Mary Berry’s Boiled Fruit Cake

This recipe for Mary Berry’s Boiled Fruit Cake delivers a beautifully moist, rich, and aromatic cake, a true staple of British baking. By boiling the fruit mixture before adding it to the batter, the fruits become plump and infused with flavor, ensuring a tender crumb and deep, comforting taste in every slice. It’s perfect for afternoon tea or a festive occasion.

Mary Berry’s Boiled Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Step 1: Preheat Your Oven Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan)/325°F/gas mark 3. Grease and line a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin with parchment paper, ensuring the paper extends slightly over the edges for easy removal.
2. Step 2: Boil the Fruits In a medium saucepan, melt the 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter over low heat. Add the 225g (1 cup) soft brown sugar, 225g (1 ½ cups) mixed dried fruit, zest and juice of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon mixed spice. Stir everything well to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This process plumps up the fruit and infuses it with flavor. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly (it should still be warm but not hot).
3. Step 3: Prepare the Batter Once the fruit mixture has cooled slightly, stir in the 2 beaten large eggs until they are fully incorporated into the warm fruit mixture. Sift the 225g (1 ¾ cups) self-raising flour into the mixture and fold gently with a spatula until you have a smooth batter with no dry streaks of flour. Be careful not to overmix. If desired, gently stir in 2–3 tablespoons of brandy, rum, or sherry for extra depth of flavor.
4. Step 4: Bake the Cake Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 ½–1 ¾ hours, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If you notice the top of the cake browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.
5. Step 5: Cool and Store Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, using the parchment paper overhangs, carefully lift the cake out of the tin and transfer it directly to the wire rack to cool completely. For enhanced flavor and moisture, wrap the cooled cake tightly in parchment paper, then in aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for 1–2 days before slicing and serving. This resting period allows the flavors to mature. Optional for long-term moisture and flavor: You can brush the top of the cooled cake with additional alcohol (brandy, rum, or sherry) every few days, if desired, to keep it moist and infuse more flavor over time.