Nigel Slater’s malt loaf recipes (2024)

I have no idea when I stopped eating malt loaf; I only know that I did. Perhaps it was its resolutely unfashionable character that sent me looking elsewhere. Or the fact that tracking it down was getting more difficult with each passing year. More likely, I gave up the damp, deliciously fruit-laden loaf because other more exciting things got in the way.

And then, out of nowhere, I got a fancy to rekindle our old friendship. I longed for a thin slice of buttered malt loaf, the slightly tacky feel on my fingers, that smell of dried fruit and tea I once held so dear. I wasn’t sure it would be quite the same stripped of the traditional waxed paper wrapper of the commercial brands, like a Kit Kat without the silver foil. Yet one sniff of the baked loaf – think fruitcake meets Ovaltine – and all the good stuff came floating back. Malt loaf is something of a safe harbour, a cloud of raisin and malt-scented nostalgia, in a complicated world. It tastes of home, of ticking clocks and quality time spent with your gran. At least it does for me.

The method is straightforward, a recipe anyone can attempt, but it is worth noting that the texture of the uncooked cake mixture is akin to that of raw gingercake. In other words a soft batter you can almost pour into the tin, rather than stiff and creamy like the texture of uncooked fruitcake. Sometimes you have to trust a recipe rather than follow your own intuition.

Malt loaf is something of a keeper. Wrapped in foil and stored in a cool corner of the kitchen it will not only keep for a few days but will be better for it. Like Christmas cake, this fruit-packed loaf matures benignly. It is a good idea to brush the outside of the freshly baked bread with some of the malt extract directly from the jar. The sweet, mahogany-brown goo will be partially absorbed by the loaf, giving the characteristic tackiness that should come part and parcel of such a recipe. A recipe that takes you back to simpler, gentler times. Sometimes you can have too much excitement.

Malt loaf

Malt extract is still around, but you may have to go to a large supermarket or wholefood store for it. If the surface of the loaf browns more quickly than you’d like it to, cover with foil for the last few minutes of cooking. You will need a little more malt extract at the end for brushing over the surface of the warm cake, to create a sticky crust.

malt extract 150g
light muscovado sugar 100g
black treacle 2 tbsp
plain flour 250g
baking powder 1 tsp
salt a pinch
prunes 100g, stoned weight
eggs 2
black tea 125ml
sultanas or raisins 100g

To finish:
a little more malt extract

You will also need a deep, rectangular cake tin measuring 20x9cm (measured on the base) lined with baking paper.

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Put the malt extract, muscovado sugar and black treacle in a small saucepan and warm, without stirring, over a moderate heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt to combine thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Chop the prunes into small pieces.

Pour the warm malt and sugar mixture into the flour, together with the tea. Break the eggs into a small bowl, beat lightly with a fork and fold into the batter with the chopped prunes and the sultanas.

Scoop the mixture – it is quite soft – into the lined cake tin and gently smooth the surface.

Bake for 1 hour until lightly springy, then remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. While the cake cools, brush the surface with a little more malt extract.

Nigel Slater’s malt loaf recipes (1)

Marmalade malt loaf pudding

I have known people to make this nursery pudding with cold milk rather than hot, but I think that’s a mistake. It takes an age for the milk to heat up from cold once in the oven – far better to bring it almost to the boil first. You don’t have to use malt loaf, by the way. Bread or panettone works nicely with the marmalade, too. If you are using bread cut from a plain white loaf then I suggest some butter on it as well. About 75g should do it. Note my suggestion to serve the pudding warm, as you would a quiche. It’s not just nicer that way – the custard needs that amount of time to settle.

malt loaf 500g
marmalade 5 tbsp

For the custard:
full-cream milk 400ml
double cream 250ml
ground cinnamon a pinch
sugar 70g
eggs 4
nutmeg for grating

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Slice or tear the malt loaf into pieces. Spread each piece with marmalade then pack them loosely into a baking dish with enough room round them for the custard.

Put the milk and cream in a saucepan, add the cinnamon and sugar and bring almost to the boil. (I try to catch it just before it starts to rise up the sides of the saucepan.) Break the eggs into a jug or mixing bowl then pour the hot milk mixture into them, stirring continuously.

Pour the custard over the malt loaf then let it soak in for 10 minutes. Finely grate a light dusting of nutmeg over the surface of the custard.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the custard is set but still shivers when you gently shake the dish. Remove from the oven and leave for a good 20 minutes or more to calm down.

I should add that this is also rather wonderful served very cold, with a jug of cream.

Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater

Nigel Slater’s malt loaf recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is malt loaf healthy for you? ›

As well as being high-carb and low-fat, malt is also a rich source of B-vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and vitamin B-6, and a great source of amino acids. So what? Well, all those B-vitamins are vital for turning carbs and fats into energy.

