Lemon Verbena Cake: Tea Loaf Recipe with a Raspberry Twist
A proper Yorkshire tea loaf starts with strong tea, dried fruit and patience. The traditional method soaks fruit overnight until it plumps with flavour, then everything goes into a tin with barely any fat. The result is dense, moist and perfect with a thick spread of butter. But what if you want something lighter, brighter and ready the same afternoon?
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This page covers both: a classic fruit tea loaf recipe using loose leaf tea and the overnight soak, plus a lemon verbena cake variation with fresh raspberries that skips the soaking entirely. One is a proper teatime tradition; the other is a modern twist using a herbal infusion. Both deserve a place on the table.
At a glance
- Traditional tea loaf: dried fruit soaked overnight in strong tea, baked low and slow
- Lemon verbena version: fresh raspberries, no soaking, ready in about an hour
- Both use a 2 lb loaf tin and loose leaf tea for better flavour
- Classic loaf keeps for up to five days; the raspberry version for a few days
- Serve both with a cup of the tea you baked with
What is a tea loaf?
A tea loaf is a British fruit cake where dried fruit steeps in hot tea before baking. The tea replaces much of the fat you would find in a sponge, making a denser, more keeping loaf that slices neatly and tastes even better after a day or two. BBC Good Food notes that a tea loaf tastes better after a few days as the flavours develop.
The tradition likely grew from thrift: using leftover tea to soften inexpensive dried fruit. In Yorkshire, slices are often spread with salted butter, much like malt loaf. One recipe writer recalls eating tea loaf at her aunt's house near Caledonian Road in London over fifty years ago, suggesting the recipe has stayed remarkably unchanged across generations. In South Wales, a similar cake called Bara Brith uses the same tea-soaking method.
Classic fruit tea loaf recipe
This is the traditional version: dried fruit, strong tea, overnight soaking, minimal fuss. It uses loose leaf tea for a fuller flavour than teabags, but teabags work if that is what you have.
Ingredients for one 2 lb loaf
- 3 teaspoons loose leaf English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea (or 2 teabags)
- 300ml freshly boiled water
- 170g sultanas
- 170g raisins or currants
- Zest of 1 orange or lemon
- 200g light soft brown sugar
- 2 medium eggs, beaten
- 250g self-raising flour
- Butter for greasing and serving
Method
- Brew the tea in 300ml freshly boiled water for about five minutes. If using loose leaf, strain into a heatproof jug.
- Put the sultanas, raisins and citrus zest in a large bowl. Pour over the hot tea, stir, cover and leave for at least six hours or overnight. The fruit should absorb most of the liquid.
- Heat the oven to 160°C fan (180°C conventional, gas 4). Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking paper.
- Add the sugar and beaten eggs to the soaked fruit. Stir in the flour until just combined. The mixture may still seem runny; this is normal.
- Pour into the prepared tin and level the top. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until firm to the touch and a skewer comes out clean. Mary Berry's version bakes at a slightly lower temperature for up to 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Slice thickly and serve with butter. The loaf keeps for up to five days in an airtight container and freezes well for up to three months.
Black Tea
Bergamot and vanilla soften into a fragrant black tea blend. Yorkshire fog you can see through.
Have a lookWhich tea works best for a Yorkshire tea loaf?
Strong black teas give the best colour and flavour. English Breakfast, Yorkshire-style breakfast blends and Earl Grey are the classics. Brewing two teabags or three teaspoons of loose leaf in 300ml water for a full five to ten minutes gives a strong infusion that stands up to the fruit.
Avoid delicate teas like white, first-flush Darjeeling, green or oolong; their flavours are too subtle and get lost in the bake. Lapsang souchong would make the loaf taste like a barbecue, which is not the goal. For a caffeine-free option, rooibos works surprisingly well, giving a malty sweetness without the traditional tea base.
| Tea type | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English Breakfast | Classic fruit tea loaf | Strong, malty, takes the soak well |
| Earl Grey | Citrus-scented loaf | Bergamot adds fragrance |
| Rooibos | Caffeine-free version | Naturally sweet, no tannins |
| Fruit or herbal infusion | Fresh fruit cakes | Use as liquid, not for soaking dried fruit |
Lemon verbena cake with raspberries
This is the twist: a lighter sponge-style loaf using a herbal infusion and fresh raspberries instead of dried fruit. No overnight soaking, no heavy spices, just bright citrus-herbal notes and tart pockets of berry. It is technically a tea cake rather than a traditional tea loaf, but the method of infusing tea into the batter connects the two.
