Mary Berry Fruit Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's fruit cake recipe is rich, deeply flavoured and wonderfully moist.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 4 30

Servings: 16 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Fruit Soak night before:
500 g mixed dried fruit
100 g dried cranberries or dried cherries
100 g glacé cherries halved and rinsed
4 tbsp brandy or orange juice
Cake Batter:
250 g unsalted butter softened
250 g soft dark brown sugar
5 large eggs room temperature
250 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp black treacle
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
50 g ground almonds
75 g blanched whole almonds for top
For Feeding:
3 –4 tbsp brandy or orange juice weekly

Method

Night before: combine all dried fruit and glacé cherries with brandy or orange juice. Cover and leave to soak overnight.
Preheat oven to 150°C / 130°C fan / Gas 2. Double-line a deep 23cm cake tin. Wrap outside in brown paper.
Beat butter, dark brown sugar, and treacle together for 4–5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add a spoonful of flour if the mixture curdles.
Sift in flour, baking powder, and all spices. Add ground almonds. Fold gently.
Add soaked fruit, orange zest, and lemon zest. Fold thoroughly.
Spoon into tin, level with a wet spoon. Arrange blanched almonds on top.
Bake on lowest shelf for 3–3½ hours until skewer comes out clean. Cover top with parchment if browning too fast.
Cool completely in tin. Wrap in parchment and foil. Feed with brandy or orange juice weekly.

Notes

Do not skip soaking the fruit overnight — it transforms the cake.
Wrap the outside of the tin in brown paper to prevent over-browning.
Feed the cake weekly with brandy or orange juice for the best flavour.
Stores at room temperature for up to 3 months when fed and wrapped properly.
Freezes for up to 12 months.