Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

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I am always looking for ways to use up leftover mincemeat and I have made mincemeat muffins, mince pie cookies, festive swirls and even mince pie flapjacks as well as traditional mince pies. I have quite a long list of Christmas baking options! But, there is nothing quite like a homemade loaf cake to slice and serve throughout December or at any other time of the year.

So I’ve made mincemeat loaf cakes to use up half a jar of mincemeat and it’s the perfect bake to enjoy at any time of the year – I may even start saving a jar of mincemeat after Christmas just to enjoy this part way through the year. It’s a great way of using homemade mincemeat too.

Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (1)

This mincemeat sponge cake is a great alternative to a Christmas cake and although I’m no Mary berry, I do think this is a cake for all occasions that everyone will enjoy.

Is this a mincemeat spice cake?

This mincemeat cake doesn’t have any additional spices or seasonings in it aside from the mincemeat. So unlike other spice loaf cakes, it isn’t full of cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spices. Because of this, it doesn’t taste like a festive, seasonal cake and can be enjoyed all year round.

Why should we bake this delicious Mincemeat Loaf Cake?

This old fashioned mincemeat cake is wonderful with a cup of tea at any time of day. It would be lovely as part of an afternoon tea spread and it could even be used as a festive gift when visiting friends and family or something to take to a school bake sale.

This easy cake is full of flavour – with the mincemeat adding that festive touch and the extra fruit adding a really lovely texture to it. The milk makes sure the fruit doesn’t soak up all the liquid in the bake and it turns out a really lovely, light, wholesome bake that the whole family can enjoy.

Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (2)

Can you vary this easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake recipe?

For this cake we use self raising flour but you can use all purpose flour and a little baking powder or baking soda if you’d prefer. It’s a cake that we often vary to use what we have in the cupboards.

This fruit cake uses raisins but you can substitute the raisins for any dried fruit and even a dried fruit mix. A handful of glace cherries would be wonderful in the mix and would really give the cake a new flavour if you wanted to try something different.

Mixed dried fruit, a bit of peel and cherries would be a really lovely mix and if you wanted a more crumbly bake you could leave the milk out of the ingredients to create a country style fruitcake recipe. Or, if you like a boozy Christmas bake, you could substitute some of the milk for Brandy instead.

We have this mincemeat cake plain, straight from the oven but you could dust with icing sugar or add some icing if you wanted to once it’s cooled to room temperature.

Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (3)

Can I make individual cakes instead?

You could always make this quick recipe in individual loaf tins or a sectioned brownie pan to create individual mincemeat cake bars, a great, handy alternative to a single loaf cake. You could also make a big round cake if you wanted, or even a cake in a bundt pan which would look beautiful over the festive season.

This mincemeat Christmas cake is so simple to make, looks great and the children love helping to bake it as well. It lasts for a few days in an airtight container and can even be frozen to enjoy at a later date.

If you’re looking for other festive recipes why not try our Mince Pie Bakewell Tarts, Mince Pie Slice or Mincemeat and Cherry Flapjack? You can see all our mincemeat recipes here – and even more Christmas recipes too plus we also have many cake recipes like our banana and peanut butter loaf cake, light fruit cake loaf and slow cooker recipes too.

What equipment do you need for this loaf cake recipe?

You can make this recipe simply with things you already have in your kitchen but here are the things we use in case there’s something you don’t already have:

As you can see, it’s all things you probably have already. We use loaf tin liners to guarantee that bakes come out of the tin easily and they’re great when baking as gifts too.

So here’s our easy Mincemeat Cake Recipe – happy baking!

Ingredients

  • 75glow fat spread or unsalted butter
  • 75gcaster sugar – although, light muscovado sugar or light brown sugar works well too.
  • 2eggs beaten
  • 225gself raising flour
  • 200gmincemeat
  • 120graisins
  • 2tblsp milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease a loaf tin using a little butter or spread.
  • Beat spread and caster sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
  • Gradually beat in the eggs until combined, then fold in the flour, mincemeat, raisins and milk. Spoon the cake mix into a loaf pan and bake for 1hr-1hr15 until a skewer inserted comes out clean and it’s lovely and golden brown.
  • Cool in the cake tin for 15 mins then remove from tin and cool completely on a wire rack.

