Raisin cake. Sounds rather dull at first, doesn't it? But it's not boring at all! Because grandma's cake with raisins is moist & fruity.
An easy yet heavenly cake with raisins and frosting. It can be baked well the day before, as it stays fresh for a long time. After it has been left to soak for a while, it tastes even better. Perfect, therefore, for occasions you want to bake in advance.
Taste and Occasion
The raisin cake recipe comes, as so often, from my grandma. She got it from a pastry chef when she was a teenager - but with a different name. Because for her, it's called "English Cake." Or easy "The English" 😉 . But probably only a few can do something with it. So the recipe was renamed by me without further ado. At the latest, when grandma's moist raisin cake lands in your mouth, such quibbles do not matter anyway. So delicious and pleasing it is!
Ingredients
There are several reasons why such an easy raisin cake is so moist: First, the cake batter is quite lush and contains a lot of butter and eggs in proportion to the amount of flour. Actually, just like, for example, the classic marble cake or sand cake. In addition, the raisins are soaked in juice or rum. And last but not least, the cake gets a kind of "preservative" glaze made of jam and icing.
I have slightly adapted Grandma's recipe for the traditional English tea cake. For example, my alternative has less sugar; the eggs do not have to be separated but come as a whole in the raisin cake dough. Unlike decades ago, this is no problem today since we all have food processors with plenty of power. Although the preparation is straightforward and sure to succeed (if you follow my cake batter tips), there is a little catch. Ok, big hook 😉 . Because my moist cake with raisins must necessarily cool completely before cutting, and best to infuse overnight. Only then it becomes perfect. Crumbs less. And the consistency is wonderfully fine-pored, moist.
How to make the Raisin Cake
First, mix the raisins with juice or rum, for example, in a tupperware, and set aside. If you have time, do this the night before. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease a loaf pan with (depending on the desired height) 8.5-9.5 in / 22-24 cm long and dust with a bit of flour.
Now, beat the butter with the sugar for a few minutes until very fluffy, then add the eggs one by one. Mix the flour, starch, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the butter-egg cream together with the lemon juice - but only until the dough is homogeneous. Roll the raisins in about 2 tablespoons of flour; alternatively, add the flour to the preserving container, put the lid on, and shake everything well. Gently fold raisins into the dough.
Pour dough into a pan, smooth out, and bake 50-60 minutes. Test with chopsticks. Cover if necessary to prevent the cake from getting too dark towards the end of baking time. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. For the glaze, heat the jam briefly so that it is slightly more liquid. Brush the cake thinly with it. Allow the jam coating to dry briefly, or place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes. Mix sifted powdered sugar with milk or lemon juice to a not-too-liquid glaze. Spread a thin layer on the cake.
As soon as the glaze is firm, wrap the cake in foil and set it in a cool place, preferably overnight.
Top Tip
Finally, if you always load the raisins in the cake below, a little tip: So that they sink (comparatively) little, the dough must not be too liquid or soft. The raisins should also be rolled in a reasonable amount of flour before you fold them into the dough (don't stir them in).
Recipe Card
Raisin Cake
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan (8.5 in / 22cm)
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 230 grams (1 cup) butter, soft
- 180 grams (1 cup) sugar, coarse
- 5 eggs, medium, room temperature
- 200 grams (1 ⅔ cups) all-purpose flour
- 80 grams (⅔ cup) cornstarch
- ½ small bag baking powder, 7g
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 150 grams (1 cups) raisins
- 2 tablespoons juice, or rum
For glazing
- 80 grams (⅓ cup) apricot jam, or other fruit
- 130 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk, or lemon juice
Instructions
- First, mix the raisins with juice or rum, for example, in a tupperware, and set aside. If you have time, do this the night before.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease a loaf pan with (depending on the desired height) 8.5-9.5 in / 22-24 cm long and dust with a bit of flour.
- Beat the butter with the sugar for a few minutes until very fluffy, then add the eggs one by one. Mix the flour, starch, baking powder, and salt. Stir into the butter-egg cream together with the lemon juice - but only until the dough is homogeneous.
- Roll the raisins in about 2 tablespoons of flour; alternatively, add the flour to the preserving container, put the lid on, and shake everything well. Gently fold raisins into the dough.
- Pour dough into a pan, smooth out, and bake 50-60 minutes. Test with chopsticks. Cover if necessary to prevent the cake from getting too dark towards the end of baking time. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.
- For the glaze, heat the jam briefly so that it is slightly more liquid. Brush the cake thinly with it. Allow the jam coating to dry briefly, or place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes. Mix sifted powdered sugar with milk or lemon juice to a not-too-liquid glaze. Spread a thin layer on the cake.
- As soon as the glaze is firm, wrap the cake in foil and set it in a cool place, preferably overnight.
Notes
- The amount of sugar in the dough is comparatively tiny compared to the amount of butter and eggs. However, the double glaze makes the cake much sweeter. If you omit the ice, use more sugar in the dough.
- The soaking results in the cake being extra moist and stable for cutting. The cake stays fresh for at least 2 days but can also be frozen very well.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
Give it a try! Instead of this cake with raisins, try grandma's yeast-risen cake, her apple crumble cake, nut cake, spice cake, or eggnog cake.
About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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