This Mixed Fruit Tray Bake recipe is ideal for coffee breaks and packed lunches. The secret to keeping this fruit cake moist is adding freshly brewed coffee or tea to the mixed dried fruit. Using soft dark brown sugar enhances the sponge cake with rich toffee flavours that you will not get if you were to use ordinary white sugar.
Inspiration behind this recipe
I always try to adapt my recipes so that everyone can make them, no matter if you are a new or experienced baker or have simply lost your baking mojo. I believe my recipes will get you baking right now.
This dried fruit tray bake recipe is adapted from my Easy Coffee Walnut Cake Recipe. When you start to think about ingredients, I urge you NOT to change the soft dark brown sugar, it will affect the overall taste and look of the cake.
A Few Notes about Ingredients
Mixed Dried Fruit - You can use any combination of mixed fruit in this kind of tray bake such as sultanas, raisins, currants, and candied peel. If you don't like Candied Peel, leave it out.
Freshly Brewed Coffee - It doesn't matter how you make your coffee, ground or instant. Use left over coffee from your next brew. Tea is great too. Alternatively add preboiled hot water, something to plump up the dried fruit. But remember to discard any excess liquid before adding the fruit to the cake batter.
Soft Dark Brown sugar- There is no alternative to this and I urge you not to use white sugar for this recipe. The taste and look of the fruit traybake will simply not be the same, and you will be missing out on such a delicious tasting cake. I have many other recipes that use Dark Brown Sugar, so buying a packet will not go to waste. But if you must use white sugar, at least you are aware of how different the end result will be.
Butter - I rarely use anything else in my baking, but I guess Margarine will be fine, if that's what you prefer.
Eggs - I always use medium sized eggs, unless I mention otherwise in the recipe.
Self raising flour - For anyone not familiar with Self Raising Flour, it's the kind that contains a raising agent. If you only have plain flour, you will need to add baking powder to get the cake to rise. You can often find ratios on the flour packets.
Ground Mixed Spice - Don't go overboard with this, but add a little if you can. There are other spices that you can use, such as Lebkuchen or Speculaas. I have a recipe for Speculaa Spice Mix if you want to make your own blend.
Demerara Sugar - This makes a really nice crispy topping and you can add more after the cake is baked, making the end result a really delicious tasting cake.
How to Bake a Mixed Fruit Tray Bake
Get a small dish and add the freshly brewed coffee to the mixed dried fruit, leave for at least 30 mins to allow the fruits to plump up. Give them a little stir every few minutes to ensure all the fruit gets a chance to soak up the coffee.
TIP: Any residual coffee will be discarded, so don't worry if all the coffee doesn't get soaked up.
While the fruits are soaking, preheat the oven to 180 deg Fan assisted. Grease and line a 10.5 inch (27cm) x 7 inch (17.5cm) x 1inch traybake tin or similar with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
Using an electric mixer, or wooden spoon/spatula, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go along.
Add the eggs one at a time adding a little flour between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined. Add the remaining flour and mixed spice. Mix until well combined.
Drain off and discard any excess liquid from the soaking fruit, you won’t need this anymore, add the fruit to the cake batter and mix until well combined. Don't worry if your cake batter is not of dropping consistency, do not be tempted to add any more liquid as this may cause some of the fruit to sink in such a light batter.
Pour the cake mixture evenly into the prepared tray bake tin. TIP: Scatter the top with demerara sugar, this will give your cake a nice crispy topping. You can add more sugar when it's baked if you wish.
Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 mins, or until baked with a nice golden colour. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
If you wish, when you've taken the cake out of the oven, and while it's still warm, scatter more Demerara sugar on the top. It makes it look more attractive to an already crispy topping.
Leave in the tin to cool a little before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. Wait until the sponge traybake has cooled completely before cutting into slices and serving. TIP: If you cut this fruit slice traybake while still warm, there’s a risk your cake will crumble. So be patient, let it cool completely.
Keen to Bake More?
Try these other Tray Bake Recipes that are also ideal for Autumn Baking and uses light or dark brown sugar.
- Easy Apple Cake Recipe
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Rustic Apple and Pomegranate Galette
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Cinnamon Apple Cake
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Fruit Tray Bake
INGREDIENTS
- 120 g Mixed Dried Fruit
- 50 ml freshly brewed coffee or tea
- 200 g soft dark brown sugar
- 200 g butter softened
- 3 medium eggs
- 200 g Self raising flour
- ½ teaspoons Ground Mixed Spice
Topping
- 2 - 3 tablespoons Demerara Sugar
Instructions
- Get a small dish and add the freshly brewed coffee to the mixed dried fruit, leave for at least 30 mins to allow the fruits to plump up. Give them a little stir every few minutes to ensure all the fruit gets a chance to soak up the coffee.
- While the fruits are soaking....
- Preheat the oven to 180 deg (fan assisted). Grease and line a 10.5 inch (27cm) x 7 inch (17.5cm) x 1inch traybake tin or similar with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.
- Using an electric mixer, or wooden spoon/spatula, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go along.
- Add the eggs one at a time adding a little flour between each one to help prevent curdling. Mix until well combined.
- Add the remaining flour and mixed spice. Mix until well combined.
- Drain off and discard any excess liquid from the soaking fruit, you won’t need this anymore, add the fruit to the cake bater and mix until well combined.
- Pour the cake mixture evenly into the prepared baking tin. Scatter the demerara sugar over the top, this will give your cake a nice crispy topping.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 mins. Or until baked with a nice golden colour. Testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
- If you wish, while the cake is still warm scatter more Demerara sugar on the top.
- Leave in the tin to cool a little before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. Wait until the traybake has cooled completely before cutting into slices and serving. If you slice it while still warm, there’s a risk your cake will crumble.
Notes
- Soft Dark Brown sugar- There is no alternative to this and I urge you not to use white sugar for this recipe. The taste and look of the fruit traybake will simply not be the same, and you will be missing out on such a delicious tasting cake. I have many other recipes that use Dark Brown Sugar, so buying a packet will not go to waste. But if you must use white sugar, at least you are aware of how different the end result will be.
- Any residual coffee will be discarded, so don't worry if all the coffee doesn't get soaked up into the dried fruit.
- Scatter the top with demerara sugar, this will give your cake a nice crispy topping. You can add more sugar when it's baked if you wish.
- If you cut this fruit slice traybake while still warm, there’s a risk your cake will crumble. So be patient, let it cool completely.
Julie
Everyone who has eaten this says it is the best cake they’ve ever eaten! And I bake a lot. Thank you. Perfect flavouring and texture as you say keep the mixed spice light
Ginny
I was looking for a slab fruit cake rather than a traditional round or square one. This is so easy to make and very tasty. I’ve made it a few times now and add a little more mixed spice and a pinch of salt. I also vary the mixed fruits: last time I put some dried cranberries in, the previous time a few dates chopped up. Thank you Lynn, this is a really useful recipe. I suspect this cake won’t last as long as a traditional fruit cake but it gets eaten too quickly to tell!
Liesa
Can you freeze this?
Lynn
It's not something I have done with this recipe. But I imagine you could. Just make sure you wrap it carefully in suitable freezer wrapping to help prevent freezer burn. Remember to label it too.