Fruit loaf
This easy fruit loaf is deliciously moist and full of bursts of fruity flavour. Why not enjoy a slice with a cup of tea.
Fruit loaf is a traditional (some might say old fashioned) bake that I love with a cup of tea. This recipe is so easy to make as it all just gets mixed together in one bowl (my favourite kind of bake).
Some tea breads are denser or more ‘bready’ in texture than this one. But I like that this is more of a fruit loaf cake and definitely has more of a ‘cakey’ feel about it, with lots of added fruit of course!
I’ve also seen some recipes which soak the fruit in tea for a few hours or overnight. This would add a nice flavour to the cake /loaf but we’re generally not organised enough to prepare things too far in advance so tend to skip that step!
We love treating ourselves to a fruit loaf from the shops once in a while, but now I’ve got this tasty fruit loaf recipe I can just make our own.
How can kids help make this fruit loaf?
This fruit loaf recipe is really easy for children to make as it’s all mixed together in one bowl. Bakes using this ‘all in one’ method are my favourite for a few reasons.
I like that you don’t have to worry about what order you add the ingredients. I like that there’s only one mixing bowl to wash. And I like that they’re generally always just quicker and easier to make.
There are loads of opportunities to measure ingredients which is great for developing numeracy skills. Little kids and toddlers can also enjoy mixing everything together and cracking a few eggs.
Other delicious loaf cakes and winter bakes?
Sticky toffee pudding traybake
Carrot cake traybake
Lemon and blueberry loaf
Ginger loaf cake
Mincemeat loaf cake
Banana bread
Sultana cake
Tea loaf
Treacle sponge cake
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this fruit loaf:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
2 lb loaf tin
Wire rack
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Difficulty: Easy
Serves: 8 – 10 people
Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour baking
Ingredients
225g self raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
110g margarine or butter, softened
110g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tbsp milk
225g mixed fruit
* Instead of mixed fruit you can use a mixture of sultanas, currents or raisins.
*If you only have plain or all-purpose flour, simply add 2 tsp of baking powder and ½ tsp of salt for every cup of self-raising flour.
How to make a fruit loaf
Preheat your oven to 150C/140C Fan / 300F and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking/parchment paper.
Mix everything together
Get your kids to measure out all the ingredients (except the fruit) in turn and add them to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer.
Weigh the flour into a small bowl then pout it into your mixing bowl. If you’re baking with more than one child this is a good opportunity for them to take turns.
Do the same with the sugar.
Add the baking powder. Make sure your kids level off the spoon before adding it to the mixing bowl.
Add the butter. If it’s not soft enough (we never remember to take ours out of the fridge in advance!) pop it in the microwave for a few seconds, just to make it easier to mix. Don’t melt it.
Get your kids to crack the eggs into a small bowl before putting it in in the mixing bowl. Cracking them in a small bowl first makes it easier to get any rogue shell out which often happens with young children!
Finally add the milk and mix everything together. You can use the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or just some wooden spoons to do this. If you need to, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything gets mixed in.
Add the mixed fruit
Weigh the mixed fruit and add it to your bowl. Mix it in with wooden spoons or a spatula.
Bake the fruit loaf
Pour the fruit loaf batter into your prepared loaf tin.
Bake it in the oven for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes. It’s ready when a metal skewer, sharp knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
If it starts to brown on top too much before it’s fully baked, cover it the top with some tin foil.
Remove the fruit loaf from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin before removing it from the tin and leaving it to cool completely on a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy.
Fruit loaf
Ingredients
- 225 g ( 2 cups) self raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 110 g (1/2 cup) margarine or butter softened
- 110 g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 4 tbsp milk
- 225 g (1 1/4 cup) mixed fruit
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 150C/140C Fan / 300F and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking/parchment paper.
Mix everything together
- Measure out all the ingredients (execpt the fruit) in turn and add them to a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer.
- Weigh the flour into a small bowl then pout it into your mixing bowl.
- Do the same with the sugar.
- Add the baking powder.
- Add the butter. If it's not soft enough (we never remember to take ours out of the fridge in advance!) pop it in the microwave for a few seconds, just to make it easier to mix. Don't melt it.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl before putting it in in the mixing bowl.
- Finally add the milk and mix everything together. You can use the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or just some wooden spoons to do this.
Add the mixed fruit
- Weigh the mixed fruit and add it to your bowl. Mix it in with wooden spoons or a spatula.
Bake the fruit loaf
- Pour the fruit loaf batter into your prepared loaf tin.
- Bake it in the oven for 1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes. It's ready when a metal skewer, sharp knife or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- If it starts to brown on top too much before it's fully baked, cover it the top with some tin foil.
- Remove the fruit loaf from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin before removing it from the tin and leaving it to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Serve and enjoy.
Video
You might also like these recipes
If you enjoyed this fruit loaf, you’ll like our other loaf recipes, our sultana cake, and our favourite easy bakes for children.
How long will this keep?
It will keep for a few days in an air tight container. You might find after a that time it’s still nice toasted a little before you eat it.
Can you clarify the measurements please. The weights in metric dont seem to add up to the cup measurements. (2 cups is double 1/2 a cup)
I’d always recommend using scales if you have them. Using weight is much more accurate than volume in baking. I’ve double checked the conversions though and they look ok to me – a cup of sugar weighs different to a cup of flour so I wouldn’t compare half a cup of that vs 2 cups of flour.
Made this using all raisins and added in a good measure of cinnamon and it’s gorgeous!
I’m so glad you liked it. It’s one of my favourites!
I haven’t made this as yet. Just wondered if I could just use apricots and raisins only as the dried fruit.
Regards
Veronica
You can add any dried fruit you like. If you’re using apricots, or any other larger fruit, i’d chop them up a little bit first.