My family requested that I make Bread Cake this week. This is a cross between bread and butter pudding and clootie/cake. The last time it was made, it was delicious. The mistake they made was asking me to do it. 😂
Last time we had it my husband and daughter made it and it was delicious. This time….. well I made it and it’s ok. Very ok, just not as good as theirs! I used pre soaked in brandy fruit (just to use it up) and it made the mix a bit moister than I would have liked. The good thing about this recipe is that this can be cake OR pudding. It gets better over time. I didn’t have the correct size tin so went more traybake style than cake. It’s a great recipe if you have bread to use up and of course, you can halve it very simply. It is also freezable if you make too much.
Bread Cake
Ingredients
- 500g white or wholemeal bread
- 500g/1lb 2oz mixed dried fruit
- 85g mixed peel
- 1½ tbsp mixed spice
- 600ml milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 140g light muscovado sugar
- zest 1 lemon (optional)
- 100g butter, melted
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar
Method
- Tear 500g white or wholemeal bread into a large mixing bowl and add 500g mixed dried fruit, 85g mixed peel and 1 ½ tbsp mixed spice.
- Pour in 600ml milk, then stir or scrunch through your fingers to mix everything well and completely break up the bread.
- Add 2 beaten large eggs, 140g light muscovado sugar and zest of 1 lemon, if using. Stir well, then set aside for 15 mins to soak.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a 20cm non-stick square cake tin (not one with a loose base).
- Stir the melted butter into the pudding mixture, tip into the tin, then scatter with demerara.
- Bake for 1½ hrs until firm and golden, covering with foil if it starts to brown too much. Turn out of the tin and strip off the paper. Cut into squares and serve warm.
Recipe: Good Food Magazine, November 2009
Photograph: M Campbell