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Easy Fruit Cake Recipe: Moist Boiled Fruit Cake in One Bowl

Easy Fruit Cake Recipe

A moist Australian-style boiled fruit cake made with mixed dried fruit, butter, brown sugar, mixed spice and self-raising flour. It is simple enough for a weekday bake but special enough for afternoon tea and holiday gatherings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 2 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 500 g Mixed dried fruit
  • 125 g Butter, cubed
  • 220 g Brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 250 ml Water
  • 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
  • 1-2 teaspoons Mixed spice
  • 2 eggs Large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 225 g Self-raising flour
Optional Additions
  • 100 g Glacé cherries
  • 75-100 g Chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 2 tablespoons Brandy, rum or orange juice

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Grease and fully line the base and sides of a 20 cm round or square cake tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional or 140°C fan-forced.
  2. Place the mixed dried fruit, cubed butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Expect the mixture to foam slightly as the bicarbonate reacts with the warm fruit mixture.
  4. Set the fruit mixture aside for 20–30 minutes, or until lukewarm or completely cool. Do not add the eggs while the mixture is hot.
  5. Stir the lightly beaten eggs into the cooled fruit mixture. Mix gently until the eggs are evenly distributed.
  6. Fold in the self-raising flour and mixed spice just until combined. Stir in the optional glacé cherries, nuts or brandy, rum or orange juice if using.
  7. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, checking near the end with a skewer.
  8. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool it in the tin for about 20 minutes, then transfer it to a rack to cool completely.

Notes

Cool the boiled fruit mixture thoroughly before adding the eggs so they do not scramble and make the cake heavy. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the remaining baking time. Store the completely cooled cake in an airtight container.