Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke Sambar served with carrots, spicy and mouth-watering Indian dish Carrot sambar Yoghurt kebab served in pita with yoghurt sauce and fresh parsley Yoghurt kebab Spicy Pho served in a bowl, spicy rice noodle soup with fresh coriander and lime slices Spicy pho Smoked BBQ wild boar leg served Smoked BBQ Wild Boar Leg Chocolate and orange cake served Chocolate & orange cake Omurice bowl served with miso soup, omelette and miso soup Omurice bowl with traditional miso soup Freshly baked peach strudel Peach Strudel Momo with curry sauce steamed and served Momos with curry sauce Apple pie ravioli served Apple Pie Ravioli Kibbeh Nayyeh raw meat appetiser Middle Eastern style served Kibbeh nayyeh Chestnut tangsuyuk, crispy chicken with roasted chestnuts and sesame seeds Chestnut tangsuyuk Falukorv stuffed with mustard and onion, served with fresh coriander Baked Falukorv with mustard and onion Risi e Bisi served Risi e bisi Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls Mumbai street style pav bhaji Boiled sweet potato with chilli, spicy vegetable dish with coriander Boiled Sweet Potato with Chilli and Coriander Kebab in pita served Kebab in pita Freshly baked ciabatta rolls Homemade Italian ciabatta rolls Sacher waffles served Sacher waffles Golden baked cornmeal squares with visible chunks of white feta cheese Cheesy Cornbread (Proja) with Feta Misozuke, with fresh vegetables, in a miso paste marinade Misozuke
English fruit cake with dried fruits and dusted with icing sugar
Dried fruit and citrus English cake recipe

Traditional English Fruit Cake

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
This classic British dessert is a legacy of medieval preservation methods, where soaking fruits in sugar and alcohol ensured long shelf life. The secret to the dense, heavy dough is slow baking, which allows the flavours of the dried fruits to permeate every pore of the cake, whilst spices like cinnamon and cloves give it a deep, warming aroma. It is not merely a sweet, but an indispensable, filling accompaniment to English 'afternoon tea'.
🕒 Prep Time 45 mins
🍳 Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 55 mins
🍽️ Servings 8 servings
🔥 Calories 480 kcal
🌍 Cuisine British

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • 22-24 cm springform cake tin
  • Large mixing bowls
  • Hand mixer or whisk
  • Sieve
  • Baking parchment
  • Cooling rack

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Eggs
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Preheat the oven to 170°C (conventional oven). Grease the cake tin, and line the bottom with baking parchment.

Tip: The baking parchment helps prevent the sugary fruits from sticking to the bottom of the tin, which is a common mistake with this cake.
2 ✓

Wash the dried fruits in hot water, drain thoroughly, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Mix them with a tablespoon of the measured flour.

Tip: Flouring provides grip on the surface of the fruits, so the batter can hold them during baking, and they don't sink to the bottom (density difference equalisation).
3 ✓

Sieve the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Tip: Sieving not only removes lumps but also introduces air into the flour, resulting in a looser structure.
4 ✓

Beat the soft butter with the sugar until foamy and pale (approx. 5-6 mins). Add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition until completely uniform.

Tip: It is good when the sugar no longer crunches in the mixture. If the mixture looks 'curdled' when adding the egg, add a spoonful of flour to restore the creamy consistency (emulsion).
5 ✓

Mix the grated orange and lemon zest into the butter base, then fold in the flour mixture. Do not overmix, only until the flour disappears.

Tip: Overmixing causes the dough to become 'rubbery' and tough after baking (overdevelopment of gluten strands).
6 ✓

Gently fold the floured dried fruits into the batter.

Tip: Use a spatula or wooden spoon so you don't crush the airy structure of the batter.
7 ✓

Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top. Bake for approx. 60-70 minutes. After 50 minutes, do a skewer test: if dough still sticks to the skewer but the top is browning, cover with aluminium foil.

Tip: The dense batter bakes slowly. The skewer test is successful if the skewer is clean or has only a few moist crumbs on it, but not runny batter.
8 ✓

Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Tip: The structure of the warm cake is still weak; if you take it out too soon, it may fall apart.

Recipe FAQ

Why does the fruit sink to the bottom?
If the batter is too runny, or the fruits are too heavy and wet, they sink. Toss them in flour!
What should I do if it's too dry?
Drizzle with a little orange juice or tea whilst still warm, and wrap in foil.
How long does it keep?
Wrapped well, in a cool place, it stays fresh for 1-2 weeks; in fact, the flavours mature.

Ingredients

  • 250 g Plain flour
  • 200 g Granulated sugar
  • 150 g Butter (room temperature)
  • 4 pcs Eggs (Medium)
  • 100 g Raisins
  • 150 g Mixed dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, prunes)
  • 1 pc Grated orange zest
  • 1 pc Grated lemon zest
  • 1 sachet Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 50 g Icing sugar (for dusting)