Malt Loaf Recipe

You can’t beat this old fashioned malt loaf recipe. Made with malt extract and packed full of juicy dried fruit, it is deliciously sticky and fragrant. Serve malt loaf in slices generously spread with butter and lots of strong tea for a nostalgic treat.

Who’s watching The Great British Bake off? I will put my hands up and admit I haven’t seen the first episode that landed on UK screens earlier this week yet, but I read all about what the contestants were asked to bake.

Episode one was cake week (as always) and Prue Leith challenged the bakers to make a malt loaf recipe. Even just reading about it made me want to run into the kitchen and make one – and guess what? That’s exactly what I did!

I”ve always been pretty partial to a slice of fruit cake – I’ll often bake this fruit bran loaf, an Irish Barmbrack or a Dundee cake whenever the mood strikes me – but I hadn’t made a malt loaf in years.

I don’t mind a slice of Soreen now and then, but let’s be honest, it isn’t quite as good as a homemade sticky malt loaf.

What is Malt loaf?

Malt loaf is a sticky, fruited loaf cake. Most of the flavour and stickiness comes from malt extract. Malt loaf has quite a dense texture, but not in a bad way at all!

You might have tried the popular shop bought brand of malt loaf called “soreen“. It’s deliciously squidgy and soft, but doesn’t compare to homemade malt loaf!

why you should try this recipe

• It’s not too sweet – making it the perfect mid afternoon snack that won’t send your sugar levels crazily sky high – not to mention it goes perfectly with a cup of tea

• quick and easy to make

• It’s a great keeper cake – in fact it’s better made in advance (if you have the willpower to leave it alone for a few days!)

• You could make one large loaf or two small – freeze one for another time or why not give it to a friend?

ingredient list

• Prunes. If you’re thinking, “ew, I can’t stand prunes” I hear you! I wouldn’t normally eat them as they are, but prunes really are fabulous in fruit cake – they add a lovely squidgy texture, a subtle sweetness and help keep the cake moist.

• Raisins or sultanas. I used a mixture of both.

• Malt extract is the key ingredient. I know it’s not the easiest of things to find, but it’s well worth seeking out. If you can’t find it in your local supermarket, check in a health food shop. I used Meridian malt extract.

• Dark brown muscavado sugar adds a lovely treacle flavour. Light brown sugar can be used instead.

• Black treacle adds depth of flavour. If you’re looking for more recipes to use up a jar of treacle, check out these recipes for spiced ginger cookies and Yorkshire Parkin.

• Black Tea. Use any tea you normally like to drink. I used Yorkshire tea.

• Plain (all purpose) flour.

• Baking powder helps the cake to rise.

• two large eggs, at room temperature

recipe notes and commonly asked questions

• If you have the time, it’s certainly not a bad idea to soak the dried fruit in the tea for a few hours or even overnight.  Make the tea in a large jug or bowl and add the chopped prunes and sultanas or raisins. Leave the fruit to soak for at least 1 hour or, if you aren’t in a rush, overnight before adding to the cake mixture. If you’re in a hurry or don’t want to wait, you don’t have to do this – the cake is delicious either way!

• I’ve slightly adapted this recipe by Nigel Slater. I’ve tried a few malt loaf recipes and this one is by far my favourite.

what size tin to use?

I make malt loaf in a 2lb (900g) loaf tin. If you don’t want to make a large malt loaf, you could split the mixture between two 450g (1lb) loaf tins – eat one and freeze one for another day, or give it to a neighbour/friend/person in need of cake!

how to make it

(please scroll to the bottom of the post to find printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions)

Step one – Make the tea with 125ml water. Chop the prunes into small pieces with scissors. If you are soaking the fruit, add all the fruit to the tea now and leave it to soak for a minimum of one hour, but longer if you can.

Step two – When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160C/150Fan. Grease and line the base and sides of your loaf tin or use a loaf tin liner.

Step three – Place the malt extract, black treacle and sugar in a saucepan. Melt over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat to cool down slightly.

Step four – Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Pour the melted malt extract mixture over the dry ingredients, followed by the tea soaked dried fruit (along with the liquid) and the eggs.

Step five – Using a wooden spoon, stir everything together until all ingredients are well incorporated. Give the sides of the bowl a scrape with a spatula to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Step six – pour this (rather liquid) batter into your lined loaf tin. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until well risen. The loaf should spring back when lightly pressed in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.

Step seven – Brush one tablespoon of malt extract over the top of the loaf while it is still warm for a shiny, sticky glaze.

Storage

Like gingerbread, malt loaf is a great keeper cake. Wrapped in a layer of baking paper and foil and stored in an airtight tin, it will keep for a least a week. If you can resist temptation and leave it for two or three days, it will become even more delicious and sticky.

Freezing

Malt loaf freezes very well. Wrap individual slices in cling film and tin foil or store in freezer bags. Freeze for up to three months.

more loaf cake recipes

• Lemon drizzle loaf cake

• coconut and raspberry jam cake

• Best ever easy banana loaf cake

• sticky golden syrup loaf cake

• date and walnut loaf cake

did you make this Malt loaf recipe?

I would love to hear what you thought of it! Leave a comment below and if you could rate the recipe by clicking on the stars in the recipe card, I would be very grateful. Happy baking!

more fruit cakes to try

• Amaretto Fruit Cake

• Mary Berry’s mincemeat fruit cake

• Easter Simnel cake

Continue to Content

Malt Loaf Recipe

Yield: serves 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

A deliciously squidgy malt loaf recipe packed full of malt extract, black treacle, tea and dried fruit.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 tea bag (any good strong tea)
• 125ml just boiled water
• 100g stoned dried prunes
• 125g sultanas or raisins
• 150g plus 1 tablespoon malt extract
• 100g dark brown (or light) muscavado sugar
• 2 tablespoons black treacle (molasses)
• 250g plain (all purpose) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of fine salt
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140Fan/Gas mark 3. Grease and line the base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin. Make the tea with the tea bag and 125ml water. Chop the prunes into small pieces (I use scissors.) If you are soaking the fruit in the tea, add it now and leave for at least one hour or overnight.
2. Place the malt extract, black treacle and dark brown sugar in a medium saucepan and melt over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
4. Pour the melted malt extract, treacle and sugar mixture into the bowl of flour followed by the dried fruit, tea and the eggs. Using a wooden spoon, stir everything together until no flour streaks are visible and you have a fruity batter. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated.
5. Spoon the batter into the lined tin. It will be rather runny. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the cake has risen and springs back to the touch when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. Brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of malt extract over the cake while it is still warm.

Notes

This cake is best made in advance - the flavours develop after a few days and it becomes deliciously sticky. A couple of days is ideal, but if you can stand to leave it for three days, it will be absolutely perfect.

It will keep for up to a week (in theory!) - wrap in a layer of baking paper and tin foil and store in an airtight tin.

If you don't want to make a large malt loaf, you could split the mixture between two 450g (1lb) loaf tins instead - eat one and freeze one for another time, or give one to a friend! The smaller loaves will take about 40-45 minutes to bake, but keep in mind all ovens vary.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g

Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.

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