Mary Berry Light Fruit Cake Recipe

This tender, fruity Mary Berry Light Fruit Cake is made with plump mixed dried fruit, glace cherries, and ground almonds, ready in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Cutting into the golden-brown crust reveals evenly distributed fruit in a soft, buttery sponge. I love making this when I want a traditional bake without the heaviness of a dark Christmas cake.

Why This Classic Works

I used to struggle with fruit cakes because all the cherries would inevitably sink right to the bottom. Mary’s method of washing and drying the glace cherries completely fixed this problem for me.

The addition of ground almonds also provides a wonderful moisture that keeps the sponge soft for days. It is a brilliant, reliable bake that never feels too dense or overwhelming.

Mary Berry Light Fruit Cake Ingredients

• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 400g mixed dried fruit
• 100g glace cherries, rinsed, dried, and halved

How To Make Mary Berry Light Fruit Cake

1. Prepare the oven and tin: Preheat your oven to 160C (140C fan) or 320F. Grease and line an 8-inch deep round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. Mix the batter: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, adding a spoonful of flour with each to prevent curdling.
3. Fold in dry ingredients: Gently fold in the remaining self-raising flour and ground almonds until just combined.
4. Add the fruit: Stir in the mixed dried fruit and the prepared glace cherries, ensuring they are evenly distributed through the batter.
5. Bake: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, leveling the top. Bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Recipe Tips

• Wash the cherries: Rinsing and drying the cherries removes the sticky syrup, stopping them from sinking to the bottom.
• Check early: Ovens vary, so cover the top loosely with foil after an hour if it is browning too quickly.
• Room temperature ingredients: Using warm eggs and soft butter makes the batter much easier to mix and prevents the mixture from splitting.

What To Serve With Light Fruit Cake

This cake is brilliant on its own with a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. If you want a proper dessert, serve it with a generous dollop of clotted cream or warm custard.

How To Store

Store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can also wrap the whole cake tightly and freeze it for up to three months.

FAQs

Can I use plain flour instead?
If you only have plain flour, add two level teaspoons of baking powder to help the cake rise properly.

Why did my cake crack on top?
Cracks usually happen if the oven is too hot. Make sure you use an oven thermometer and bake it low and slow.

Do I need to soak the fruit?
For a light fruit cake, soaking is not necessary. The fruit absorbs enough moisture from the batter as it bakes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 350 kcal
• Total Fat: 16g
• Saturated Fat: 8g
• Cholesterol: 75mg
• Sodium: 180mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 48g
• Protein: 5g

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry Light Fluffy Sponge Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake Recipe
• Mary Berry Lemon and Lime Cake Recipe