This is the Old Fashioned Boiled Fruit Cake that I used to serve in my tea rooms. It definitely satisfies a comfort food craving, testified to on many occasions by my customers and family.
For this boiled fruit cake recipe the dried and glacé fruits are simmered with sherry, butter and sugar until they are plump and glistening, making a moist rich fruit cake. A slice of old fashioned boiled fruit cake with a cup of tea beside an open fire will cheer up the greyest of winter days.
Equipment you will need to make this Old Fashioned Boiled Fruit Cake
This cake is very easy to make and needs no special equipment. Apart from the usual things you will find in your kitchen make sure you have a 9 inch / 23 cm cake tin and some greaseproof or parchment paper.
Old Fashioned Boiled Fruit Cake
12
servings30
minutes1
hour30
minutesIngredients
750 grams / 1lb 12 ounces mixed dried fruit
110 grams / 4 ounces dried apricots cut into small pieces
110 grams / 4 ounces glacé cherries quartered
5 fluid ounces / 140 ml sherry
7 fluid ounces 200 ml water
225 grams / 8 ounces butter
165 grams / 6 ounces sugar
110 grams / 4 ounces plain flour
165 grams / 6 ounces self raising flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
4 large eggs
Directions
- Put the dried fruit, apricots and glacé cherries, butter, sugar, sherry and water in a saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to the boil over a medium heat stirring until the butter and sugar melt.
- Simmer the mixture for 15 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
- When the mixture is cooled stir in the eggs one by one.
- Sieve the flours, spice and bicarbonate of soda and fold in using a metal spoon.
- Grease and line a 9 inch / 23 cm cake tin with greaseproof/parchment paper.
- Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and spread evenly.
- Bake in a moderate oven 180° C / 160° C fan / Gas Mark 4 for approximately 1 ½ hours.
- Leave the cake in the tin until cold.
- Ideally you should keep the cake for at least a week before cutting it, but you can eat it straightaway if you can’t wait.
- Store in an airtight tin and it will keep for several weeks and it will taste even better as it matures.
How to Make An Old Fashioned Boiled Fruit cake
Happy Baking!
Tanya
Is it okay if I want to replace the sherry with brandy?
Hi,
Yes that is fine. If you want to leave alcohol out completely you can use orange juice.
Hope it goes well and thank you for getting in touch.
Tanya and Graeme
Thanks
The water I was thinking to replace with orange juice can?
Yes you can! I have in the past even used tea (without milk) for the liquid. It is well worth experimenting with different liquids. As long as you use the right volume of liquid it should be fine, it is just your preference. You could also of course replace the alcohol with an alcohol free liquid if you prefer that!
Thank you for getting in touch.
Tanya
Yes much better 😊
I have just made 3 of these for Xmas they are WONDERFUL!
I’m really pleased, thank you for letting me know!
What can I replace the dried apricots with
Thank you
Hello Jane,
You can use any dried fruits you like, maybe figs or mango? You can also just use more of the other dried fruits to make up the weight. You could also possibly try something a bit different such as crystallised pineapple.
It really is just a matter of taste.
I hope it turns out well and thank you for getting in touch.
Tanya.