The traditional choice for celebration cakes. Rich fruit cake work well made in different sizes and can be adapted to make anything from a 10cm (4in) cake right up to a 30 cm (12in) cake at home. It keeps exceptionally well and so is perfect for cakes that need to be made in advance, for any special occasion.
You will love this cake because:
- This recipe can be made in a variety of different sizes from 10cm (4in) to 23cm (9in) with more sizes to follow shortly.
- Ideal for a special occasion from christenings, birthdays, Christmas time to Weddings.
- Useful to have a plain rich fruit cake in the cake tin to serve to guests or enjoy with an afternoon cuppa.
- It tastes great , a good quality fruit cake improves with time although when a cake has this much fruit, I think it tastes great from the day it is made.
- It keeps well stored in an airtight container, and in a cool place it will keep for several months or even longer!
Ingredients you will need:
It is always a good idea to weigh all the ingredients you need for a recipe before you start but this is especially true when making a rich fruit cake. There are a lot of ingredients in a rich fruit cake and it is very easy to accidentally miss one or two out, I know I have in the past!
The quantities and cooking times for different sized cakes are listed below with more sizes to follow soon. The finished cakes are about 6 - 7cm (2½ - 3in) deep.
To make two (10cm) 4in round fruit cakes
- 125g (4oz) currants
- 75g (3oz) sultanas
- 75g (3oz) raisins
- 3 tablespoons sweet white wine or sherry
- 50g (2oz) butter, softened
- 50g (2oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon black treacle
- 50g plain flour
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 25g (1oz)blanched almonds, chopped
- 25g (1oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 25g (1oz) mixed peel
- finely grated zest of ½ orange or ½ lemon
Cooking times:
45 minutes at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
45 minutes at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
Total cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
To make a 15cm (6in) round fruit cake
or a 13cm (5in) square fruit cake
- 175g (6oz) currants
- 125g (4oz) sultanas
- 125g (4oz) raisins
- 125m (4floz)l sweet white wine or sherry
- 125g (4oz) butter, softened
- 125g (4oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 2 medium eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon black treacle
- 150g (5oz) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 40g (1½oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 40g (1½oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 25g (1oz) mixed peel
- finely grated zest of ½ orange or ½ lemon
Cooking times:
45 minutes at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
1 hour at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
Total cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
To make a 18cm (7in) round rich fruit cake
or a 15cm (6in) square fruit cake
- 300g (10½oz) currants
- 150g (5oz) sultanas
- 150g (5oz) raisins
- 150ml (5floz) sweet white wine or sherry
- 150g (5oz) butter, softened
- 150g (5oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons black treacle
- 225g (8oz) plain flour
- 1½ teaspoons mixed spice
- 50g (2oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 50g (2oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 50g (2oz) mixed peel
- finely grated zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
Cooking times:
1 hour at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
1 hour 30 minutes at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
Total cooking time: 2 hours 30 minutes
To make a 20cm (8in) rich fruit cake
or an 18cm (7in) square fruit cake
- 400g (14oz) currants
- 225g (8oz) sultanas
- 225g (8oz) raisins
- 200ml (7floz) sweet white wine or sherry
- 250g (9oz) butter, softened
- 250g (9oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon black treacle
- 300g (10½oz) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 75g (3oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 75g (3oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 100g (3½oz) mixed peel
- finely grated zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
Cooking times:
1 hour at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
2 hours 15 minutes at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
Total cooking time: 3 hours 15 minutes
To make a 23cm (9in) round rich fruit cake
or a 20cm (8in) square fruit cake
- 500g (1lb 2oz) currants
- 275g (10oz) sultanas
- 275g (10oz) raisins
- 250m (9floz) sweet white wine or sherry
- 350g (12oz) butter, softened
- 350g (12oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1½ tablespoons black treacle
- 400g (14oz) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 100g (3½oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 100 g (3½oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 125g (4oz) mixed peel
- finely grated zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
Cooking times:
1 hour 15 minutes at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
2 hours at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
Total cooking time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Do I need to soak the fruit before baking?
I like to save the fiddle of feeding my cake with brandy or rum over the weeks before I want to use it, so I soak my dried fruit in alcohol before baking.
