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.
Patricia says
Made this cake today in an 8in cake tin and cooked it for 3/4 hour at 140deg (not fan bake ) ...It turned out perfectly moist.. Yum!
Susie says
Hi Patricia,
Great! I'm glad you like the recipe - and that you adapted the cooking time for your cake tin 🙂
Cheers - Susie
Melissa Inness says
Hi, can you advise if this fruit cake is suitable to cover in marzipan and icing please?
Thank you
Susie says
Hi Melissa. This cake isn't good for covering. The recipe I use for a light fruit cake to cover is the one I've posted as a
Christmas Cake
Cheers Susie
Rhian says
I found this recipe last week after researching a few fruit cake recipes so I decided to give it a go today,i've never made one before,I followed the instructions but soaked the fruit in tea overnight and added cherries,it was cooked in 1 hour 30 and is so moist and absolutely delicious, sent a photo of it to my other half who's in work and he can't wait to come home to try it,it will become a favourite I'm sure
Susie says
Hi Rhian
Soaking the fruit is a great idea. For a special cake you can soak it in rum or brandy!
Glad you like the cake and hope it was popular with your other half.
Cheers - Susie
Josephine B says
Hi, you've mentioned about soaking the fruit in rum or brandy, but no mention of how much. Can you please tell me how much. Thank you.
Susie Collings says
As a rule of thumb, I use 1 tablespoon (15ml) liquid for each 100g fruit, so 60ml for this cake 🙂
Sabrina Willoughby says
Hi
Can swap jam for treacle?
Thanks
Susie says
Hi Sabrina,
I haven't tried treacle, but the jam I first used was homemade and overcooked, so a very similar consistency. Definitely give it a go!
Cheers - Susie
Sabrina Willoughby says
Hi
Can I swap jam for treacle!
Thanks
Carol Price says
Hi Susie. Have just finished your cake and it was still moist and fresh after 1 week. I had been given some brown dried apricots so I soaked them with the sultanas overnight in orange juice. I made up the weight for dried fruit with cherries and some chopped walnuts. I don’t like spices so I used the zest of a large orange and used apricot jam. The cake was really lovely. And I am thinking of trying it again but this time with grated apple. Thanks for such a good recipe.
Susie says
Hi Carol,
That sounds delicious! What I love about this recipe is that it is so versatile and you can use whatever fruit/jam/flavours you like. Grated apple will be lovely - let me know!
Cheers - Susie
lesley says
is the fruit loaf mean tto be a little crumbly when cutting into it ? and after chilling in a fridge is it mean to be a little hard ? i don't know whether my cak eis dry or not if you could help
Susie says
Hi Lesley, This cake can be a little crumbly, and will be firmer in the fridge - but not hard. Yours does sound a little dry.
There are lots of reasons for a dry cake, so I wrote a post with the main reasons and solutions. Hope this helps. Cheers - Susie
Caryl says
Is it possible to omit the mixed spice? or what would be a good replacement for it?
Susie Collings says
Hi Caryl, No problem to omit the spice. This is a very versatile cake! You could add some orange extract instead, but nothing is fine too. Cheers - Susie
Hazel says
Made this cake today for first time and like some of the previous reviews, mine seems quite dry especially on the outside. I will try again and cook for less time and reduce the temperature a bit. Also I would add more jam. However it tasted good and I spread some butter on my slice.
Susie says
Hi Hazel, Sorry to hear your cake was dry. You could definitely try cutting down the cooking time and/or temperature. Butter is a great solution though!
Cheers - Susie
Sonja Davies says
Have just made two, one with cherry jam and one with Apricot. They both taste amazing. I did soak the fruit in Brandy and I tend to lightly flour the fruit before adding and find this always gives a great distribution. I will definitely use again and can see this becoming a regular family favourite.
Susie says
Hi Sonja.
Glad you like the cake! Brandy always helps 🙂
Cheers - Susie
Mary says
I stumbled across this recipe about a month ago and have made 4 cakes in that time. It is just such an easy recipe that the brilliant results almost make me feel guilty as I'm normally a pretty useless cook! The first cake I made I used my homemade strawberry jam and the result was super. however I didn't want to use all my home made jam up so I bought a couple of jars of tesco's cheapest jam to try. The next cake I made I used a good tablespoonful of Apricot jam, that also worked very well. At my husband's request I was cake making again within a week and thought I'd try the Blackcurrant jam I'd bought next. OMG! It turned the mixture a really horrible looking dark purple colour and I put it in the oven with grave misgivings. I needn't have worried, it was fantastic, and a very pleasing dark colour, I would think it would make a fantastic Christmas cake. I haven't changed the recipe at all, it's perfect as it is. I use Glace cherries in addition to the other fruit as we really like them. I might try some chopped dried apricots with the Apricot jam next time.
My only query is: Why is my loaf tin so oily after I turn the cake out? I'm an inexperienced baker so I don't know if that is normal. I only use the 125g of butter and a loaf tin liner which is soaking wet with fat.
Susie says
Hi Mary,
Glad you like the recipe 🙂 Lovely to hear how the different jams worked out. I started making this with my daughter's slightly overcooked homemade strawberry jam. Very dark and sticky, but totally fine to eat and yummy in the cake!
Oily liner? Are you greasing it? I don't. The liner can be damp, but not usually very oily. Maybe mix the ingredients a bit more? The only other thing is that I've found some butter is more oily than others, which sometimes affects my cakes. Next time I make it I'll have a good look at the liner and check.
Cheers - Susie
Jan Peirson says
can I make this in a 8" tin how much more would I have to put into this cake
Linda says
Yes this is perfect for an 8" tin, I always use 8" for this amount of ingredients