Easy Boiled Fruit Cake
Oh my goodness I just adore this easy boiled fruit cake recipe. I confess though I am a complete fruit cake fanatic. In fact, I honestly avoid making it now as I literally devour the whole thing in an embarrassingly short amount of time with the hope that nobody else notices....it is my guilty pleasure.
Besides being just so unbelievably easy, the beauty of this cake is that the fruit plumps up during the boiling process, completely rehydrating and bouncing back into life. It's then just a case of mixing in the dry ingredients and job done!
I've been using this recipe from as far back as I can remember and it is always a hit with everyone. I remember one summer fete at my son's primary school a staff member buying up the whole thing rather in one go. Which was quite flattering. In a way. I guess.
Jump to:
Why is this the BEST boiled fruit cake recipe EVER?
EVERYONE ALWAYS LOVES THIS CAKE!
Simple, quick and easy ✔️
Delicious flavours from the dark brown sugar and spice ✔️
Juicy fruits because they are rehydrated when boiled ✔️
Only a few ingredients needed ✔️
Stores well ✔️
Ingredients and Substitutions
Mixed fried fruits
I usually use a bag of mixed dried fruits in this recipe as it also includes dried mixed peel. But the recipe is very forgiving and you can substitute which whatever fruits you have, though try to ensure that you go heavier on the sultanas.
My Small Christmas Cake recipe contains a whole host of various fruits and nuts which make it a really popular cake at Christmas.
Mixed spice
Feel free to substitute with a mix of 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and half a teaspoon of ground (or freshly grated) nutmeg.
Unsalted butter
We use this and add salt separately, but you can use salted butter and omit the extra salt.
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
This is a key ingredient and can't be replaced. Baking powder is does not give the same results.
Two really important reasons why bicarbonate of soda is not only a key ingredient for boiled fruit cake, but also why it is important to use it at stage 1, when you boil the fruits are:
- Bicarb works to neutralise the acidity from the dried fruits and thus prevents the cake from becoming dense and heavy. Bicarb will only work as a leavening agent if other ingredients contain acidity. Baking powder is more of an all rounder leavening agent, but for fruit cake we need a leavening agent that solely works with acidity so that the boiled fruit cake is lovely and light.
- Boiling the fruits with bicarb, rather than adding it later, softens them more quickly as it brakes down the pectin in the fruits, this allows them to to rehydrate and become lovely and juicy when baked in a boiled fruit cake.
Dark brown sugar
Another key ingredient because the molasses in dark brown sugar give the fruit cake its deep caramel and treacle flavours plus a rich nuttiness . Perfect for a rich fruit cake.
Self raising flour and plain flour
The self-raising flour contains leavening agents to help the cake rise but, as we don't want too much leavening given we are already introducing that with the bicarbonate of soda which is added to the fruits, we therefore top up with plain flour. You could just use plain flour but add three quarters of a teaspoon of baking powder and sift together.
Fine salt
Salt is an important ingredient as it brings out the flavours in a fruit cake.
Eggs
Necessary to bind the cake together and to give extra flavour.
Demerara sugar (optional)
I like to sprinkle a little on top of my boiled fruit cake (or Jamaican Ginger Cake). The demerara is just for a bit of a crunchy texture on the top. However, the cake is just as lovely without it.
Storage
If stored correctly your boiled fruit cake will be fine for up 6 months. You will need to wrap it tightly greaseproof paper first of all and then wrap again in foil. I usually use two pieces of greaseproof and two pieces of foil to ensure the cake is totally airtight. Then keep it in an airtight tin and refrigerate.
The fruit cake cake can be frozen for up to a year.
However, if you are not planning on storing your cake for long it will be fine in an airtight tin for a couple of weeks, or even more (quite honestly mine never lasts that long!).
Like a mad fool, I decided to try a different boiled fruit cake recipe last year, it was a sorry disappointment. As they say if it ain't broke don't fix it, less is more etc etc.
So please bake and enjoy as I present my good ol' faithful boiled fruit cake recipe to all you lovely people I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
📖 Recipe
Delicious and easy boiled fruit cake
Here's what you'll need...