I toss the dried fruit in a little alcohol and allow it to stand overnight. If you do not have time to leave the fruit to soak before starting you can speed this up by heating the alcohol in a saucepan until it begins to bubble, then add the fruit. Cover and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Then commence making the cake.
Which alcohol you use for this is up to you. I find a sweet wine or sherry works well and this year have used masala. If you are feeling extravagant you could use rum or brandy.
Dried fruit doesn't go off for a long time. It is, after all, dried to preserve it. But it can become a bit too dry, if stored for a long time so soaking it before baking is ideal to plump it up. If it is very dry, just add a little more than suggested.
If you don't want to use alcohol, apple juice or orange juice will also work well. Be aware that in that case, the cake may not keep quite as long.
Lining the cake tin
Before you start to mix the cake line the cake tin.
Not sure how to line a cake tin? A square cake tin is fairly straightforward. Place a square of parchment or greaseproof paper in the base of the greased tin. Cut a double thickness strip of parchment long enough to go around the tin with a small overlap. Fold the bottom edge up by about 2cm (¾ in). Make a fold in the parchment at each corner and snip the bottom edge so that the parchment can turn the corner and palace into the tin pressing to the edges. Place a 2nd square in the bottom. Lightly grease the inside of the parchment.
Follow my step by step guide to lining a round cake tin.
What shall I use to grease the tin?
A little butter or a light flavoured oil such as rapeseed or sunflower oil is ideal for greasing the tins.
Baking a rich fruit cake
A rich fruit cake does take a while to cook as it needs to be baked at a fairly low temperature. Sometimes they have a tendency to become a little dry around the edges and overcooked before the centre is ready, particularly with large cakes. Square cakes can easily become a little dry in the corners before the centre is baked.
A year or so ago I found a tip to prevent this by adding a cake belt around the tin and it worked a treat. Now I won't cook a fruit cake again without one regardless of size.
You can buy reusable cake belts and if you make a lot of fruit cakes I would say it was worth it as they are not very expensive. But you can also make your own from kitchen foil and kitchen paper which you can reuse a few times.
Cake belts can also be used for sponge cakes but I have yet to really test to see if it makes a significant difference.
How to make a DIY cake belt
- Take a long sheet of foil long enough to wrap around your cake tin with a bit to spare. Then take a strip or two of kitchen towel the same length fold lengthways so that you have a long strip of paper several layers thickand about the height of your cake tin. Then place on top of the foil.
- Dampen the paper with water and fold up in the foil to enclose.
- Wrap around your cake tin and fold the ends of the foil together to secure.
A DIY cake belt can be resued several times just re-dampen the paper inside each time.
How to make the cake step by step
1 Leave the fruit to soak in sweet white wine or sherry for several hours or overnight.
2 Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs followed by the treacle.
3 Sift the flour and spices together then add to the bowl and fold in until just combined.
4 Add the soaked fruit, nuts, cherries, peel and zest and gently fold in until combined.
5 Spoon into the lined tin, spread level and make a dip in the centre.
6 Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
How do I tell if the cake is cooked?
A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean. I usually test in two or three places especially on larger cakes to ensure it is cooked. With practice, you will also notice a difference in the resistance as you insert the skewer when it is cooked. If you have a probe thermometer the temperature of the cake should be 98-100℃ (208-212°F). If you don't have one I highly recommend you get one as they are so useful and take the guesswork out of whether or not something is cooked.
Pro tip
Larger cakes tend to become darker with the longer baking time. Consider adding a little gravy browning to smaller cakes ½ to 1 teaspoon to achieve a darker colour in the finished cake. (Note: gravy browning only adds colour not flavour!)
Cooking times will vary from oven to oven, especially for the larger cakes. So use the 2nd cooking time as a guide only. To check if the cake is cooked insert a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean it is cooked. If the cake begins to brown too much on top before the centre is cooked cover with a disc of parchment or foil.
Can I make the cake gluten-free?
You can make a gluten-free rich fruit cake simply by replacing the plain flour with gluten-free flour. I have tested it in most sizes with gluten-free with success each time.
How to store the cake
Once baked allow the cake to cool in the tin. You can feed the cake before it cools if you like (see below).
