Fruit cake
A traditional moist fruit cake made with butter, eggs, flour, dried fruit and golden syrup.
Allergens: contains cereals containing gluten, eggs, milk, sulphites. Brands differ, so always check the labels on what you buy.
Per serving (approx.): 40g carbs · 24g sugars · 1g fibre. Estimates for carb counting, not medical advice. If you have diabetes, follow your GP or dietitian's advice.
Not every ingredient has a checked price at Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Co-op, Iceland, so they aren't compared here yet (more are checked every day). Lidl doesn't publish prices online, so it can't be compared.
Ingredients and prices
Swipe the table to see every supermarket.
| Ingredient | Tesco | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Plain flouruse 200g | £0.801.5kg · £0.05 per 100g | £0.45500g · £0.09 per 100g |
| Unsalted butterpack 250g · use 150g | £1.85£0.74 per 100g | £1.85£0.74 per 100g |
| Eggspack 6 pack · use 2 | £1.80£0.30 each | £2.40£0.40 each |
| Semi skimmed milkuse 100ml | £0.85568ml · £0.15 per 100ml | £0.85568ml · £0.15 per 100ml |
| Golden syrupuse 100g | £1.80700g · £0.26 per 100g | £2.05750g · £0.27 per 100g |
| Dried mixed fruituse 200g | £2.00500g · £0.40 per 100g | £3.601kg · £0.36 per 100g |
| Basket total (full packs) | £9.10 | £11.20 |
| Cost of what this recipe uses | £3.02 | £3.23 |
| Per serving | £0.30 | £0.32 |
From your cupboard
Not in the prices above. Check you have these before you start.
Prices checked on 5 October 2026 from each supermarket's own listing or a price-comparison site. Each shop's unit price (or pack size) is shown under its price, and "cost of what this recipe uses" compares like with like (tap a price to see its source). Cheapest in each row is ticked. Prices, offers and pack sizes change; loyalty-card prices are not included unless stated.
Method
The method is written for 10. For a different number, use the amounts in the table above.
- Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, gas 4). Weigh out 200g plain flour, 150g unsalted butter, 100g golden syrup, 200g dried mixed fruit, 100ml semi skimmed milk and 2 eggs. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and line the base with baking paper. Roughly chop any large pieces of dried fruit so they are bite-size.
- Melt 150g unsalted butter with 100g golden syrup in a small saucepan over low heat for 3-4 minutes until just melted and glossy. Remove from the hob and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in a pinch of salt and taste for sweetness; it should be rich and slightly caramel.
- Sift 200g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp mixed spice into a large mixing bowl. The mixture should look pale and evenly speckled. Add 200g chopped dried mixed fruit and toss to coat in flour, which stops it sinking.
- In a jug whisk 2 eggs with 100ml semi skimmed milk until combined and slightly frothy. Pour the cooled butter and syrup mixture into the jug and whisk again. The liquid should be smooth, warm not hot, and coat the back of a spoon.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and fruit mix and pour in the wet mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until a thick, glossy batter forms with no dry flour. Scrape the bowl and check the texture; it should be sticky but spoonable.
- Transfer the batter to the lined 20cm tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake on the middle shelf for 55-65 minutes. The cake should be deep golden at the edges, spring back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean with just moist crumbs.
- Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes. The surface should be firm and the aroma of warm spice and fruit should fill the kitchen. Cool fully before slicing to avoid a soggy crumb.
- Slice the fruit cake into 10 even wedges with a serrated knife. Serve at room temperature with a cup of tea. Store any leftovers in an airtight tin; the cake stays moist for several days.
Tips
- Here is the corrected Markdown with UK food safety guidance applied:
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- Swap unsalted butter for margarine and use a cheaper dried fruit mix to make it cheaper without losing texture.
- Store cooled cake in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 days; for longer keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and eat within 48 hours once opened.
- Freeze the whole baked cake tightly wrapped in foil and freezer bag for up to 3 months; defrost in the fridge for 24 hours and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.
Nothing wasted: your leftover ingredients
Supermarkets sell set pack sizes, so you'll have some ingredients left. Here's how to keep them, and other recipes here that use them up.
- Plain flour · about 1.3kg left
Dry stores keep for months sealed in the cupboard, so nothing goes to waste. Use it in: Banana muffins, Ginger Cake, Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries. - Unsalted butter · about 100g left
Check the label: most raw ingredients can be frozen before their use-by date, and cupboard staples keep for months. Use it in: Banana muffins, Ginger Cake, Pad Thai with Chicken. - Semi skimmed milk · about 900ml left
Keep in the fridge and use by the date on the pack; milk can also be frozen. Use it in: Rich Chocolate Mousse, Beef and Ale Pie, Banana muffins. - Golden syrup · about 297g left
Check the label: most raw ingredients can be frozen before their use-by date, and cupboard staples keep for months. Use it in: Golden Syrup Flapjack Bars, Coconut Macaroons, Fudgy Milk Chocolate Brownies. - Dried mixed fruit · about 300g left
Check the label: most raw ingredients can be frozen before their use-by date, and cupboard staples keep for months. Use it in: Welsh Cakes, Rice pudding.
Storing leftovers
Cool leftovers and put them in the fridge or freezer within 1–2 hours. Eat fridge leftovers within 2 days, or freeze them. Defrost in the fridge and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through (Food Standards Agency guidance).