A Simple Afternoon Loaf — Everyday Baking at Its Best

There are times when you just want something plain and not too fussy — not a fancy cake or a showy dessert, just good, everyday baking to have on hand when people drop by. That was exactly the mood I was in this afternoon, so I went looking for something simple and easy.

I remembered the old Edmonds Sultana Loaf recipe, a real Kiwi classic. It’s the sort of loaf that fits perfectly with a cup of tea and a chat — nothing flash, just real and reliable baking.

What I Did

My take on the recipe was slightly different because I only had currants in the pantry, but they worked well. My oven runs a bit hot, so I baked it at 180°C for 20 minutes. I was planning to reduce the temperature to 160°C for another 20 minutes, but it was already done by then. The message here — start checking early and use the poke test after 20 minutes! The result was a lovely, moist loaf with a gentle sweetness.

Those little currant critters are hard to gauge. They naturally look black when baked, so when I pulled the loaf out of the oven, I was sure the top ones had burnt. Anyhoo, turns out that’s just how they look — no burnt taste at all.

Nisha’s Opinion (or Lack of One!)

I would normally get Nisha to try it — she has a very good, refined palate and always gives great feedback. But she absolutely hates, loathes, and detests dried currants! So, no taste test this time, which is a real shame because I always value her opinion.

Luckily, Basker stepped in for quality control and said it was good — which in his language usually means, “make it again.”

Recipe Card

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Edmonds Sultana Loaf

• Servings: 12 slices
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Rating: ★★★★★
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A simple, everyday Kiwi loaf with sultanas or currants. Perfect for afternoon tea or a casual visit, moist and lightly sweet.

Recipe Credit: Edmonds Cookbook – a Kiwi classic

Ingredients

• 1 cup sultanas or dried currants
• 1 Tbsp butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 Tbsp golden syrup
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups plain white flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder

Directions

1. Prepare Equipment: Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 26cm loaf tin.
2. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine sultanas or currants, butter, sugar, golden syrup, and salt. Sprinkle over baking soda and pour in boiling water. Stir until butter has melted.
3. Add Dry Ingredients: Sift in flour and baking powder. Mix quickly until just combined.
4. Bake: Pour mixture into prepared loaf tin. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. (Oven times may vary; start checking with a poke test after 20 minutes if your oven runs hot.)
5. Cool: Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
6. Serve: Slice and serve with butter and jam.

Nutrition

Per Serving: Calories: 230, Fat: 4g, Carbs: 46g, Protein: 4g, Sugar: 24g

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