Looking for boil & bake fruit cake recipe

[eenymeenyminyme]

I had a fantastic recipe saved in my bookmarks but it's now gone all 'page not found' and I can't find a similar one - please can anyone help?

It had 500g mixed fruit which was boiled with sugar, water, etc and left to cool and then flour & eggs were stirred in. There was, at some point, a teaspoon of baking powder added which made it all foam up and you had to stir it quickly until it subsided.

Does anyone have this recipe please? It was the only one which turned out a cake that tasted like my late mum used to make. Think it was on something like uktv.food but google isn't helping...

Thanks in advance

[TheSandgroper]

Golden Wattle

[eenymeenyminyme]

Thanks TheSandgroper that's not quite it but I'll definitely give it a go!

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

Tried and tested cake handed down by my nan. I made this for DH's funeral as it was his favourite cake. It went down a treat!

Ingredients

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 2 cups Demerara sugar
• 2 cups dried mixed fruit (inc cherries)
• 1 cup milk
• 4oz butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp mixed spice

Method

1. Bring to the boil the fruit, butter, milk and sugar. Simmer for a few minutes until the fruit is softened. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Leave to cool completely.

2.When cooled, add flour, egg and mixed spice into the mixture and mix well.

1. Turn out into a greased loose bottomed tin, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake on gas mark 3 for 1½ hours.

[eenymeenyminyme]

Thanks AndNoneForGretchenWieners

I'm always a little confused on recipes with cups though? What size is the cup?!

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

Erm just a standard measuring cup. I think one cup in weight depends on the ingredient, so for flour its 120g, dried fruit 175g. I just use the cup for ease and that's what my nan used

[Tolleshunt]

You can get sets of cup measures really cheap on amazon and they are way easier to use than weighing IMO (though this may be because my scales live at the back a cupboard and are a faff to unearth!). Owning a set gives you access to all the US recipes on the internet. Well worth it, IMO!

Now, back to business: have you had a look at Nigella’s boiled Christmas cake recipe?

[eenymeenyminyme]

Tolleshunt thanks - I'll get shopping then!

And also googling Nigella's recipe, thank you

[Stumpedasatree]

@AndNoneForGretchenWieners I tried your nan's cake recipe yesterday. It is amazing, thank you!!

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

I'm so glad! It is definitely a firm favourite with everyone I've made it for.

[Tolleshunt]

I think i’m going to have a bash at your Nan’s recipe, Gretchen, it sounds lovely (and easy!).

What size tin do you usually cook it in?

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

Usually use a loaf tin, but an 8" round one would probably work too.

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

2lb loaf tin? Sounds good!

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

Yep. I also tend to line the loaf tin with one if those pre folded liners if I'm making a cake for work, so it travels better.

[Tolleshunt]

Thanks Gretchen, I have a 2lb loaf tin, so that’ll do nicely!

[Laura1894]

Was it this one?
Boiled Fruit Cake
Ingredients
500g mixed dried fruit
250ml water
150g dark brown sugar
A pinch of salt
125g butter
1 teaspoon mixed spice
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 eggs
125g plain flour
125g self raising flour
A little sherry
(add any extras you wish – chopped ginger, candied citrus peel, dollop of marmalade, glace cherries)

Method
Put the dried fruit, plus any little extras you fancy, into a decent sized saucepan with the water, sugar, salt, butter and spices and stir over a gentle heat until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture comes to the boil.
Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir briskly while it fizzes and foams, and gradually subsides. Turn off the heat, put the lid on the saucepan and leave until the mixture has cooled completely.
When the cake mixture is cold, stir in the eggs one at a time and then gently stir in the flour.

Pour the batter into a greased, lined 20cm square cake tin and cook at 160C / 325F for about an hour. The cake is cooked when a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.

Leave the hot cake in the tin and pour a little sherry over it. Cover the top of the tin with foil and put a bread board or clean tea towel over the top and allow it to cool completely. This makes for a nice moist cake.

Slice the cake or eat it plain or cover with a light lemon icing and a dusting of desiccated coconut.

[GrannyHaddock]

Eenymeeny, a cup is about 9 fluid ounces, just under half a pint.It can be a time saver using cups. If you have only one you need to work out which order to measure ingredients, leaving anything sticky till last! They are cheap and easy to find.