How long does a malt loaf last? ›

To Defrost: Leave in packaging and allow to defrost at room temperature for 2 hours. Once defrosted keep in a cool, dry place away from strong light and odours. Once opened store in an airtight container and consume within 4 days, or within 10 days of defrost (if unopened), whichever is the sooner.

Can malt loaf be frozen? ›

FREEZE ONE OF YOUR LOAVES

Wrap with baking parchment and then foil. They will freeze for up to 4 months. To serve, thaw for 5 hrs at room temperature.

Why is malt loaf chewy? ›

Malt loaf gets its chewy texture and malty flavour from malt extract, of which it contains quite a bit. Malt extract is made from grains and is a product of the brewing process.

Can Type 2 diabetics eat malt loaf? ›

Bring in a few and keep on your desk to help you meet your five a day. As an occasional treat malt loaf, a slice of fruit loaf, scone or teacake could be enjoyed particularly if you know you will be active and do not need to lose weight. These are healthier options compared to chocolate, biscuits and sweets.

Is malt loaf OK for diabetics? ›

Snacks: One portion of fruit • 2 - 3 tbsp fat free, diet yoghurt • 1 - 2 plain biscuits, 1 - 2 savoury crackers with 1 tbsp cottage cheese or peanut butter • One slice currant bread, malt loaf, small teacake or scone • A boiled egg • 2 - 3 slices of cooked meat • 5 - 8 olives • Vegetable sticks (for example.

Can you eat too much malt loaf? ›

Its ok as long as you dont eat it too often. Actually the lunch box loaves contain 5.7grams of sugar and meet the government's nutritional standards for schools! Malt loaf is a type of bread and not cake. The dried fruit provides most of the sugar.

Why is malt loaf so good? ›

The grain is then mashed to extract the sugars. This produces a syrupy substance known as malt extract, which is what gives the cake its unique sticky texture and naturally sweet flavour. A small amount of dried fruit is also added to the malt loaf to give it extra natural sugars.

Can malt go bad? ›

The short answer is “yes”, but it really depends on storage time as well as storage conditions. Crushed malt, with its interior exposed, tends to increase moisture much faster than whole malt and has a much greater contact with oxygen present in the atmosphere.

What is the American equivalent of malt loaf? ›

Malt loaf is also sometimes called “Harvo loaf” because of a well-known UK bakery called Harvo that offered the bread through the 1970s. Although commercially made malt loaf is available in certain areas of the US, quick breads and raisin bread are far more common.

Why does my malt loaf sink in the middle? ›

The deeper sides of a loaf tin cause the outside of the cake to cook more quickly than the inside, so the cake rises in the oven but the centre of the cake has not cooked quite enough to permanently set the proteins in the cake batter (from the flour and egg) and hold the cake up - so it will sink as it cools.

Can you toast malt loaf? ›

Second of all, toasting it means the breakdown of sugar causes an already sticky loaf to turn into toffee, and you are left tonguing your teeth in an effort to prize caramelised bits of maltloaf from the back of your molars like some gluttonous Sisyphus. It won't budge! To sum up – sticky chew cold butter good.

What is another name for malt loaf? ›

In some areas, the name Harvo or Harvo Loaf is still often used to describe malt loaf, regardless of the brand.

Who invented malt loaf? ›

Wort can be fermented to make beer or it can be boiled down to make malt syrup. But while malt has been around for millenia, Soreen malt loaf was a creation of John Rahbek Sorenson, a Dane who settled in Manchester in 1932.

How do you cut a malt loaf without squashing it? ›

The trick is…. A SHARP Serrated knife (but please be careful not to cut your fingers!)… and a gentle sawing action – rather than cutting – It's as easy at that! Or you might find it easier slicing the loaf upside down.

Is malt loaf heart healthy? ›

Bread-style bakes such as fruit bread, malt loaf, currant buns, crumpets, bagels and English muffins are usually healthier than cakes and biscuits. Don't fancy them plain? Steer clear of butter and stick to a thin layer of low-fat, unsaturated spread, or try one of our 5 healthy toast toppings.

Is malt loaf a processed food? ›

Elements that indicate the product is in the 4 - Ultra processed food and drink products group: Additive: E150c - Ammonia caramel. Ingredient: Colour. Ingredient: Invert sugar.

Is malted bread healthier than white bread? ›

Granary / Malted Wheat Bread

Granary bread is a type of bread that contains malted wheat flakes and may or may not be made from wholegrain flour. Granary bread has a GI of 52 [5], making it a healthier option when compared to white bread.

How much sugar is in a slice of malt loaf? ›

Nutritional Information
Typical ValuesPer 100gPer Slice (26.3g)
of which sugars20.4g5.4g
Fibre4.7g1.2g
Protein8.7g2.3g
Salt0.46g0.12g
5 more rows

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