Rooibos Loaf Cake

A moist teatime loaf made with rooibos infused milk, orange zest and a light rooibos glaze. Gently honeyed, caffeine free, keeps for days.

Rooibos Loaf Cake

This rooibos loaf cake bakes the tea into the milk before it ever meets the flour, so the flavour runs evenly through the crumb instead of sitting in gritty specks. You get a gentle, honeyed, woody rooibos note lifted with orange zest, and no caffeine.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Rooibos Loaf Cake recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/Biscuits/rooibos loaf cake/

It uses Tetley Redbush Pure, a Rainforest Alliance certified rooibos from the Western Cape. One tin makes about ten slices, and it keeps well for teatime through the week.

⏱ 20 min + 50 min bake 🍽 Makes 10 slices 📊 Medium 📚 Biscuit Recipes

You'll need

  • 4 Tetley Redbush Pure rooibos tea bags (plus 1 more for the glaze)
  • 150ml milk
  • 200g self raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 150g soft unsalted butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 75g sultanas, optional
  • For the glaze: 50g icing sugar and 1 tablespoon strong rooibos

Method

  1. Warm the milk in a pan, take off the heat, add 4 rooibos bags and steep 15 minutes, then squeeze and remove them: this is your rooibos milk. Separately steep 1 bag in 2 tablespoons boiling water for the glaze and set aside.
  2. Heat the oven to 170C fan, 190C conventional, gas 5. Line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, each with a spoonful of the flour to stop it curdling, then beat in the vanilla and orange zest.
  4. Fold in the flour and baking powder alternately with the rooibos milk until just smooth, then fold through the sultanas.
  5. Spoon into the tin, level the top and bake 45 to 55 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil at 35 minutes if it is browning quickly.
  6. Cool 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a rack. Mix the icing sugar with the strong rooibos to a thick drizzle and spoon over the cooled loaf.
What you'll end up with: A moist, golden loaf with a gentle honeyed rooibos and orange flavour and a light rooibos glaze. Caffeine free, and it keeps for 4 days in a tin.

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