This Everyday Fruit Cake, cooked in a loaf tin, is almost apologetically easy. Just weigh, stir and cook, which is just as well for me because it's in great demand in our house. For special occasions, I will make something that takes more effort but, for everyday eating, this cake is perfect - tasty, quick and easy.
I often make an Everyday Fruit Cake to take with us when we go on holiday because it travels well and keeps for a week. It's the ideal cake with a cup of tea when you've been out for the day. We're off to the coast in a couple of weeks and the sea air, combined with lots of walks, always makes me hungry. In fact, now I'm wondering whether to take two.
Key ingredients
Dried fruit
The beauty of this cake is that you can use whatever dried fruit you have, add nuts and cherries - anything you like or have. The only thing you have to remember is to keep the total weight to 400g (14oz).
Secret Ingredient
My special ingredient in this Everyday Fruit Cake is a spoonful of jam - any flavour. I started putting jam in when I was given a couple of jars that had been slightly overcooked. The jam was too stiff and treacly tasting to use as it was, so I added it to a fruit cake and liked it.
If you don't have any jam, you could use marmalade or honey - or even golden syrup (but not too much or the cake will be very sweet).
All-in-one method makes for an easy cake
To make this fruit cake easy, I use the all-in-one method. You can use any machine to mix the batter (as the professionals call the cake mix without the fruit).
Whatever you use, make sure you stir the fruit in by hand. It only takes a minute but then you won't chop it up.
Is this a moist cake?
Yes it is, BUT cakes can turn out dry for a number of reasons, mostly to do with the bake time and temperature. Unfortunately what the thermostat says may not be accurate!
If your cakes turn out dry, check out my article Why Is My Cake Dry? for some of the most common reasons and the solutions.
Make two and freeze one
I do usually make two at a time and freeze one. When there are only two of us at home I often cut them in half and freeze three halves. That way I'm certain the fruit cake always tastes fresh. I keep it in the fridge, which isn't essential, but it does keep the cake moist.
How to make it gluten-free
Thanks to Vanessa, one of my readers: I've made this several times using gluten-free flour, I just add a teaspoon of baking powder and twice as much milk, as I find gluten-free flour tends to absorb more moisture.
How do you make a vegan Fruit Cake?
Thanks again to Vanessa, for her advice about egg replacement: I make this vegan by using the equivalent of 3 flaxseed eggs (1 egg replacement - 1 tablespoon flaxseed and 3 tablespoons water, blitzed until it's smooth and starts to thicken up).
Use your favourite plant milk and any block margarine instead of butter.
Cake tin conversion
- If you don't have a loaf tin, you can make this fruit cake in an 18cm (7-inch) round deep tin or a 15cm (6-inch) square tin.
- To make this recipe in 2 1lb loaf tins, increase the cooking temperature by 10°C. Halve the cooking time and keep testing until it's done.
What else do you need to make Everyday Fruit Cake?
- 2lb loaf tin - I have two of these so that I can make double quantities
- Baking parchment loaf tin liner - stops the cake sticking and keeps the tin clean - so less washing up. You can also store the cake in the liner until you're ready to eat it, keeping it nice and moist. Just make sure you buy the right size for your loaf tin. Old fashioned loaf tins are squarer and deeper (and better for bread, I think) than the others which are good for cakes.
If you like this...
...Why don't you try:
Quick Christmas Cake
Cherry Cake
Fruit Tea Scone
Stockists
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Baking parchment loaf tin liner
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Recipe
Everyday Fruit Cake
Ingredients
For the Everyday Fruit Cake:
- 400 g mixed dried fruit see note
- 125 g butter at room temperature see note
- 3 large eggs
- 60 ml milk, (4 tablespoons)
- 1 rounded tablespoon jam (any flavour)
- 125 g soft brown sugar dark or light - see note
- 250 g self-raising flour see note
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice (10ml)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan/ gas mark 3/ 325°F
- Either grease the tin with butter or just pop the liner in
- Weigh the fruit into a bowl for later
For the Everyday Fruit Cake:
- Put all the ingredients except the fruit into a large bowl (or your mixer/food processor).125 g butter at room temperature, 3 large eggs, 60 ml milk,, 1 rounded tablespoon jam (any flavour), 125 g soft brown sugar, 250 g self-raising flour, 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- Beat together well, but don't overdo it
- Scrape the mixture down and mix again
- Add the dried fruit and stir in by hand. You don't want to break up the fruit400 g mixed dried fruit
- Carefully put the mixture in the tin/liner and use a knife to make a slight depression in the top of the mixture. This means you will have less of a domed top
- Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and test with a toothpick. When it comes out clean the cake is done. If not, return to the oven for 10 minutes and repeat. You may need up to 1 hour 45 mins
- Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool
- Store in an airtight box when cool. (You can leave the liner on until the cake is served)
Notes
Everyday Cooks Tips:
Ingredients:- Dried fruit: Use any mixture that you like. Either a ready mix, or whatever you have or like. I put cherries in mine and I don't wash them for this recipe. Just cut in half. If you like nuts add 50g of flaked almonds and 350g fruit
- Butter: If it's cold, heat in the microwave for 30 sec on LOW. Repeat if necessary. Don't melt it
- Brown sugar: Dark or light is fine. I prefer light in this recipe as dark brown sugar has a stronger flavour
- Flour: If you don't have self-raising flour, use plain flour and add 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Gemma says
Can this fruit cake be toasted?