When completely cold, remove the lining paper then wrap in fresh parchment or greaseproof paper before overwrapping with foil or cling film. Alternatively, place in a snug-fitting airtight container. Store in a cool dry place. Wrapping before completely cold may cause the cake to sweat and go mouldy.
Do I need to feed the cake with alcohol?
It is entirely up to you If you want to add additional alcohol over time though it is not essential.
There are benefits to feeding a fruitcake. It will help keep your cake moist as well as give it extra flavour. The number of times you feed a fruitcake will depend on how strong you want the boozy flavour to be. Take care not to overfeed it or it may become stodgy and wet.
Brandy, rum or whisky are all ideal for feeding the fruit cake. Feed every 2 weeks for up to 2 months. Simply Prick the cake a few times with a skewer then spoon 1- 2 tablespoons over the surface and allow to soak in before rewrapping and storing in a cool place.
Although sweet wine is fine for soaking the fruit before baking it is not suitable for feeding as you need to use alcohol of a higher strength.
Serving the cake
Rich fruit cake can be served plain and undecorated. Perfect with morning coffee or afternoon tea. It also goes remarkably well with cheese. Consider adding to a festive cheeseboard.
The cake can also be covered in marzipan and then fondant or royal icing for a celebration cake.
Some whole blanched almonds arranged on the top of the cake before baking makes for an attractive finish if you are not covering the cake with marzipan and icing.
How many people will a fruit cake serve?
It will depend on the circumstances. If served in addition to a dessert such as at a wedding reception then a smaller piece would be served as to say at an afternoon tea party. As a rough guide
- 15cm (6in) cake will serve 8-10
- 18cm (7in) cake will serve 10-20
- 20cm (8in) cake will serve 14-28
- 23cm (9in) cake will serve 18-36
- 25cm (10in) cake will serve 21-42
- 30cm (12in) cake will serve 30-56
📖 Recipe
Rich fruit cake
Equipment
- 20cm (8in) deep round cake tin or a 18cm (7in) deep square cake tin
- baking parchment or greaseproof paper
- scissor
- large mixing bowls
- Measuring jug )
- stand or hand held mixer
- sieve
- spatula
- cake belt (see post for how to make a DIY cake belt)
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) currants
- 225 g (8oz) sultanas
- 225 g (8oz) raisins
- 200 ml (7floz) sweet white wine or sherry
- 250 g (9oz) butter, softened
- 250 g (9oz) dark muscovado sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon black treacle
- 300 g (10½oz)plain flour
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 75 g (3oz) blanched almonds, chopped
- 75 g (3oz) glace cherries, quartered
- 100 g (3½oz) mixed peel
- 1 orange or 1 lemon finely grated zest
Instructions
- Place the currants, sultanas and raisins in a bowl. Pour over the sweet wine or sherry. Cover and allow to stand for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Grease and line 20cm (8in) round deep cake tin. Preheat the oven to 160°C/150°fan/gas mark 3.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Make sure you beat out any lumps in the sugar. Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition. Next beat in the treacle.
- Sift the flour and mixed spice into the bowl and fold in.
- Add the soaked fruit, almonds, cherries, peel and lemon or orange zest and mix well.
- Spoon into the prepared tin and level the top, then make a slight dip in the middle.
- Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the oven temperature to 140°C/130°C fan/gas mark 1 and cook for a further 2¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Notes
Never want to miss a recipe?
Subscribe to my newsletter Recipe Crumbs for all my latest recipes, posts and more straight into your inbox.
Jill says
Hi jacqui
I am making the 4in round cake which states that 1 small egg is required. I am unable to find small eggs on sale in England. Can a small medium egg be used instead?
Thanks in advance.
Jill
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Because it is such a rich cake you will probably get away just fine using a slightly larger egg. It may make the mixture look a but curdled to begin with but should be fine. ps I got you message re the wrong name so edited this comment to correct. Looks like it was the dreaded auto correct its always catching me out too.
