The Best Sultana Loaf!

Every bite of this crowd pleasing, easy bake sultana loaf is filled with juicy, plump sultanas. The addition of a few basic pantry staples also enhances the flavour beyond that of just a traditional sultana loaf cake.

This recipe doesn't require you to coat the sultanas in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. The batter is firm enough to hold them in place.

It's great for morning or afternoon tea, as a snack in lunch boxes, or as a lovely homemade gift when wrapped in brown paper and tied with a pretty string.

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

1. Preheat the oven to 170℃/338℉/gas mark 3. Line a standard 2lb loaf tin (21cm x 11cm x 7cm) with parchment paper.
2. Add the sultanas to a small saucepan and add just enough water to cover the sultanas.
3. Bring the water up to a boil and cook over a medium heat for 4 minutes to soften and hydrate the sultanas.
4. Fully drain the water from the sultanas and set aside to cool slightly.
5. 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.
6. You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
7. Add the room temperature eggs one by one, beating the mixture after each addition.
8. Add the zest from one small lemon and briefly beat again.
9. 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.
10. Quarter the glace cherries and add it along with the sultanas to the cake mixture. Gently fold it in, again careful not to overmix.
11. Spoon the sultana cake mix into the prepared baking tin and level the top.
12. Optional - Dot a few extra quartered glace cherries over the top, pressing them into the mixture to hold them in place.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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!