What you need for one 2 lb loaf
- 2 teaspoons Raspberry Lemon Verbena loose leaf infusion
- 120ml freshly boiled water
- 175g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for the tin
- 175g caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150g raspberries, fresh or frozen
Method
- Infuse the loose leaf tea in 120ml freshly boiled water for about seven minutes. This is stronger than a drinking cup because only a little goes into the batter. Strain well and leave to cool completely.
- Heat the oven to 170°C fan (190°C conventional). Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin, leaving enough paper above the sides to lift the cake out later.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar until pale and light. Beat in the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks slightly split, add a spoonful of the measured flour.
- Fold in the flour and baking powder, then three tablespoons of the cooled infusion. Gently fold in the raspberries. If using frozen berries, add them straight from the freezer so they do not bleed into the batter.
- Spoon into the tin and level the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, checking from 45 minutes onward. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out without wet batter; a berry may leave a little fruit on it. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
- Leave in the tin for about ten minutes, then lift out and cool on a rack before slicing.
Herbal Tea
Tangy raspberry and lemon verbena make a bright fruit infusion with a soft citrus scent.
Have a lookCommon mistakes with tea loaf recipes
Not soaking long enough
For the traditional fruit version, a minimum of six hours is essential. Overnight is better. Under-soaked fruit stays chewy and does not release its sugars into the batter properly.
Using weak tea
A standard drinking strength brew is too dilute. You want a proper strong cup, the colour of mahogany, not milky builder's tea. For the lemon verbena cake, a seven-minute steep extracts enough flavour from the herbal blend.
Adding too much liquid
The raspberry lemon verbena version uses only three tablespoons of infusion. More liquid makes the loaf dense and wet. If you want stronger tea flavour next time, brew more concentrated tea but keep the added volume the same.
Over-mixing
Once the flour goes in, fold gently. Over-mixing develops the gluten and makes the crumb tough rather than tender.
Raspberry tea cake versus fruit tea loaf
These are different cakes despite the shared method of using tea. The traditional tea loaf is dairy-free (no butter in the batter), dense, spiced and improves with keeping. The raspberry lemon verbena cake is a creamed sponge with butter, lighter in texture, best eaten within a few days.
The fruit tea loaf suits autumn baking, keeping cakes for gifts and slicing with butter by the fire. The lemon verbena version is brighter, works year-round and pairs beautifully with afternoon tea in the garden or a rainy Wednesday when you need something cheerful.
What to try next
The main ingredient for the lemon verbena cake is Raspberry Lemon Verbena, a caffeine-free fruit infusion with apple, lemon verbena, lemongrass, hibiscus, raspberry pieces and cornflower petals. It makes a tangy cup on its own, hot or iced.
For the classic fruit tea loaf, Yorkshire Fog Earl Grey adds bergamot and vanilla to a strong black tea base, giving a fragrant twist on the traditional recipe. If you want to try several teas before committing to a larger pouch, the Fruit Tea Tasting Box includes five loose leaf fruit teas to compare.
Not sure where to start? The Tea Finder asks a few questions and suggests teas based on what you actually enjoy.
We send loose leaf tea in letterbox-friendly pouches, with free UK delivery on orders over £35. Or call into the shop in Byram Arcade, Huddersfield, and we will get the kettle on.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tea for a tea loaf recipe?
Strong black teas like English Breakfast or Earl Grey work best for traditional fruit tea loaves. The tannins help the dried fruit absorb liquid and add depth. For a caffeine-free version, rooibos gives a naturally sweet, malty result without traditional tea.
Can I use frozen raspberries in lemon verbena cake?
Yes. Add them straight from the freezer without thawing. Frozen berries bleed less into the batter and keep their shape better during baking. The cake may need an extra few minutes in the oven.
How long does a Yorkshire tea loaf keep?
A traditional fruit tea loaf keeps for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature. It actually tastes better after a day or two as the flavours develop. The loaf freezes well for up to three months, wrapped tightly.
Does lemon verbena cake have caffeine?
No. Raspberry Lemon Verbena is a fruit and herbal infusion with no traditional tea base, so it is naturally caffeine-free. The cake is fine for children, evenings or anyone avoiding caffeine.
Can I use a different lemon verbena blend?
Check the ingredients first. Some blends contain more hibiscus, which can turn the cake pink. Others may have different fruits that change the flavour. Porter Hill Raspberry Lemon Verbena contains apple, lemon verbena, lemongrass, hibiscus, lemon and raspberry pieces, cornflower petals and natural flavours.
Why do you soak fruit overnight for tea loaf?
Soaking lets the dried fruit absorb the tea, becoming plump and juicy. This adds moisture to the loaf without extra fat and infuses the fruit with tea flavour throughout. A minimum of six hours works, but overnight gives the best results.
Sources: BBC Good Food · BBC Food · Yumsome