- heavy bottomed saucepan
Ingredients you'll need...
Stage 1 ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter (¼ Cup plus 3 tablespoon)
- 150 g dark brown sugar granulated (½ Cup)
- 400 g mixed dried fruit (2¾ Cups)
- 1½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 8 fl oz cold water
Stage 2 ingredients
- 100 g self raising flour (½ Cup plus 3 tablespoon)
- 100 g plain flour all purpose flour (½ Cup plus 3 tablespoon)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 medium eggs light beaten
- 1 tablespoon demerara sugar optional
Here's what we do...
Stage 1
- Check your fruit to ensure it is all separated and not stuck together in clumps.
- Put all stage 1 ingredients into your saucepan and heat gently until the butter has melted and sugar has dissolved.
- Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for 1 minute.
- Leave to cool.
Stage 2
- Heat your oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas mark 3
- Grease your baking tin with butter and line the base with greaseproof paper.
- Sift the flours and salt together.
- Add half of the beaten eggs and half of the flour mixture to the stage 1 ingredients and fold in with a wooden spoon.
- Add the rest of the eggs and flour and fold in until fully incorporated, do not over mix but do ensure there are no pockets of flour remaining.
- Pour the mixture into your cake tin and gently level out.
- Sprinkle the demerara sugar over evenly over the top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minute, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing and cooling on a cooling rack.
Make Your own Notes on this Recipe here...
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I haven't made a fruit cake in years then I saw this easy recipe.Cake turned out great,lovely and moist and very tasty.Will be making again.Thank you.
Hi Bethan, thank you so much for your comment, I am really pleased to hear you enjoyed this cake.
The only fruit cake I make, delicious
Hi Jayne, me too to be honest! Other than my small Christmas cake, which is very similar. Thank you for your kind comment.
First time I have made this boiled fruit cake recipe. So moist and full of flavour. Light and so yummy! I shall definitely make this again. Thank you for this delight.
Hi Janet, thank you for your comment, I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed this cake and will be making it again, I do love it too 🙂
Delicious. I did use some rum!
Hi Doreen, rum is an excellent addition! I am all for that 🙂
I am just about to make this cake for the fourth time. I find that even people who don’t much like fruitcake absolutely love this because it is not a too dry and so succulent because it has boiled fruit. Could you tell me if I could make it with gluten-free flour? I shouldn’t really be having gluten.
Thank you, Ella
Hi Valerie, I am so pleased to hear how much you enjoy this cake. Gluten-free flour should work in this recipe, it can make cakes a little dryer, so my advice would be to add a couple of tablespoons of milk at the end. Hope your cakes turns out well 😊
I chose this recipe because it sounds very simple. I hope I would be able to make it easily.
I have not made it yet but I am sure it will be very nice.
Thank you Ella
Hi Mrs Ahmed, thank you for your kind comment. I do hope you enjoyed the cake.
Hi Ella, I've made this cake now several times and it's the best fruit cake recipe I've ever found - absolutely foolproof. Do you think it would work well with Gluten Free flour to make for a coeliac daughter?
Hi Rachel, I am so pleased to hear you how much you love this recipe 😊. I have never made it with gluten free flour so I cannot say for definite, but I see no reason why it should not work.
Lovely easy recipe. I did change a few things as I was able to add extra ingredients which I had purchased and needed to balance out the items to make the mixture consistent with the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I did soak the fruit in dry sherry and Cointreau for 12 hours.
1 x 750 g bag of mixed fruit
1 x 200 g bag of diced apricot
1 x 150 g bag of cranberries
1 cup of diced prunes
The next day I added and brought to the boil.
1 cup of brown sugar
1 tin of crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup of strong tea
2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg, 1 tsp of mixed spice, 2 tsp of bi carb
I used to fold in and bake with
1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of SR flour & 2 cups of crushed walnuts & 6 eggs.
Hi Vicki, wow thanks for sharing your recipe! This sounds amazing! The great thing about fruit cakes is they are so versatile, really any dried fruit will work and strong tea is a perfect addition too.
