This crowd-pleasing, easy-bake sultana cake recipe is a classic tea-time treat.
Every bite is filled with juicy, plump sultanas. We're adding a few special ingredients to really amplify the flavour a bit more than a classic sultana loaf.
This recipe also doesn't require you to dredge the sultanas in extra flour to prevent them from sinking whilst baking.
It's perfect for a morning or afternoon tea, a lunch box snack or to make as a special treat for someone else. Just wrap it up in brown paper and tie it up with a pretty string - it makes a lovely, inexpensive and thoughtful homemade gift.
Whilst you have your loaf tin out, why not also try this easy 4-ingredient banana loaf, served with butter rosette flowers?
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What's to love about this recipe
- This is an easy sultana cake, no special baking skills are required.
- With the addition of a few extra ingredients, this cake is flavour-packed.
- No dredging of the sultanas in extra flour to prevent them from sinking. The extra flour can often lead to the cake being dry. Instead, the consistency of the cake mix is firm enough to hold the fruit in place.
- Briefly cooking the sultanas before baking ensures they're plump and juicy.
- Takes only an hour to make from start to finish.
- Pairs perfectly with a cup of tea.
- Always a crowd-pleaser.
- Makes a great gift for a fruit loaf lover.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.
Sultanas
It is a sultana cake recipe after all, but if you only have raisins, you can use them instead. Just follow exactly the same process.
Unsalted butter
Can be replaced with salted butter. The butter needs to be at room temperature.
Top tip: Speed up the process of softening butter by heating a glass bowl with an inch of water in the microwave until the water boils. Throw the water out and turn the bowl upside down over the butter for a few minutes.
Caster sugar
If you haven't got caster sugar where you are, you can easily make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until it's somewhere between the consistency of granulated sugar and powdered/icing sugar.
You can also use golden caster sugar. If all else fails, just use normal granulated sugar.
Large eggs
As with the butter, the eggs also need to be at room temperature.
Top tip: Speed up the process of bringing cold eggs up to room temperature by placing them in a bowl with hot water for about five minutes.
Flour
We use self-raising flour instead of all-purpose flour, so no need for baking powder or bicarbonate of soda.
Special ingredients
These are the ingredients that you don't often find in many old-fashioned sultana cake recipes.
We're using lemon zest for a bit of zing, mixed spice for depth of flavour and glace cherries for extra juiciness and hints of colour. You can also replace the lemon zest with orange zest instead.
We're only adding a quarter teaspoon of mixed spice because you want the flavour to be subtle. You can of course add more, but in our experience, it will taste more like a Christmassy fruit cake than a sultana loaf cake. Still delicious though!
If you don't want to add lemon zest, you can leave it out or replace it with vanilla essence or almond essence.
How to make sultana cake - Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 170℃/338℉/gas mark 3. Line a standard 2lb loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm) with parchment paper.
- Place the sultanas into a small saucepan and add just enough water to cover the sultanas.
- Bring the water up to a boil and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes to soften and hydrate the sultanas.
- Fully drain the water from the sultanas and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and caster sugar.
- Beat until light in colour and creamy in consistency, about 3-4 minutes. You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add the room-temperature eggs one by one, beating the mixture after each addition.
- Add the zest from one small lemon and briefly beat again.
- Sift over the self-raising flour along with the mixed spice. Using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg mixture. Don't overmix.
- Quarter the glace cherries and add them along with the sultanas to the cake mixture.
- Gently fold the fruit mixture in, again careful not to overmix.
- Spoon the sultana cake mix into the prepared cake tin and level the top.
Optional - Dot a few extra quartered glace cherries over the top, pressing them into the mixture to hold them in place. - Bake for 40 minutes in the centre of the preheated oven. After 40 minutes, loosely cover the tin with a piece of tin foil to protect the top of the cake from browning too much.
Bake for a further 10 minutes or until a cake tester pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake feels firm to the touch.
- Allow the cake to cool in its cake pan for 10 minutes before lifting it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Treat yourself to a fresh slice and a cup of tea!
Tips to make the best sultana cake
- Use kitchen scales and weigh the ingredients carefully.
- Make sure to use softened butter and room-temperature eggs for perfect consistency in the batter.
- Don't overmix when folding in the flour, sultanas and cherries.
- Cover the cake with tin foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time to prevent the cake from browning too much on top.
- All ovens are different, so check the cake towards the end, if it's golden brown, firm on top and a cake tester comes out clean, it's done. Baking it any longer will lead to a dry cake.
Serving suggestions
- Plain - Enjoy a slice of sultana cake on its own, allowing the moist and fruity flavours to shine.
- Tea or Coffee - Serve sultana cake alongside a cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat. The cake's sweetness pairs well with the bitterness of hot beverages.
- Butter or Margarine - Spread a thin layer of butter or margarine on a slice of sultana cake for added richness.
