Irish Barmbrack

Barmbrack or brack is a traditional Irish fruit loaf or tea cake. It was traditionally served at Halloween but is now eaten all year round. It is tradition to add objects to the barmbrack which symbolize certain things for the person who receives it in their slice: a coin — wealth or good fortune; a ring — will marry within the year; a bean — poverty; a pea — will not marry within the year; a matchstick — unhappy marriage; a thimble — single for life.

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups chopped dried mixed fruit
• 1 ½ cups hot black tea
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup lemon marmalade
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions

1. Soak dried fruit in hot tea for at least 2 hours to overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch Bundt pan. Stir flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda together; set aside.
3. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl; mix in sugar, marmalade, orange zest, and tea-soaked fruit until well combined. Gently fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 2 hours before removing to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. Press the objects of choice into the cake through the bottom before serving.

Tips

Thoroughly clean the objects you wish to add and wrap them tightly in parchment paper before inserting them into the barmbrack.