Mary Berry’s Boiled Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 375g mixed dried fruit
- 200g butter
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 cups self-raising flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160-180°C (320-356°F).
- Grease a cake tin.
- In a large saucepan, combine water, sugar, mixed dried fruit, butter, mixed spice, and bicarbonate of soda.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Allow the boiled mixture to cool down.
- Once cooled, gradually add the beaten eggs and self-raising flour.
- Mix well until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared greased cake tin.
- Place the tin in the preheated oven.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for a few minutes.
- Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Customize Ingredients. Adjust dried fruits or spices to taste while keeping the overall quantity consistent.
- Gently Combine. Avoid overmixing to preserve the cake’s moist texture; fold ingredients gently.
- Control Boiling. Ensure the fruit mixture gently boils to prevent excessive evaporation.
- Personalize Spices. Modify spice levels to suit individual preferences for flavor intensity.
- Even Thickness. Keep batter thickness uniform in the cake tin for consistent baking.
Nutritional Information (per slice, assuming 12 slices):
- Calories: ~335 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~50g
- Sugars: ~34g
- Fat: ~14g
- Saturated fat: ~8g
- Protein: ~4g
- Fiber: ~2g
- Sodium: ~230mg
Notes:
- The majority of the calories come from the sugar, dried fruit, and butter.
- If you’d like to make the cake lighter, consider reducing the sugar or using a sugar alternative.
- Adding more fiber-rich fruits like dates or prunes could improve the fiber content.