Critique my boiled fruit cake - how can I do better?

[VenusClapTrap]

There is a boiled fruit cake competition in my village next week. I’m planning to enter. I’m an average baker - I can turn out a decent lemon drizzle or chocolate cake (quick, easy stuff), but I’ve never made a boiled fruit cake before, so I’ve had a go using a National Trust recipe I found in one of my cookbooks.

The result, whilst delicious, would not win any prizes. It is over baked on the outside - I kept checking it but the skewer kept coming out wet so had to leave it in for longer and longer, and by the time the middle was ready, the damage was done. The top cracked - I think I’d lose marks for that too? And the fruit is badly distributed.

Any tips would be great, please!

<Hands out samples>

Try reducing the temp a bit as this can happen when the top is forming a crust before the centre has stopped rising. Or maybe a bit less baking powder.

You can cover the top with a bit of greaseproof paper if the cake needs a bit longer in the oven but the top is cooked - that will help with the 'burned bits'. Are you adding a wee bit too much liquid too - I know you add the liquid that the fruit is boiled in, but maybe take off a little bit so that the mixture is a bit 'drier' when it goes into the tin.

Well, I'd eat it but I rarely turn down anything so the bar is low.

I wonder if you need to make a smaller loaf. I find if I use my big loaf tin it takes ages to cook through and the top gets very brown before my skewer finally comes out of the middle clean.

Alternatively, cook for a longer time but at a lower temperature, perhaps covering the top for most of the time. I think that's the usual way to make a Christmas-type fruit cake (not boiled, though).

Not nearly enough fruit for a boiled fruitcake, to my mind.

For the overbaking, reduce the temperature, wrap the outside of the cake tin in several layers of foil or parchment (I use a long sheet folded lengthwise into thirds) to stop it overcooking before the inside is done, and put a sheet of parchment across the top with about three holes alone the centre to let steam out but prevent it getting too dark.

If you post the recipes we could possibly make more suggestions?

Roll the fruit in a little flour before adding to your cake mix. Should help even out the distribution!

The Be-Ro cookbook has the best boiled fruitcake recipe. Allow time for the boiled fruit mix to cool slowly before adding eggs and flour. Use soft brown sugar and decent butter (not margarine or spreadable butter). Add a generous sprinkle of Demerara sugar on top before baking.

Do you have to follow a specific recipe or can you choose your own?

I've found this which says it's the Bero boiled fruit cake recipe (from Money Saving Expert forum).

Easy Fruit Cake it's says for a change, try a delicious cake made in an easy but unusual way - the boiling method, this is from an old bero book cost 1/6p

12oz Mixed fruit
4oz sugar
4oz butter or margarine
1/4 pint water
1 egg
8oz bero SR flour

Place fruit, sugar, margarine or butter and water in pan simmer slowly for 20 mins
Allow to cool, then add beaten egg and stir in flour
Turn into greased 6 or 7 inch tin
Bake in a very moderate oven 300-325F gas mark 2-3 about one and a half hours
I might have added some mixed spice

My thoughts are:

• did you use a cake tin or a loaf tin? With a dense cake, you’re better off with something shallow and wide, than deep and narrow
• with dense batter you need to cook at a lower temp for longer. You can cover the top part way through if it’s getting too dark
• you need much more fruit
• boil the fruit the day before and let it cool entirely
• some dried fruits absorb water better than others, and soften up more than others. I’d go easy on dried apricots, heavier in cherries, sultanas etc
• sacrilege, I know, but do the rules permit a layer of marzipan and icing?

Doesn't look fruity enough. Maybe needs more fruit which might make it more "juicy" (not the right word....hope you know what I mean).
My mum used to make boiled fruit cake. Having a slice when it was fresh and still warm.....oooh I'm drooling 🤤.
She hasn't made one in years 😭
Good Luck in the competition 🏆

This Cherry Simnel cake is my go to boiled fruit cake, and has always worked well. (Obviously you would leave the marzipan out if not making it as a Simnel cake.)