- Whipped Cream - Serve sultana cake with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. The creamy texture complements the moistness of the cake and adds a touch of indulgence.
- Ice Cream - For a decadent dessert, serve sultana cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm cake and cold ice cream create a lovely contrast.
- Fruit Compote - Accompany sultana cake with a side of fruit compote, such as berry or apple compote. The fruity sauce adds a slightly tart contrast to the sweet cake.
- Custard - Drizzle warm custard over a slice of sultana cake for a traditional dessert combination.
- Cheese - In some regions, sultana cake is served with a slice of cheese, such as cheddar or cream cheese.
- Cream Cheese Frosting - Spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over the top of the sultana cake.
- Cream Cheese Glaze - Prepare a simple glaze using cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a little milk. Drizzle the glaze over the sultana cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
- Cream Cheese Spread - Serve slices of sultana cake with a side of softened cream cheese. Allow guests to spread a dollop of cream cheese onto their cake slices according to their preference.
- Mascarpone Whipped Cream - Serve a dollop of this mascarpone whipped cream alongside a slice of sultana cake for a light and airy topping.
How long does sultana cake keep?
If you seal the cake in an airtight container like a cake tin or lidded plastic box, it will keep well for 2-3 days.
Can you freeze sultana cake?
Yes, it freezes really well. Make sure the cake is completely cooled down to room temperature before wrapping it thoroughly in plastic wrap.
Place the cake in a lidded container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, remove it from the freezer the day before and allow it to thaw in a cool area in your house.
More recipes made with fruit
More tea time treats recipes
Apple sponge cake with streusel topping
Lithuanian lazy cookies - Tinginys
Rooibos Cappuccino - Red Cappuccino
Toscakaka - Swedish almond cake
Biscoff slices, no bake
Recipe
The best sultana cake
Equipment
- 1 standard 2lb loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm)
Ingredients
- 180 grams sultanas
- water to cover the sultanas
- 140 grams unsalted butter - softened
- 140 grams caster sugar
- 3 large eggs - at room temperature
- zest from one small lemon
- 225 grams self raising flour
- ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
- 10 glace cherries - and an optional few extra for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170℃/338℉/gas mark 3. Line a standard 2lb loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm) with parchment paper.
- Add the sultanas to a small saucepan and add just enough water to cover the sultanas.
- Bring the water up to a boil and cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes to soften and hydrate the sultanas.
- Fully drain the water from the sultanas and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and caster sugar until light in colour and creamy in consistency for about 3-4 minutes. You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Add the room temperature eggs one by one, beating the mixture after each addition.
- Add the zest from one small lemon and briefly beat again.
- Sift over the self raising flour along with the mixed spice. Using a large spoon or spatula, gently fold the flour into the egg mixture. Don't overmix.
- Quarter the glace cherries and add it along with the sultanas to the cake mixture. Gently fold it in, again careful not to overmix.
- Spoon the sultana cake mix into the prepared baking tin and level the top. Optional - Dot a few extra quartered glace cherries over the top, pressing them into the mixture to hold them in place.
- Bake for 40 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. After 40 minutes, loosely cover the tin with a piece of tin foil to protect the top of the cake from browning too much. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the top of the cake feels firm to the touch.
- Allow the cake to cool in it's tin for 10 minutes before lifting it out onto a wire cooling rack to cool down completely. Treat yourself to a fresh slice and a cup of tea!
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
For food safety advice, including guidance on food allergies
Jamie says
Very simple and very nice.
Maretha Corbett says
Hello Jamie,
Thanks so much for your kind review. Really pleased you enjoyed the sultana cake! It's so simple and quick to cobble together.
Happy baking!
Maretha.
Kay says
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve made this cake loads of times and we all love it! In fact, I’ve just taken two out of the oven as I write this. The cake is moist, I think rehydrating the sultanas helps. The instructions are clear and easy to understand.
It freezes well which is always a bonus. I like eating my own cooking so recipes that freeze are definitely on my list.
Maretha Corbett says
Hey Kay!
Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review!
I'm absolutely thrilled to hear that you and your family enjoy the sultana cake recipe. Rehydrating the sultanas is indeed a helpful tip, otherwise they tend to stay a little firm.
Really appreciate your feedback and I'm glad the instructions were clear enough to follow.
Happy baking, and enjoy those freshly baked cakes!
Maretha.
Patricia says
Can you please tell me if cooked in 1lb loaf tins would they take less time to cook.
Maretha Corbett says
Hey Patricia,
Thank you for reaching out with your question! While we haven't specifically tested the recipe in 1lb loaf tins, a general recommendation would be to try reducing the baking time by approximately 10 minutes. Aim for 30 minutes initially and then cover it with foil for an additional 10 minutes. However, also rely on visual cues such as a firm and golden-brown top, alongside a clean cake tester.
Hope it comes out a great success for you and happy baking!
Warm regards,
Maretha.
Patricia says
Thank you so much
Maretha Corbett says
No problem!