Homemade Malt Loaf – Deliciously moist, sticky, and fragrant malt loaf that is packed full of chewy raisins and prunes. Serve warm with a spread of butter and a hot cup of tea!
Malt Loaf Recipe
So, what is a malt loaf?
Malt loaf is a traditional British loaf cake that is made with malt extract as a primary ingredient, and contains tea-soaked dried fruit.
It’s dense, moist, chewy, sticky, and has an irresistible fragrant malty flavour. Commonly served warm with a spread of butter and a cup of tea.
For my recipe, we are using raisins and chopped prunes. They both add a wonderful chewy and squidgy texture without being too sweet!
Looking for more loaf cakes? Check out my Marble Pound Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, and my Carrot Cake Loaf.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this loaf. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.
- Plain/all-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Raisins
- Prunes: Pitted and chopped into small pieces.
- Hot black tea: The dried fruits are soaked in hot tea to plump them up. This helps keep the malt loaf moist. I used PG Tips, but you can use your favourite tea.
- Malt extract: A key ingredient in this loaf. It’s a thick and sticky syrup with a delicious malted flavour. I used Meridian Barley Malt Extract.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark. I used light for this recipe, but using dark would produce a darker loaf with a deeper molasses flavour.
- Large eggs: You’ll need 2.
How to make Malt Loaf
To make this loaf, simply grab a medium mixing bowl and whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Add the raisins and prunes to a separate large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot tea and leave to soak for 15 minutes.
Add the malt extract, brown sugar, and eggs, and stir until completely combined.
Add the dry ingredients and fold in until combined.
Pour the batter into a greased 2lb (900g) loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 60 – 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Brush the top of the hot loaf with extra malt extract.
Leave to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
The printable recipe card with the FULL list of ingredients and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.
Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
This Homemade Malt Loaf is:
- quick and easy to make
- deliciously moist, chewy, and sticky
- packed full of flavour
- loaded with raisins and prunes
How long will this malt loaf last? Malt loaf can be wrapped tightly and stored for up to 5 days. The flavours will develop and the texture will become even more sticky and delicious.
Serve warm and sliced with a spread of butter, and a hot cup of tea!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and hashtag it #simplybakeblog. I’d love to see!
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Homemade Malt Loaf
Deliciously moist, sticky, and fragrant malt loaf that is packed full of chewy raisins and prunes. Serve warm with a spread of butter and a hot cup of tea!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250g) plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 oz (200g) raisins
- 3 and 1/2 oz (100g) pitted prunes, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup (160ml) hot black tea
- 1/2 cup (160g) malt extract, plus extra for glazing
- 1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the raisins and prunes to a separate large bowl. Pour over the hot tea and leave to soak for 15 minutes.
- Add the malt extract, sugar, and eggs, and stir until completely combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold in until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Brush the top of the hot loaf with extra malt extract.
- Leave to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
Malt loaf can be wrapped tightly and stored for up to 5 days. The flavours will develop and the texture will become even more sticky and delicious.
Serve sliced and buttered, with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10 slicesServing Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 278Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is an estimate only. For the best accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used for the recipe.
Brandi
Friday 18th of August 2023
I've been eating this for breakfast and it's absolutely perfect. The texture is amazing.