Agree with others to turn the heat down a bit and cover at the end if you're sure it's not cooked - but bear in mind that a very fruity cake may often leave the skewer a bit 'juicy', but cake might be cooked. You're better a smidge under than over, as residual heat will cook it a bit more.

My nan was a pastry chef and her boiled fruit cake was simply fabulous. She used ALL the mixed dried fruit. Sultanas, raisins, mixed peel, glace cherries, chunky chopped walnuts, coconut flakes and anything else she could get her hands on from the specialist guy in the market ( those open bin food shops were fabulous!). She boiled the fruit in milk and let it cool until blood temperature ( her words) and she used the most delicious smelling spices. The round tin was lined inside with cut out paper but she also wrapped the OUTSIDE of the tin in parchment paper and string so it was atleast 2-3 times taller. She said this was to protect it from being burned. She cooked it low and slow and honestly it was just glorious.

Might have a go myself. Thankfully I inherited her love for cooking so can eyeball the recipe and then tweak it.

I may have a go at one of these soon. Wondering if a spoonful or two of marmalade might be a good addition.

Ok, my experience - you should have between 2.5 and 3.5 times the amount of fruit to flour. You can go all-out on types of dried fruit as long as it is cut to roughly similar sizes - dried apricots, prunes, apples, figs, cherries, cranberries etc alongside the usual raisins and sultanas.

Swap equal amounts of water out for the juice of a freshly squeezed orange, and add the zest. (Lemon or lime will do if needed) That lift of acid and flavour will boost the fruit beautifully.

Simmer it with its liquid, butter and sugar for a good 15 minutes or longer, and like PP’s Nan, let it come to blood temperature before mixing in the beaten eggs.You want a really rich glistening mix prior to the flour.

Simmering it makes the fruit and liquid mixture thicker and more cohesive, so the fruit is less likely to sink.

A round or square tin is easier to get an even bake than a loaf tin for such a dense cake.

Don’t mistake gooey fruit stuff for batter when checking with a skewer. The skewer will not come out clean, you just don’t want batter on it.

Leave it in the tin a good two hours to cool and firm up.

PS - you can use brandy or rum or other booze instead of water, too. The simmering will cook out the alcohol bite and leave the mellower taste.

Above edited as I said Aunt and not Nan - @WitchyBits grandmother deserves her proper credit.

A pastry chef in the family taught me as well. Hurray for skilled relatives!

Ooh lovely, thank you everyone for all these amazing tips! I will post the recipe when I get back - had to nip out suddenly. I knew you lot would come up with the goods. I’m really looking forward to trying again now!

Can I see pics of the results please? I am very invested in this 😊

To answer a couple of questions quickly - it just says ‘a boiled fruit cake’ so any recipe is good. No idea if that means it can sport marzipan or icing though. Probably best to play it safe and keep it plain.

I’m going away for a long weekend but will have a second attempt when I get back next week. I promise to post a pic!

I could eat a bit of that right now with a cup of tea!

I would coat the fruit in a bit of flour before you put it in the cake mix. It (allegedly) stops the fruit from sinking.

It also looks as though it got a bit hot. Maybe reduce the temperature by 5 degrees.

This is nothing to do with your cake really, but I've just remembered Polish cake. (I don't think it actually is Polish).

As far as I remember it was just a normal sponge mixture but you mix in broken chunks of chocolate, hazelnuts and (in the 80s) vivid, mixed brightly coloured glace cherries, like traffic lights. I haven't had that in about 30 years!

Would a boiled pineapple cake count? I have an easy and fab recipe for one at home that I could post later for you? You might get bonus points for thinking outside of the box....📦

My grandmother used to make one like this, we called it Bunloaf.

Pastry chef here! I would say there's a problem with the recipe ratios. Boiled fruit cake should be heavily fruited, this will add a lot more moisture to the cake. You definitely need a deep tin for cakes that are cooked for a long time, not a shallow dish as someone mentioned above. Good luck

That sounds delicious! Could you share the recipe please?

Boil it twice . Once the night before just to melt it all , then cover and leave til the next day and do again .
Some recipes tell you to soak the mix / fruit in tea and then use the liquid to boil . Did yours ? Also as others have said - more fruit.