The Best Sultana Cake Recipe

Jump to:

• Reader review
• Why this recipe works
• Key ingredient notes and substitutions
• How to make sultana cake
• Troubleshooting sultana cake
• Serving suggestions
• Useful variations
• Storage and freezing
• More easy cakes and tea-time bakes
• Recipe

Updated July 2026: I retested this recipe and added clearer fan-oven guidance, mixing cues, citrus options and troubleshooting.

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

You'll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Because small measurement changes can affect a cake, this recipe is written in grams for precision. A digital scale will give you the most reliable result.

Sultanas

Simmering the sultanas briefly in water softens and plumps them before they go into the cake. Drain them very thoroughly afterwards so excess water does not loosen the batter.

Self-raising flour

Use fresh, in-date self-raising flour. This recipe does not contain additional baking powder, so flour that has been open for a long time or is past its date may not give the cake enough lift.

I recommend sticking with self-raising flour rather than converting the recipe to plain flour unless you are confident adjusting raising agents.

Lemon or orange zest

Use the finely grated zest from one whole lemon or one whole orange. Both work well: lemon tastes a little brighter, while orange gives the cake a softer, warmer citrus flavour.

Grate only the coloured outer layer and avoid the bitter white pith underneath.

Mixed spice and glacé cherries

A small amount of mixed spice gives the cake gentle warmth without turning it into a heavily spiced fruit cake.

The glacé cherries add colour and soft, juicy pockets throughout the loaf. Quarter them before folding them into the batter so they distribute more evenly.

How to make sultana cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/340°F/gas mark 3. Line a standard 2lb loaf tin, approximately 21cm x 11cm x 7cm, with baking paper.

Step 2: Place the sultanas in a small saucepan and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to the boil, then cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes.

Step 3: Tip the sultanas into a sieve and drain them very thoroughly. Shake off any excess water and leave them to cool slightly while you make the cake batter. They can be warm, but should not be piping hot.

Step 4: Add the softened butter and caster sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer for 3-4 minutes, until paler, creamy and slightly fluffy.

Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl so no streaks of butter or sugar are left unmixed.

Step 5: Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating briefly after each addition until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as you go so the mixture combines evenly.

Step 6: Add the finely grated zest of one whole lemon or one whole orange and beat briefly to distribute it through the mixture.

Step 7: Sift the self-raising flour and mixed spice over the mixture. Switch to a large spoon or spatula and fold gently until only a few small streaks of flour remain.

The batter should be thick and spoonable rather than loose or pourable. Do not add extra liquid.

Step 8: Quarter the glacé cherries. Add them to the batter with the drained sultanas and fold gently until the fruit is evenly distributed and no dry flour remains. Stop mixing as soon as everything is combined.

Step 9: Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and level the top.

If you like, press a few extra quartered cherries lightly into the surface.

Step 10: Bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes. Once the top is golden, loosely cover the tin with foil to prevent it becoming too dark.

Continue baking for approximately 10 minutes, or until the top feels firm and springs back lightly when pressed. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out without wet batter. Test in a second spot if the first skewer goes through a sultana.

Step 11: Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely before slicing.

Troubleshooting sultana cake

Why didn't my sultana cake rise properly?

Check that your self-raising flour is fresh and still in date. This recipe relies on the raising agent already in the flour, so older flour may produce a low or heavy loaf.

Also make sure the oven is fully preheated, fold the flour in gently and place the cake in the oven soon after mixing.

Why is my sultana cake dry?

The most likely cause is overbaking. Start checking the cake towards the end of the stated baking time and remove it once there is no wet batter on the skewer.

The top should feel firm and lightly springy, but the loaf should not be baked until hard or deeply browned.

Why did the fruit sink?

The batter should be thick enough to hold the fruit without coating it in flour. Fruit may sink if the sultanas were not drained thoroughly or if extra liquid was added to loosen the batter.

Make sure the sultanas are well drained and fold them in only once the main batter is mixed.

My mixture looks slightly curdled after adding the eggs. Is it ruined?

No. A slightly curdled appearance can happen if the eggs or butter are different temperatures. Scrape down the bowl, continue with the recipe and fold in the flour gently. The mixture should come back together.

Serving suggestions

Sultana cake is best served at room temperature, either plain or spread with a little salted butter.

It is lovely with tea or coffee and travels well for lunchboxes, picnics and bake sales. For dessert, gently warm a slice and serve it with custard or vanilla ice cream.

Useful variations

• Different dried fruit: Replace the sultanas with raisins or golden sultanas, or swap the glacé cherries for finely chopped dried apricots.
• Add mixed peel: Fold in 1-2 tablespoons of candied mixed peel with the sultanas for extra citrus flavour.
• A deeper sugar flavour: Golden caster sugar can replace white caster sugar. One reader also reported good results with soft brown sugar, which gave the cake a darker colour and a more caramel-like flavour. I haven't tested that variation myself.
• Crunchy topping: Sprinkle the top with a little demerara sugar before baking.

Storage and freezing

Allow the cake to cool completely before storing it.

Keep it in an airtight cake tin or lidded container at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices securely in cling film, then place them in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Defrost the cake while still wrapped at room temperature. Freezing individual slices makes it easy to take out only what you need.

More easy cakes and tea-time bakes

For another easy bake to enjoy with tea, try my jam and coconut sponge, sticky Jamaican ginger cake, Tunisian orange and almond cake or easy Christmas cake.