Soak the fruit – Place the mixed dried fruit in a large bowl and pour over the hot tea. Stir well, then cover and leave to soak until the fruit has absorbed most of the liquid and plumped up fully. This step is key to a moist loaf and should not be rushed.

Prepare the tin – Grease the loaf tin thoroughly and line it with baking parchment, allowing some paper to overhang the sides for easy lifting. Preheat the oven so it is fully heated before baking.

Add sugar and spice – Stir the dark brown sugar and mixed spice into the soaked fruit. Mix well so the sugar dissolves slightly into the warm fruit mixture and the spice is evenly distributed.

Incorporate the flour – Add the self-raising flour to the bowl and mix gently. The batter will be thick and fruit-heavy, which is exactly how it should be. Avoid overmixing, as this can make the loaf tough.

Add the egg – Beat the egg lightly, then stir it into the mixture until just combined. Make sure it is evenly mixed through without overworking the batter.

Transfer to the tin – Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and level the top gently. The batter should sit evenly, with fruit distributed throughout.

Bake slowly – Bake on the middle shelf until the loaf is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil partway through baking.

Cool and rest – Leave the loaf in the tin for about 10 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a wire rack. For best flavour and texture, wrap and rest the loaf for several hours or overnight before slicing.