Mincemeat loaf cake
Mincemeat loaf cake is the perfect Christmas bake. It’s a simple bake for kids in the festive season and is perfect for using up a leftover jar or mincemeat.
Mincemeat loaf cake is the best easy festive bake. If you love mince pies or want something quicker, lighter an easier than a full Christmas cake with your afternoon tea, this is the perfect bake for you.
This mincemeat cake is like a fruit loaf, but with a deliciously Christmasy flavour to it. Or a slightly lighter version of a Christmas cake. If you’ve made mince pies but still have some mincemeat to use up, this is the perfect way of doing that.
What is mincemeat?
Mincemeat is the traditional filling used in mince pies. It usually contains dried and candied fruit, some festive spices and some suet (or a vegetable shortening), all soaked in brandy or another spirit. In the past mincemeat did contain meat, but it hasn’t (with the exception of the suet) for a few Centuries.
We tend to use a jar of mincemeat which you can easily find in the supermarket, but you can make your own in advance entirely from scratch. If you want to try making your own, try this recipe from BBC Good Food.
How can kids help make this mincemeat loaf cake?
This mincemeat loaf cake 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 (although if you do it in the order they’re listed you’re less likely to forget anything). I also like that there’s only one mixing bowl to wash, and they’re generally always just quicker and easier to make.
In this loaf cake there 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.
How long do they keep?
These mincemeat cakes will keep for a few days at room temperature in an air-tight container. If you want to keep them for longer or make them ahead of time, wrap them well in cling film or tin foil and pop them in a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for a few months.
What can I use if I don’t have self raising flour?
If you don’t have any self raising flour, you can swap it for an equal amount of plain or all-purpose flour and add an extra 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
Other festive recipes
If you liked this recipe and have more mincemeat to use up, you’ll love these other recipes
Easy homemade mince pies
Puff pastry mince pies
Mincemeat palmiers
Mincemeat muffins
Mince pie cookies
Mincemeat flapjacks
Mincemeat pinwheels
Useful equipment
You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make this mincemeat loaf cake:
Digital scales
Freestanding mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Spatula
2 lb loaf tin
Wire rack
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Ingredients
225g (1 ¾ cup) self raising flour*
½ tsp baking powder
110g (½ cup) margarine or butter, softened
110g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
2 eggs
200g (1 cup) mincemeat
75g (½ cup)sultanas
*If you only have plain or all-purpose flour, simply add 2 tsp of baking powder along with the equivalent amount of plain flour.
How to make a mincmeat loaf cake
Preheat your oven to 160C/140C Fan / 325F then 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 mincemeat and fruit) in turn and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. You can do it in any order, but if you do it in the order the ingredients are listed you shouldn’t miss anything out.
Start by weighing the flour into a small bowl then put it into your mixing bowl.
Add the baking powder. Make sure your kids level off the spoon with their finger before adding it to the mixing bowl so you add just the right amount
Do the same with the sugar.
Add the baking margarine or 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 but not enough to 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. If any shell does go in, simply fish it out with a larger piece of shell. Shell sticks to shell better than it does your finger.
Mix everything together with the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or just some wooden spoons until you have a nice smooth batter.
Add the mincemeat and sultanas
Measure out the mincemeat and sultanas and add them to your mixing bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoons, get your kids to stir them all in until they are well mixed through.
Bake the mincemeat loaf cake
Pour the mincemeat loaf batter into your prepared loaf tin and level it down with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake it in the oven for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 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 mincemeat 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.
Mincemeat loaf cake
Equipment
- Digital scales
- Freestanding mixer
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Spatula
- 2 lb loaf tin
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 225 g (1 ¾ cup) self raising flour*
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 110 g (½ cup) margarine or butter, softened
- 110 g (½ cup) soft brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 g (1 cup) mincemeat
- 75 g (½ cup) sultanas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160C/140C Fan / 325F then grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking/parchment paper.
Mix everything together
- Measure out all the ingredients (except the mincemeat and fruit) in turn and add them to a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer. Start by weighing the flour into a small bowl then put it into your mixing bowl.Add the baking powder. Make sure you level off the spoon before adding it to the mixing bowl so you add just the right amount.Do the same with the sugar.Add the baking margarine or butter. Crack the eggs into a small bowl before putting it in in the mixing bowl.
- Mix everything together with the k paddle of your free-standing mixer, a hand held mixer or just some wooden spoons until you have a nice smooth batter.
Add the mincemeat and sultanas
- Measure out the mincemeat and sultanas and add them to your mixing bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoons, stir them all in until they are well mixed through.
Bake the mincemeat loaf cake
- Pour the mincemeat loaf batter into your prepared loaf tin.Bake it in the oven for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 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 mincemeat 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.
Notes
Pin it for later
Similar recipes
If you liked this mincemeat loaf cake you’ll love our ginger loaf cake, our other festive recipes as well as our favourite easy bakes for kids.
A lovely easy recipe, made 2 for a school fund raiser for Marie Curie