Fruit Cake is one Christmas tradition that most people would like to forget. But with a few ingredient changes this door-stopper becomes a delicious English Malt Loaf, a traditional British tea-time cake typically smeared with butter before serving. I decided to use one of our most popular malt extracts, CBW® Sparkling Amber, in this recipe for emphasized malty caramel flavor. Dense and sweet with a chewy texture and malty flavor, English Malt Loaf just may become a delicious tradition you will want to carry on for many holidays to come.
English Malt Loaf
- 150 ml—Hot Black Tea
- 150 grams—Briess CBW® Sparkling Amber LME
- 50 grams—Caster Sugar (granulated sugar ground into superfine sugar in a coffee grinder)
- 30 grams—Molasses
- 250 grams—Dried mixed fruit
- 2—Large eggs (slightly beaten)
- 250 grams—All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp—Baking powder
- ½ tsp—Baking soda
Directions
- Preheat oven 300F
- Grease two 1lb loaf pans
- Mix hot tea, malt extract, sugar, molasses, and mixed fruit in a mixing bowl
- Stir in eggs and stir until completely incorporated
- Add flour and mix until well blended
- Add baking powder and baking soda
- Stir
- Spoon mixture into loaf pans and bake 45–50 minutes until loaves have risen and are golden brown
- Cool on wire racks
For even better more flavorful loaves, bake, cool, and wrap tightly in foil and let set at room temperature for two to five days to mature.