English Fruit Cake

A loaf of English fruit cake on a wire rack.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

A traditional English fruit cake for dessert with lots of fruits and nuts inside.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Total Time1 10

Course: Cake

Cuisine: International

Servings: slices

Calories: 224kcal

Author: Claudia

Equipment

1 baking pan 10 inch baking pan

Ingredients

150 gr unsalted butter
40 gr sugar
50 gr palm sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
100 gr flour
25 gr milk powder
1 tsp spekkoek powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder

Fruits

100 gr dried fruits cranberries, raisins, apricots
90 gr cherries
30 gr nuts
4 tbsp brandy or juice
25 gr flour

Instructions

A day before baking, prepare the dried fruits. Put the dried cranberries, raisins, dried apricots, and cherries into a container, then pour in the brandy or juice until just covered. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight so the fruits can fully absorb the liquid.
On the day of baking, take the soaked dried fruits out of the chiller. Add a bit of flour and mix until all the fruits are lightly coated. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Set aside.
Grease and line your baking pan with parchment paper. I’m using an oval pan (22 cm x 11 cm). Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C). Let the butter sit at room temperature until slightly softened.
In a mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, palm sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed first, then gradually increase to high speed. Whip until the mixture looks pale, light, and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until fully incorporated.
Sift the flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and spekkoek powder directly into the bowl. Mix on low speed to avoid the flour flying everywhere. Continue mixing just until everything is combined and smooth.
Add the flour-coated dried fruits, then fold gently with a spatula until they are evenly distributed in the batter.
Once the batter is well mixed, transfer it into the prepared baking pan and level the top. Decorate the surface with extra cherries, walnuts, and almond slices.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50–55 minutes. Check with a skewer or cake tester, if it comes out clean or with a few dry crumbs, the cake is done.
Take the baking pan out of the oven and carefully remove the cake. Peel off the parchment paper while it’s still warm.
Brush the top with a thin layer of honey to give the cake a shiny, moist finish. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Soak the fruits ahead of time – Letting the dried fruits soak overnight gives them a plump, juicy texture and infuses the cake with deeper flavor. If you’re short on time, a minimum of 2 hours still works.
Coat the fruits in flour – This simple step keeps the fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake and ensures an even distribution in every slice.
Use room-temperature ingredients – Softened butter and room-temperature eggs help the batter mix smoothly and create that soft, moist crumb English fruit cake is known for.
Don’t overmix the batter – Once the dry ingredients go in, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake tough instead of tender.
Check for doneness early – Every oven is different, so start checking at the 50-minute mark. The skewer should come out clean with a few crumbs attached.
Brush with honey while warm – Brushing the top with honey right after baking adds a beautiful shine and keeps the surface moist.

Nutrition