Beautiful fruit cake easy to make
Hi Lynette, thank you for your kind comment, I am so pleased you like the cake 😊
Hi Ella
I have made this cake 6 times in the last month, everyone loves it, I put 300g of dried fruit and 100g glacé cherries because I like them and I use tea instead of water, fabulous
Regards Sally
Hi Sally, thank you for your comment and I am loving the idea of adding cherries and tea, both will work really well.
Made this cake this morning as our Christmas cake - perfect for us as it’s booze free and not as heavy as a traditional Christmas cake. The only changes I made were I added 100g of cherries and used 8 floz of strong tea rather than cold water. The recipe was extremely easy to follow and although I haven’t tried the cake yet, I have to say it looks and smells absolutely gorgeous! I’m going to wrap it well and store in an airtight container although I might just have to hide it from my husband who has been known to dig in before Christmas!!
Hi Jane, love the changes you made to the recipe! I am sure it will be gorgeous and hope it manages to last until Christmas haha. Enjoy!
Great easy to make boiled cake!!
Hi Sue, thank you so much for your comment 🙂
Hi Ella what size of a loaf tin would you use please?
Hi Gwen,a 2lb loaf tin will work well. The cake will need baking for a bit longer of course as it will be denser. Hope that helps 😊
Wow! Ella what a delicious cake so easy to make and enjoyed by everyone, many thanks for the recipe x
Hi Ann, thank you for your comment, I am so please to hear that you enjoyed the cake 😊
Bonjour merci pour cette recette vraiment excellente, je voulais savoir si on pouvait manger le cake le jour même ou il faut attendre 1 à 2 semaines ? Merci
Hi Noelle, thank you for your comment. Unfortunately my French is not great so I hope you don't mind me replying in English. I am so pleased you enjoyed this recipe. This cake does store well just in an airtight tin for about 10 days, after which it can become slightly dryer. The best way to store it for any longer is is wrap it securely in a layer of grease proof baking parchment and then in a couple of layers of foil, then put it in an airtight tin and keep it at room temperature. Hope that helps answer your query.
Very easy and tastes so good
Hi Gina, thank you so much for your comment, it is much appreciated. So pleased do hear you enjoyed the cake.
Hi, thank you so much for your 5 star rating, I do appreciate it 😊
My mother always wowed the crowds with her boiled fruit cake, but as she now has dementia, I could not find her recipe and came across this one. It is a brilliantly easy cake to make and so delicious! I have not made an 'ordinary cake' for ten years since eating grain-free, but we are now reintroducing spelt flour, so I made it with no self-raising and extra bicarb and replaced normal sugar with coconut sugar. I thought I had burned my first attempt at boiling the fruit as I got distracted, so I made a second. Then, having saved the first batch, I did a taste test and realised it was not burnt at all, and I ended up with two cakes. I am glad I did, as it has been so much enjoyed that it is going very quickly! Thank you so much.
Hi Jo, this is such a lovely comment to receive thank you. Really pleased to know those ingredient modifications work well in this cake 😊 Yes it never lasts long when I make it either haha.
My word Ella what a fabulous cake this is. I am a recipe junkie and have tried dozens of fruitcake recipes over the years but this is the best bar none. The aroma, the moistness, the flavour, all totally drool worthy. It is so delicious I would even use it as a last minute Christmas cake.
This is the first recipe of yours I have tried after discovering your site only yesterday, and I can’t wait to try many, many more.
Best wishes
Brenda
Hi Brenda, thank you so much for your kind comment, I am so pleased that you liked the cake 😊
Made this cake for the first time yesterday as I was baking for an event. I lost my boiled fruit cake recipe that I'd used years before and this seemed as close to how I remembered it the method to be. (I did have a mix of dried fruit - mainly sultanas but also a handful of: diced dried papaya/pineapple/apricot and some halved glace cherries.) I forgot to sprinkle with demerara sugar before baking so I sprinkled granulated sugar over the top when it was baked to make the top pretty.
Well. What can I say?! The cake was a hit and went down a storm! Thank you! It was an easy and delicious recipe! I baked mine in a rectangular roaster as it's easier to cut up and share for catering events. I have been asked to share your recipe as someone enjoyed it so much! Thank you again!
