Traditional Genoa Cake 🍒✨
Genoa Cake is a beautifully rich and fruity British-style cake, packed with juicy cherries, raisins, and sultanas. Unlike a traditional fruitcake, it’s lighter in texture but still wonderfully moist—perfect for afternoon tea or as a festive bake!
🛒 Ingredients
🥚 Eggs – 3, beaten
🧈 Unsalted Butter – 200g, softened
🍯 Caster Sugar – 175g
🍞 Self-Raising Flour – 250g
🍒 Glacé Cherries – 150g, rinsed, dried, and halved
🍇 Sultanas – 100g
🍇 Raisins – 100g
🍋 Lemon Zest – 1 tsp
🌿 Mixed Spice – 1 tsp
🥄 Milk – 2 tbsp (if needed)
🍯 Demerara Sugar – 2 tbsp (for topping)
👨🍳 Method
1️⃣ Preheat & Prepare: Preheat your oven to 160°C (fan 140°C) / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking parchment.
2️⃣ Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
3️⃣ Add the Eggs: Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture curdles, add a spoonful of flour to help stabilise it.
4️⃣ Fold in Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour and mixed spice, then gently fold into the mixture.
5️⃣ Add Fruit & Zest: Stir in the glacé cherries, sultanas, raisins, and lemon zest, ensuring they are evenly distributed. If the batter feels too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of milk to loosen it slightly.
6️⃣ Bake: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Sprinkle with demerara sugar for a lovely crunchy crust. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7️⃣ Cool & Serve: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once completely cool, slice and enjoy with a cup of tea!
⏳ Serving Information
⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🔥 Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
🍴 Servings: 10-12 slices
🌟 Calories: ~320 per slice
This Traditional Genoa Cake is moist, fruity, and utterly delicious—a true British classic. Perfect for teatime or as a treat during special occasions! ☕🍰💛