Easter Spice Bun

An Easter tradition.

Some people have Hot Cross buns, others Spice Bun. I fall into the latter group. :o)

Sweet and spicy bun slathered with butter (sometimes enjoyed with a slice of cheese) and a nice cup of tea bring me back to my childhood: the first thing I'd indulge in after Easter service was a sticky slice of Bun. It's a little like fruitcake...

Even though I'm used to having a few slices of Spice Bun during the Easter holidays, this is my first year attempting to make it. Some spice buns are made with yeast, but I was looking for something just a little quicker, so I settled on a baking powder version:

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Easter Spice Bun

makes 2 8-inch loaves

1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
zest of one orange
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12 ounce) bottle dark stout beer (I used Guinness)
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup yellow dried fruit: golden raisins, diced dried apricots or diced candied orange peel
1/2 cup chopped red dried fruit: glaceed cherries, sweetened cranberries or dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease 2 medium loaf pans (8.5 "x 4.5").

Melt the brown sugar, molasses, honey, zest & butter over a low flame, stirring so it doesn't burn.

Slowly stir in the stout, then turn off the heat. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved.

Let the stout-sugar mixture cool down to room temperature. Once cool, beat the egg and vanilla together, then whisk them into the stout mixture.

Whisk the flour, spices, salt, and baking powder together, then add the dried fruit.

With a wooden spoon, stir in the stout / egg mixture until everything is well combined.


Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans, and bake for an hour at 325. Just until a skewer poked inside comes out clean.

Before the buns are done, mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Boil over high heat just until the sugar is dissolved (you don't need it to reduce, just melt a little).


Once the buns are out, baste them with the brown sugar syrup. Let them cool in the pans a bit until you can turn them out directly onto the rack to cool completely.

And there it is...one bun for you and yours, and another to give away :)

Once the buns are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil to keep the moisture in. They taste even better the next day!

I like to eat bun with a nice slathering of creamy butter, but you can also try it with a slice of mild yellow cheese (alot of my family members prefer it this way :)


Happy Easter!