Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe
If you need a reliable and moist dessert this Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe is the best choice. It is a very simple, old-fashioned cake that never fails to please. Learning how to make Boiled Fruit Cake is perfect for beginners who find traditional baking tricky.
Ingredients
- 500 g mixed dried fruit raisins, sultanas, and currants
- 1 cup 250ml water or cold black tea
- 125 g butter chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup 200g brown sugar (packed tightly)
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup 150g plain flour
- 1 cup 150g self-raising flour
- A pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup glacé cherries for extra color
Instructions
Boil the Fruit Base
- Place the mixed fruit, butter, sugar water and spices into your large saucepan. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves completely.
Simmer the Mixture
- Bring the liquid to a gentle boil and let it simmer for one minute. This step ensures the dried fruit absorbs the liquid and becomes very soft and juicy.
Add Bicarbonate of Soda
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. The mixture will froth up and change color slightly, which is perfectly normal and expected.
Let the Mixture Cool
- Allow the fruit mixture to cool down to room temperature before adding the next ingredients. If the mixture is too hot, it will cook the eggs too quickly.
Prepare the Cake Tin
- Preheat your oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease your cake tin and line the bottom and sides with a double layer of baking parchment paper for protection.
Add the Eggs
- Once the fruit base is cool, stir in the lightly beaten eggs. Use your wooden spoon to mix them thoroughly until the liquid looks smooth and well combined.
Sift the Flours
- Sift both the plain flour and self-raising flour into the saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and the glacé cherries if you are using them for decoration.
Mix the Batter
- Gently fold the flour into the wet fruit mixture until no white streaks remain. Do not overmix the batter, or the cake might become too tough and dense.
Bake the Cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top with your spoon. Bake in the center of the oven for about 90 minutes until firm.
Cool and Store
- Let the cake cool completely inside the tin to keep it moist. Once cold, wrap it in foil and store it for a day before slicing it.
Notes
- Use cold black tea instead of water for a deeper and richer flavor.
- Add a splash of brandy or rum to the fruit mixture after boiling it.
- If you like a crunch, add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Check the cake with a skewer; it should come out clean when done.
- Wrap the outside of the tin with brown paper to prevent the edges from burning.
- Substitute mixed spice with pumpkin pie spice if you cannot find the original blend.