Easy Boiled Fruit Cake – Mary Stevens (My mother’s recipe)

This boiled fruit cake is so easy, even an 8 year old can do it! Plus it does not cost you an arm or a leg to make.

Serves: 14

1 ½ lb (750grams) mixed fruit

½ cup chopped glace cherries (extra to what is in mixed fruit)

6 oz (185 grams) butter (you can use margarine, however, butter is better)

1 cup brown sugar

2 ½ cups wholemeal self raising flour (triple sifted)

3 eggs (beaten)

1 cup of black tea (If using loose leaf tea – do not strain – add the tea leaves!)

2 teaspoons mixed spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons of brandy or rum (Optional)

Preheat oven to Moderate (180c/350F)

Prepare a Deep square cake pan = 8 inches (20cm) - grease and double line with grease proof paper, making sure it comes up over the pan by the width of 4 fingers

Using a medium to large saucepan, place fruit, butter, sugar, spice, tea and alcohol and slowly bring to boil – stirring constantly at this point.  Once it has reached boiling point, reduce for a slow simmer for 6 minutes.

Then take off heat and cool until lukewarm.

Triple sift the flour into a clean glass bowl. 

Add the baking powder to the eggs and beat again.

Add the flour and eggs alternatively to the lukewarm fruit mixture in the saucepan making sure it is well mixed.

Pour into the centre of the prepared cake pan and gently smooth out to the sides.

Place the cake into the centre of the oven and cook for ¾ hour at Moderate, then turn down to Moderately Slow (160c/325F) and bake for a further ¾ hour.

Test with a skewer – if it comes out clean it is cooked (the delicious smell usually tells you when it is cooked) if not quite done, cook further.

Take out of oven wait 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Once you turn it out, GENTLY remove the grease proof paper from the cake.

Once completely cooled, put onto chopping board and cut into pieces – I get around 14 pieces, however if you wish smaller pieces, you can get more – your choice.

Notes: 

Mum always used wholemeal flour – I now use wholemeal Spelt flour in this recipe for an even healthier cake!

If I am not using the cake immediately, I wrap each slice well in plastic wrap and put into cake tin.  It will keep up to 14 days unfrozen.

This cake freezes well – just make sure cake in completely cold before wrapping, is well wrapped and placed in a suitable container.

I always have pieces in the freezer at any one time, to take pieces out when needed. 

Ideal for school/work lunches or that impromptu morning or afternoon tea.