as it says, it's very easy.
You bake it in a 2lb (900g) loaf tin, again more in the style of a tea loaf. The recipe also suggests you serve it in slices, buttered.
This lovely old recipe for Quick and Easy Spice Cake (Tea Loaf) is perfect for any autumnal tea table, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Make sure it's liberally buttered, of course, and is served in thick slices with a pot of tea. A Brown Betty teapot and knitted tea cosy seems very appropriate too! Karen
Ingredients
- 6 ozs Self Raising Flour
- 3 ozs Margarine (or Butter)
- 3 ozs Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Marmalade
- 2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
- 3 tablespoons Water
- 3 ozs Sultanas
- 1 1/2 level teaspoons Mixed Spice
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Pur margarine, sugar, marmalade and syrup into a saucepan.
- Heat gently until the margarine has melted.
- Pour over the flour and spice, and beat well.
- Heat water, and add to the mixture and beat again.
- Stir in the sultanas and lastly the egg.
- Put into a greased 2lb loaf tin and bake in a moderate oven (325F to 350F/160C to 170C/Gas 3 to 4) for approximately 1 1/4 hours until firm.
Notes
The recipe method above was shared exactly as written in the original BeRo book.
For modern day cooks, you might find it easier to line the loaf tin with baking paper.
Also, you can use mixed dried fruit or raisins in place of sultanas.
Stores well in an airtight tin, and becomes moister.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 172Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 16mgSodium 178mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 1gSugar 14gProtein 2g
Wendy Partridge says
I made this yesterday evening and it was delicious. Perfect with a cup of tea and sitting listening to the heavy rain which we have here in Cambridgeshire at the moment. I will definitely make again.Thank you for the recipe.
Karen says
I have the old Bero recipe books too which were also my mam’s. She died 3 years ago and I know exactly what you mean about discussing recipes. I don’t recall her making this recipe but I will be giving it a go as I’m very in to making Bara Brith at the moment.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Bara Brith is one of my favourites too!
Jacqui says
Looks great, my mum used to have a bero book and I remember her making some lovely bakes. What size of egg should be used in this recipe? I’m never sure whether it’s critical if the recipe doesn’t specify it.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I’m not sure the egg size is that critical tbh! I tend to use large eggs in all my baking
Gabrielle Jones says
I understand very well how you would feel close to your mother when using her recipe book; I have my mother and grandmother;s cast iron frying pans that I use daily. The one belonging to my grandmother is nearly a hundred years old. I think about each of them as I use their pans that I remember them cooking with,and remember with gratitude the times I shared with each.
Nelliegrace says
It sounds like a wartime recipe. I can imagine powdered egg, and a bit of grated carrot if there wasn’t much dried fruit. If there was a fresh orange for the children I expect the peel would have been candied or the zest added to this sort of recipe.
Karen Burns-Booth says
It is a recipe that originates from that era, my mum never threw orange peel away too! We still always add grated carrots to Christmas puddings.
Genys Brown says
I made this a couple of weeks ago and now my husband asks me to make it every week, as my grandchildren eat most of it when we pick them up from school. My mother also used the Be ro recipe book, so this reminded me of her too.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thank you so much for letting me know, and I’m thrilled that this cake brought back memories as well as being enjoyed by your family.
Esther says
Just sat eating this warm out of the oven as yet another gale blows overhead. Someone gave me a jar of marmalade, which I don’t tend to eat on toast, so this is perfect use for it. I have reduced the sugar to 2oz which was still sweet for my tastes. Unless I was a bit heavy handed with the syrup! Thanks for this recipe.