Working at a cafe going back 20years ago we used to make a toasted tea bread but I can’t remember the recipe exactly - it definitely wasn’t a bread but more like a fruit cake and reading these ingredients it sounds very similar so wondered if this would be okay toasted
Susie Collings says
Hi Gemma, I haven't tried toasting this but I'm making one to give it a go and will report back! 🙂
Tony says
Made the cake the other day, it really is Easy and it went down well with the family. Just one quick question; I weighed out 400gms of dried fruit which I then soaked for a couple of hours in a bit of Brandy with hot water, when I drained off the liquid the fruit weighed a bit over 500gms - I only used 400gms of the soaked fruit. Was this right, or should I have used the lot?
Susie Collings says
Hi Tony, Use the lot! It will just be a bit more moist. If I soak the fruit in just brandy I use the liquid too and use less milk to compensate. Cheers- Susie
Larry says
I’ve made two of these cakes in the last two weeks, the first one lasted 4 days before it was all gone, made the 2nd one today and already 1/4 has gone, scrummy cake. 😊
Susie Collings says
Hi Larry, Glad you like the cake, 🙂 Cheers - Susie
Dean says
Love this cake. I'm in the middle of baking this cake for the second time and I'm hoping it comes out of the oven just as delicious as my last attempt which was lovely and moist. Must admit it didn't last long between me, my sister or my mother who are in my lock down bubble.
Susie Collings says
Hi Dean, What a nice thing to do for your lockdown family 🙂 We all need some cake at the moment I think.
Steve Bosworth says
I double up the ingredients and make two cakes at a time and slice, wrap up well in clingfilm as a whole one of them and freeze it, it freezes well. I also soak the fruit in some brandy for 6 hours, stiring occasionally making the fruit more plump and juicy.
Susie Collings says
Hi Steve, Brandy sounds good 🙂 I'm guessing you can take as many slices of cake out as you need? - Good idea! Cheers- Susie
Amanda Joy says
Hello, I don't have jam I only marmalade ? Is this ok to use?
Susie Collings says
Hi Amanda, Marmalade is fine - go for it 🙂
Esty says
I love this recipe. Whenever I make it, people on comment on how moist it is. I always douvle the recipe to make two. They keep so well in the fridge and freezer. I always add tea bags to my fruit and soak it for a few hours.
Susie Collings says
Hi Esty, Thanks for that! I agree about making double. Partly laziness/efficiency? to do less work for more output 🙂 Soaking in tea is a really good option to make it more moist too. Cheers - Susie
Sharon says
I baked the cake in the summer to take on a camping holiday. I followed the recipe implicitly, adding all the ingredients and cherries. It was delicious and stayed fresh and moist all week. Made another one more recently, a little clumsily as I was in a hurry! I couldn’t understand why it was dryer than the first one. It was eaten, as still tasty but quite dry. I went through the recipe to see where I went wrong. I realised I forgot the jam! So I made it again today. Amazing how jam makes all the difference. Thank you for such an amazing, relatively low sugar, cake recipe.
Susie Collings says
Hi Sharon. So pleased you like the recipe. As you say the jam makes the difference here and good that you figured out what you had done. It happens to us all 🙂
Gill Walsh says
My first attempt was amazing,
beautiful and moist.
The 2nd and 3rd, using a different brown sugar were dry.
So I soaked the fruit in a drop of brandy and water .
This made it even better than the first.
It's so easy, (as long as you make sure the butter is really soft)
Thank you for this recipe
Susie Collings says
Hi Gill, Interesting about the sugar, but a brilliant remedy 🙂 Cheers - Susie
Hermy says
Hi, I am looking to bake this fruit cake since I have 200g of mixed peel to use up. Can I just use the 200g of mixed peel and halve all the other ingredients? Hoping it should still work.
Susie Collings says
Hi Hermy. Absolutely. Make it in a 1 lb loaf tin. Oven temperature is the same, cut down the cooking time to 50-70 minutes. Cheers - Susie
Christine says
I used 1 1/2 tablespns of ginger jam in this recipe, the ginger really gives an umph to it. Lovely, easy and VERY edible cake. Thank you 🙂
Susie Collings says
Hi Christine, Ginger sounds good - especially as the weather gets cooler. Cheers - Susie
Katy says
Hi! Can’t wait to try this recipe..do you think I could use sherry to soak the fruit?
Thanks!
Susie Collings says
Hi Katy, Sherry would be fine for soaking the fruit 🙂 Cheers - Susie
Dorothy Bintley says
I have two 1 lb loaf tins. What change will be needed to time and temperature of baking?
Susie Collings says
Hi Dorothy, Leave the temperature the same and test after 50 minutes. Depending on your oven the cakes may need up to about 20 minutes longer. Cheers - Susie
Carole says
Hi Susie
What is the minimum time for soaking the fruit please.
Thanks Carole
Susie Collings says
Hi Carole, Overnight is best, a couple of hours at least, or heat the fruit in the liquid - in the microwave (about 3 mins) or in a saucepan to simmering point - then leave, covered, for 30 minutes.