Hi Lynn, wow that is amazing to hear, I am so pleased that you and people at your event enjoyed the cake so much 😊 Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
This is the best fruit cake I've ever made! So light and moist too! I have an old cooker with no fan and it was foolproof! Will try putting in some brandy or sherry in next time to make it extra special 😉
Hi Anne, oh wow I am so pleased to hear that! I agree a drop of alcohol can only be a good thing 😊.
Thank you for this recipe. I am 81 years old and in the past we used to add a tin of crushed pineapple?
Hi Helen, I am so pleased you enjoyed this cake. You are quite correct, pineapple was a staple of traditional fruit cake recipes, I think this was very popular in Victorian times. You could add 2 tablespoons of crushed pineapple at the very end after you've added the eggs and flours. Just increase the flour by 30 grams (10 grams of plain and 30 SR flour) to ensure the cake is not overly moist.
I wanted to make a fruit cake for a few months and, after looking at 3 or 4, settled on yours. Instead of 8 ounces of water, I used 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of VSOP Brandy. As soon as I took the cake out of the oven, I sprinkled some more brandy over the top. Just for something different, I placed some blanched almonds on the top.
In the oven, I put the timer on for 70 minutes. I had it on 150° FF for about 35 minutes, reducing to 140 for the remainder. The cake was done after 70 minutes.
I appreciated your layout and instructions. Logical and clear. Cake tastes very good and certainly not dry.
Thanks.
Hi John, thank you for your comment. The addition of brandy can only be a good thing 😊 and I love the idea of the almonds on top, I bet it looked amazing as well as tasting amazing!
Love this boiled fruit cake and have made it many times. Its quick and easy to make. As soon as I make it everyone wants a piece and now I'm making them for my father in law as well. He said its the best fruit cake he's tasted in a long time!!! That was a great compliment as he was a good baker.
Hi Karen, this is so lovely to hear thank you! I must admit I do find it difficult to resist myself when I've made it haha.
This is the easiest and most delicious fruit cake I've ever made ( and my most successful 😂😂) thank you so much 😊
So pleased to hear that Patricia! Makes my day when I know people are enjoying my recipes 😊
Hi Ella, I chose your Boild Fruit cake because it was the nearest to my Grandmother's who worked in the kitchens of Windsor Castle. And may have made it for Queen Victoria's family.
The only problem I had is I should have put the eggs in first before the dry ingredients. And I mixed the brown sugar in with the dry ingredients. I knew sugar went on the top, just wasn't thinking. I'm sure it will be fabulous. Thank you.
Hi Lesley, goodness me what a wonderful thought that this cake, or one very similar, may have graced the table of Queen Victoria herself! Thank you for sharing! Hope you enjoyed the cake.
This is my ‘go-to’ fruit cake recipe. The whole family love it. I love the fact that you don’t have to think about getting the butter out beforehand.
Hi Deb, so pleased you like recipe, it is so quick and easy, I love it too!
This got an "outstanding!" from my husband...rare praise indeed!!! Absolutely brilliant recipe, although I didn't need to cook it for as long as it says, but that could be because I have a new oven. Really liked the fact it was rich & tasty but didn't need a massive list of ingredients, only items I already had in my cupboard. This is definitely going to be a regular bake.
Hi there Mrs Sap, this is exactly why I love this recipe, it is quick and simple and results in an amazing fruit cake! I am so pleased you and your husband like it 🥰. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Love this quick n easy recipe Ella - thank you 😊
Hi Lynda, so pleased you like the cake, I love its simplicity too!
Hi Ella, this is the fourth time I've made this fruit cake and I did add brandy this time. My husband couldn't wait to sample it and it tastes great with brandy added to it too. I'm definitely going to make it for Christmas as we love it so much.
You really are an amazing cook Ella I know a lot about baking as I gained my City and Guilds in catering many years ago and believe me this cake wouldn't be beaten in any baking competition!
Keep up your good work Ella!
Hi Val, ahhh that is so lovely to hear and thank you so much for your kind words (PS adding Brandy can only ever be a good thing haha)
These even beats my mother’s 100year old recipe!
