Genoa Cake, full of currants, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries and flavoured with almond and lemon, is a real treat. Based on an Italian yeasted Christmas bake, the British version is a wonderful cake to enjoy at any time of year. Even for novice bakers, it not difficult to make at home.
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Genoa Cake
As you’d expect from the name, Genoa Cake originated in Italy. There, pandolce is a rich, yeasted cake traditionally eaten at Christmas. But the version known and loved here in Britain is a much simpler affair. Made with a light batter, the moist, tender cake is studded with dried fruit including (the best bit for many people) cherries.
While the Italian original normally contains pine nuts, in our Genoa Cake almonds are the dominant flavour. Besides a top decorated with blanched halved or whole almonds, there’s usually almond extract and chopped nuts in the mix too.
My Genoa Cake
I’m certainly no expert when it comes to baking sweet treats. Savoury foods are more my bag. But I do like a bit of cake at the weekend. If you’re also only an occasional cake maker, I think you’ll get good results with this recipe.
I’ve recently got into the habit of making all sorts of cakes in loaf tins. As there’s only two of us, it makes just the right amount for eating over three days. My tin is approximately 21.5 cm long, 11 cm wide and 6 cm deep.
If you want to use a different shaped tin, then use one with a capacity of around 1100 ml. Otherwise, you’ll need to adust the amounts shown in the recipe at the end of this post.
I’ve also become a fan of non stick cake tin liners. They’re so much easier than faffing about cutting bits of greaseproof paper to fit and getting them to stay in place.
TIPS FOR A PERFECT GENOA CAKE
While Genoa Cake is simple enough for even novice bakers, there’s a couple of things to be aware of.
Unlike heavier fruit cakes, the batter is quite light. So, to stop the generous amount of fruit sinking to the bottom before the cake is done, use a little of the measured flour to coat the dried fruit. You could also reduce the amount of milk. The thicker batter should then keep the fruit better suspended. The downside is that the cake could end up being not quite so light.
As with all cakes, try not to sneak a peek too soon while it’s cooking. If you do, your cake may collapse.
But, other than those points, it should be easy enough.
LIGHT, DELICATELY FLAVOURED
Whether you make Genoa Cake as a lighter alternative to Christmas cake, to enjoy with a cuppa or as part of afternoon tea, I think you’ll love it.
With lots of fruit, the delicate flavour of almond and lemon in a moist tender crumb, I don’t think you’ll find a better fruit cake.
HAVE YOU MADE GENOA CAKE?
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4.77 from 21 votes
Genoa Cake
Genoa Cake, full of currants, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries and flavoured with almond and lemon, is a real treat. Even for novice bakers, it not difficult to make at home.
CourseDessert, Snack, Cake
CuisineItalian, British
KeywordGenoa cake
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 8 at least
Author Moorlands Eater
Ingredients
- 70gcurrants
- 70gsultanas
- 70gmixed peel
- 60gglace cherrieschopped
- 20gchopped almonds
- 1lemonzest only, finely grated
- 150gself raising flour
- 1pinchsalt
- 120gbuttersoftened
- 120gcaster sugar
- 1tspalmond extract
- 2largeeggs
- 3tbspmilk
- 40gblanched almonds, whole or halvedto decorate
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 150C / 130C fan / Gas 2
Put a paper liner in a loaf tin approx 21 x 11 x 6 cm or line it with greaseproof or baking paper.
Put the currants, sultanas, mixed peel, cherries, chopped almonds and lemon zest in a bowl and stir in a little of the measured flour to stop them sticking together. Set aside.
Sift the rest of the flour with the salt then set aside.
In a large bowl and preferably using electric beaters, beat together the butter, sugar and almond extract until soft and light.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary during this and subsequent steps.
Beat in the eggs one at a time along with 1 tbsp of the measured flour each time.
Beat in the milk a tablespoon at a time with another scant tablespoon of the measured flour each time.
Gently fold in the rest of the flour along with the dried fruit mixture until everything is just combined.
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top.
Cover the top with blanched almonds.
Put the tin in the oven and bake until a skewer comes out clean: approx 55-65 minutes.
Put the tin on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.
Take the cake, in its liner, out of the tin and leave until completely cold.
Remove the paper when cold, slice and serve.
Cake should keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Recipe updated December 2021