Lazaritta Angel Pereira Antony Pereira says
Dear Ms.Jacqueline ...how could I thank you for this recipe. ever since i found this receipe (few months back) i have made this several times as this became my husbands favourite tea time cake who usually "hates" cakes. Also one of my friend who is british praised so much about the cake when i gave him to try and give some feedback. he mentioned this is the best fruit cake he tasted after many many decades... while i am writting this i have a cake in the oven which is getting ready for my sister's wedding and this cake going to travel all the way to india from Australia. Thank you so much for sharing this awasome recipe and cant wait to try your other recipes.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
This comment has made me so happy. It's also why I love my job so much. I am delighted you like the cake and it is so exciting to see the recipe travel around the world. Very best wishes for your sister's upcoming wedding
PS. I'm currently on holiday in Australia
Liz says
Desperate to get this right for a christening cake tin size I have is 9 inches sq. I can’t see amended quantities and times for this…would be most grateful as recipe looks exactly what I want! Thanks!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Hi Liz. Ive been meaning to add the quantities for this size for a while but haven't managed to find time to do a final test (I broke my wrist just before Christmas and that has put me right back as I am only just back in the kitchen). Here the quantities i believe to be right if that's any help. To make a 25cm (10in) round rich fruit cake
or a 23cm (9in) square fruit cake
600 g currants
375 g sultanas
375g raisins
250ml sweet white wine or sherry
300 g butter, softened
300 g dark muscovado sugar
6 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons black treacle
400 g plain flour
1 tablespoon mixed spice
125 g blanched almonds, chopped
125 g glace cherries, quartered
150 g mixed peel
finely grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
Cooking times:
1 hour 15 minutes at 170°C (150°fan)/325°F/gas mark 3 plus
2 hr at 140°C (130°fan)/275°F/gas mark 1
When is the baptism? I may be able to get it tested next week.
Catherine says
I am going to make this cake, it looks wonderful. However I noticed in the pictures it said sherry, sweet wine or brandy but only sweet wine or sherry was mentioned in the recipe. I would prefer to use brandy as that is what I have on hand. Would this be acceptable? Thank you for your time and also your blog.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Totally acceptable and totally decadent it will taste fabulous :). I find sweet wine and sherry good cheaper alternatives but if you have brandy to spare then go ahead I would!
Jude says
Can you please tell me the ratio of soaked fruit mix to the batter as I like to soak a big pot of fruit , enough for six big cakes.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
I'm sorry Im not quite sure what you are asking. The ratio of fruit changes slightly according to the size of the cakes. If you want to soak the fruit for 6 cakes in one go I would find the recipe quantities for the size cake you wish to make and mulitply the fruit and liquid by 6 then soak. Then divid the soaked fruit into 6 equal portions and use one batch for each cake. Hope that helps
Jenny says
I have made 2 sizes of this delicious fruit cake both were very yummy, love this site and thank you for sharing
Jenny 🎂😋
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Ohh I just love getting a comment like this, It really makes my dad. So pleased you have enjoyed both cakes and I hope you continue to enjoy Only Crumbs Remain.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
YUM! I am a huge fan of fruitcake and this one looks especially good!
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
It's a classic that I have used many times over the years when I want a really good rich fruit cake for a special ocassion.
Carole says
Just made this with gluten free flour it looks and smells great ready to ice next month
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Enjoy!
MANDY says
Thank you for the tips on how to make the DIY belt - so useful. You really can't beat a traditional fruit cake like this one.
Rebecca - Glutarama says
Ooh yes, ample booze in this Rich Fruit Cake - I'm nodding in agreement. I love a rich fruit cake and really ought to make this more than one a a year. You recipe is a lovely variation on one I make so will be giving this a go as there's more of a luxury feel to it.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
Thanks Rebecca my sister uses this recipe a lot and it works just fine with gluten-free flour for her.
Michelle says
I keep thinking i have missed a step the recipe doesn't call for baking powder? even though it is made with plain flour.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
No, you have not missed a step. This is a rich fruit cake so it doent have a very light open crumb like you would expected in a Victoria sandwich for example. So the creaming of the fat and sugar and the beating of the egg will gives all the raising you need.
Lesley says
You can't beat a traditional Christmas cake and this cake looks glorious. Of course, I'm a fan of any cake that's flavoured with my favourite tipple, sherry.
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
and I'm surer a slice would go very nicely with a glass of sherry.
Sylvie says
This is absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing all this information! Can you please tell me how tall these cakes are when baked? Thank you
Jacqueline Bellefontaine says
The finished cakes are about 6 – 7cm (2½ – 3in) deep.