Hi Felicity, so pleased to hear that! I love this cake too.
This was very easy recipe to follow and make, and results were delicious - very nice comments from the family. I used about 20% dark muscovado sugar rather than all soft brown sugar and I think this helps the flavour. I didn’t have mixed spice so improvised with nutmeg, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon (felt brave!). Also made it in an 8” x 6” oblong tray, and it took and hour and 10. With it being made with water rather than milk, I think it will keep better….but expect it to be eaten before it really gets a longevity test. My mother used to make boiled fruit cake, but I’ve lost her recipe so scoured the internet. There’s quite a variety of different ratios and quantities. This is a nice, safe recipe.. It tasted even better than I remembered! I’m going to make it again.
Hi Elizabeth, so pleased to hear you love the recipe 😊. Great ideas for improvising too Dark muscovado sugar will give it a real treacley depth of flavour and the mix of spices are prefect to replace mixed spice with. Enjoy!
I have just followed the recipe and was making three cakes, I thought it unusual to put the baking powder in a stage one reading the comments it appears it needs to go in at stage two, do I need to dump and start over?
Hi Linda, the cake requires bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to be added at stage 1. We don't add baking powder as well because it is already contained in the self raising flour. Hope that helps.
Hope you didn’t dump the cake though!
Is there any reason that I cannot put brandy into this cake.
Hi Maureen, you can absolutely add brandy to this cake. As with any fruit cake prick the base and then cover with 1-2 tablespoons of brandy and allow to fully soak in.
Hi , can i use orange juice instead of cold water?
Hi Jamuna, I would suggest only replacing 2 tablespoons of water with 2 tablespoons of orange juice, because it is slightly acidic it will react with the bicarbonate of soda (aka baking soda) and could affect how your cake rises.
Hope the cake turns out well 😊
How long can I keep this cake in a cake tin?
Hi Sally, I find it lasts well in an airtight tin for a week.
Please help, i love fruit cake cookies, but i use the fruit cake mix and when the cookies bake some of that fruit gets real hard and chewy. Can i use the boiled fruit method and incorporate into my cookie dough?
Hi Irene, I haven't made fruit cake cookies using the boiled fruit cake method myself, but I suspect the problem may be that you'd need to reserve the sugar for the cookie base mix rather than boiling it up with the fruit and as such would not have enough liquid to rehydrate the fruit. It's a tricky one, but if you do succeed please do come back and let me know how you got on 😀
Made this twice now but used dairy free butter instead of unsalted butter and it’s just as nice really moist . It was such a hit I’m making one a week for family .
Nice to be able to make a dairy free cake that my grandchildren and son can enjoy,especially with custard.
Hi Anne. Thank you for taking the time to comment, I love to hear how people are finding my recipes 🥰. I bake this Easy Fruit Cake regularly myself too, absolutely adore it and it is so simple. Really pleased to hear it can easily be adapted to dairy free! I am sure that will be useful for many other bakers. Serving it with custard is an excellent idea too! Going to have to make it again myself now and try it with custard (any excused hehe).
Oh my, the best boiled fruit cake, delicious, 4th time making, adding a few cherries this time, cant wait
Hi Jayne
It's a great recipe isn't it and so easy. Truth is, this is the first recipe I ever posted on Ella's Better Bakes and it has really taken off, people are loving it! This recipe was handed down in our family from my gran, I adore how simple it is and you can add whatever dried fruits or nuts you choose. I used this as the base for my Small Christmas Cake too.
Can this cake be made with Guinness instead of water? I had a wonderful recipe years ago that included Guinness but lost it.
Hi Helen, yes you can certainly, it gives the boiled cake a delicious malty depth.
Stage 2 says add baking powder this is not mentioned in the ingredients list
Hi, oops you are quite correct. There is no baking powder in the stage 2 ingredients, I have now removed that from the method. You just need your 2 flours, salt and eggs and demerara to sprinkle on top. This was my first blog post, I can only say I was a bit new to it all a few years ago! Thanks for taking the time to point the issue out. I hope you enjoy your fruit cake, this is such an easy recipe and I absolutely adore it!