Classic Genoa Cake (Light and Fruity!)
, Published Nov 16, 2024
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Genoa Cake is a light fruit cake packed with mixed dried fruit, candied citrus peel, glacé cherries and flavored with zest and almond extract. Enjoy a slice as a treat with coffee or tea or enjoy it as an alternative to rich Christmas fruit cake!
My husband decided to tidy up our books recently and I know this doesn’t sound like a big job, but when you own a kabillion (give or take) cookbooks it is quite a task! Especially when this gives me the chance to leaf through older cookbooks that were banished to high shelves…
I came across this Genoa cake recipe as I was going through my books and was curious to try it… And I am SO GLAD I did – this slightly old-fashioned vintage cake is all kinds of delicious and so easy to make too! If you love fruit cake but find it a bit too rich and heavy then Genoa cake is just right for you.
It is studded throughout with sultanas, raisins, mixed peel and cherries and has a soft tender crumb that makes it irresistible! Why rely on dry supermarket Genoa slice when you can bake a delicious homemade version at home?
What is Genoa Cake?
While this cake is very popular in the United Kingdom, it originated in Italy as the name would suggest. Genovese pandolce (which translates as “sweet bread”) is a delicious enriched yeast cake that contains pine nuts and dried fruit, traditionally served at Christmas.
The British version of this cake is more similar to another variant of the Italian cake, pandolce basso (flat pandolce) which is made with baking powder instead of yeast. Genoa cake has been around since the 19th century in the UK and remains popular to this day.
Genoa Cake Ingredients
Unlike traditional fruit cake, Genoa cake contains less dried fruit making it much lighter and less dense. You can play around with the types of fruit but don’t forget to include the cherries – they really make this cake special! Let’s take a look at what you will need.
- Sultanas (also known as golden raisins) are made from dried seedless white grapes. Confused about the difference between currants, raisins and sultanas? Take a look at this article!
- Mixed peel (candied citrus peel).
- Glacé cherries – make sure to chop these quite small otherwise they will sink to the bottom.
- Self raising flour (self rising in the US) – make sure the pack is fresh as the raising agents in the flour lose their oomph after a while.
- Golden caster sugar – caster or castor sugar is also known as superfine sugar in the US. It is finer than granulated sugar and the best option for baking. You can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor to make it finer but don’t go too far or you will end up with powdered sugar!
- Softened unsalted butter or a baking spread / margarine such as Stork in the UK.
- Eggs – medium eggs at room temperature (US readers will need to use large eggs).
- Lemon and orange zest – adding this to the sugar and rubbing with your fingertips releases the oils in the zest making the cake extra fragrant.
- Lemon juice or milk to lighten the batter.
- Almond extract and flaked almonds (a.k.a almond flakes) or blanched almonds to top the cake.
How to make Genoa Cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Mist a 2lb (900g) loaf pan with cake release and line with baking paper. I like to clip the paper overhanging the edges of the tin down using small clips.
Chop the cherries and sultanas into small pieces and add to a bowl together with the mixed peel and two level tablespoons of the flour. Mix well so the flour coats the fruit and set aside.
Place the sugar in a mixing bowl and add the lemon and orange zest. Rub the sugar and zest together using your fingertips then stir in the remaining flour.
Add the butter or margarine, eggs, lemon juice and almond extract and beat together with a hand or stand mixer until you have a smooth batter. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well mixed.
Add the fruit mix and fold into the batter to distribute it evenly. Pour into the prepared pan and level. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds or top with whole blanched almonds.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the tester comes out with wet batter, add 5 minutes to the baking time and test again. Cool the cake in the pan for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool down before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips & FAQs
► Baking in a fan-forced oven? Reduce the temperature by 10 degrees. Baking the cake at a lower temperature ensures an even rise and avoids browning.
► Genoa cake in the air fryer – make sure the pan fits into the air fryer basket first. Clip the overhanging paper down using small clips. Bake in a preheated air fryer for about 65 minutes at 300°F (150°C) or until a tester comes out clean. Leave the cake in the air fryer basket (out of the fryer itself) for 5 minutes before taking out.
► Top Tip – don’t forget to chop up the fruit quite small and coat them with flour first. If the dried fruit and cherries are too big they will sink to the bottom of the cake!
► Storing and freezing – store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days or freeze whole or in slices for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
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Classic Genoa Cake (Light and Fruity!)
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100g) sultanas , chopped
- 1 cup (75g) mixed peel
- ½ cup (50g) glace cherries , chopped (double the quantity if you like!)
- 1 cup (200g) sugar , caster / superfine
- 2 cups (230g) self raising flour
- 1 lemon , zest only
- 1 orange , zest only
- 7 oz (200g) margarine or softened unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- 3 medium eggs room temperature
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp flaked almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Mist a 2lb (900g) loaf pan with cake release and line with baking paper.
- Chop the cherries and sultanas into small pieces and add to a bowl together with the mixed peel and two level tablespoons of the flour. Mix well so the flour coats the fruit and set aside.½ cup (100g) sultanas, ½ cup (50g) glace cherries, 1 cup (75g) mixed peel
- Place the sugar in a mixing bowl and add the lemon and orange zest. Rub the sugar and zest together using your fingertips then stir in the remaining flour.1 cup (200g) sugar, 1 lemon, 1 orange, 2 cups (230g) self raising flour
- Add the butter or margarine, eggs, lemon juice and almond extract and beat together with a hand or stand mixer until you have a smooth batter. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well mixed.7 oz (200g) margarine, ¼ tsp almond extract, 3 medium eggs, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Add the fruit mix and fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan and level. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds and bake for 55-65 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the tester comes out with wet batter, add 5 minutes to the baking time and test again.4 tbsp flaked almonds
- Cool the cake in the pan for five minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool down before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
