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Mary Berry Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe

Mary Berry Boiled Fruit Cake recipe
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A boiled fruit cake is a traditional British bake where dried fruit, sugar, butter, and sometimes spices are boiled together with liquid (often water, tea, or fruit juice) before being mixed with flour and eggs. Mary Berry’s version is simple, reliable, and produces a moist cake that keeps well for days.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 200g butter

  • 200g light brown sugar

  • 250g mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants)

  • 100g glacé cherries, halved

  • 100g chopped dried apricots (optional)

  • 200ml water (or strong tea/orange juice)

  • 2 tsp mixed spice

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 225g self-raising flour

  • 1 tsp baking powder

  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the tin

Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

Step 2: Boil the fruit mixture

In a saucepan, add butter, sugar, dried fruit, cherries, apricots, water (or chosen liquid), and mixed spice. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow mixture to cool slightly.

Step 3: Add eggs and dry ingredients

Once cooled, stir in beaten eggs. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt, folding gently until fully combined.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Spoon mixture into prepared tin, level the surface, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Step 5: Cool and serve

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve sliced with tea or coffee.

Find it online: https://maryberrycooks.co.uk/mary-berry-boiled-fruit-cake/