Spiced Hot Cross Buns with Ginger Orange Jam
Earl grey soaked raisins, warm spices and a punchy ginger orange jam. A proper Easter bun with a twist.
These spiced hot cross buns are the result of a long love affair with British baking. If you are looking for a light and airy bun, I will stop you here — this is not that. The dough is rich, chewy and full of body, the raisins are soaked in earl grey and rum, and the whole thing is served with a ginger orange jam that takes it somewhere completely unexpected. In the best possible way.
A British Flavour Obsession
For a long time I have been drawn to a very specific set of British flavour combinations. In my head it mainly consists of earl grey tea, orange, lemon, warm spices and dark liquor. My first real contact with this palette was a Christmas pudding I brought back from London for my mum. It extended naturally to hot cross buns, although my first experience was honestly a bit of a disappointment. Nobody told me to spread jam on them, and Sainsbury’s provided a fairly dry introduction to the whole thing.
The more time I spent in the UK the more I got accustomed to the spicy rum raisin combination, and now I just keep coming back to this tea-infused orange spice palette. You can also find it in my Vegan Orange and Earl Grey Shortbread if this flavour world is speaking to you.
What Makes These Spiced Hot Cross Buns Different
There are two things that set this recipe apart. First, the raisins are soaked in earl grey tea and rum before they ever go near the dough. This means every single bite carries that deep, boozy, fragrant flavour rather than just plain dried fruit. Second, the jam. Because the jam is made from the leftover soaking liquid — still carrying all that earl grey and rum — it essentially mirrors the flavour of the buns themselves and amplifies everything. It draws the spices out and makes them really stand out.
The ginger in the jam is also doing serious work. It is punchy, warming and quite spicy, which means it pairs beautifully with the mild richness of butter. However, if you want to take it even further — and I say this with full commitment — use clotted cream instead of butter. It softens the richness just enough and makes the whole thing feel properly indulgent.
About the Dough
These spiced hot cross buns have a rich, chewy dough with a lot of body. The eggs, butter and milk make it soft and pillowy but substantial — this is not the kind of bun that falls apart or feels hollow. Do not expect a light, airy result. Because the richness is the whole point. It is what makes them feel like a proper treat rather than just bread with a cross on top.
The Jam
The ginger orange jam is made by blending the reserved raisin soaking liquid with fresh ginger and the juice and pulp of the zested oranges, then cooking it down with sugar until thick. Nothing goes to waste and the result is a jam that is intensely flavoured, a little spicy and completely unlike anything you would find in a supermarket.
It is also what turned these spiced hot cross buns from good to genuinely memorable for me. These were the first hot cross buns I had ever made, and they turned out perfectly. The jam is the reason.
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