If you’d like to print or pin the Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe for later you can do so at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe

A simple cake the whole family can enjoy and a great way to use up leftover mincemeat too. A lovely bake with all the flavours of the festive season.

Course Afternoon Tea, Snack

Cuisine British

Keyword baking, cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 75 g low fat spread
  • 75 g caster sugar
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 225 g self-raising flour
  • 200 g mincemeat
  • 120 g raisins
  • 2 tblsp milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. Grease a loaf tin.

  • Beat spread and caster sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

  • Gradually beat in the eggs until combined, then fold in the flour, mincemeat, raisins and milk. Spoon into the tin and bake for 1hr-1hr15 until a skewer comes out clean.

  • Cool in the tin for 15 mins then remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.

*Note: Nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.

Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (5)
Easy Mincemeat Loaf Cake Recipe - What the Redhead said (2024)

FAQs

How to make a box cake extra good? ›

Add Milk, Coffee, or Soda

Boxed cakes often call for water, but swapping it out for equal amounts of milk, coffee, or even soda will give you a moister, more tender, and flavorful cake. For white cake mix, you can use whole milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.

What is a loaf cake? ›

Meaning of loaf cake in English

a cake baked in a rectangular pan: I'm making a lemon loaf cake. We like a slice of loaf cake with our morning coffee. Fewer examples. This chocolate loaf cake is amazing.

What can I add to my box cake mix to make it moist? ›

Boxed cake mixes tend to be lighter in consistency, but if you're craving that thicker, moister, denser cake, then all you have to do is add an extra egg to your mix. The additional fat in the egg yolk helps create a more tender and moist cake that is full of flavor.

What does adding an extra egg to a box cake mix do? ›

Add an extra egg to box mix for a luxurious upgrade

The addition of an egg allows the cake to hold onto some liquid that is lost to evaporation during the baking process, resulting in a moister final product. Plus, egg yolks introduce fat, and fat equals flavor.

What is the difference between a cake and a loaf cake? ›

Loaf cakes are always baked in a loaf pan, whereas cakes in other square or round tins. And even though both cakes and loaf cakes share similar ingredients, the ratio of flour, fat, sugar and the mixing methods are different and make a difference in the final product.

What makes a loaf cake dry? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

What's the difference between a pound cake and a loaf cake? ›

What's the difference between pound cake and loaf cake? A loaf cake is simply any cake that's baked in a loaf pan, including pound cake. Pound cakes got their name because they were made with a pound each of flour sugar, butter, and eggs.

How do you perk up a box cake mix? ›

Use an extra egg: Most boxed mixes will call for three eggs. Use four for a cake that's richer-tasting and moister. This tip is one I use practically every time I make a boxed cake mix. Substitute dairy: Replace the water called for on the package with dairy.

What can I replace in box cake to make it better? ›

How To Make Box Cake Better [19 Different Ways]
  1. Use an extra egg. Using an extra egg or two adds richness and moisture to your box cake. ...
  2. Use milk instead of water. ...
  3. Swap water for juice. ...
  4. Use butter instead of oil. ...
  5. Add a few spoonfuls of mayo. ...
  6. Use instant pudding mix. ...
  7. Make it nutty. ...
  8. Use coffee instead of water.
Jun 30, 2023

How do you make a box cake more firm for decorating? ›

How To Make Boxed Cake Denser
  1. Add 2 extra egg yolks. Denseness Ranking (1-5): 3.5. ...
  2. Swap out oil for melted butter. Denseness Ranking (1-5): 3.5. ...
  3. Add 2 mashed ripe bananas, fold in just before baking. ...
  4. Add 1 cup pumpkin purée, fold in just before baking. ...
  5. Swap out water for coconut milk. ...
  6. Swap out oil for ricotta cheese.
May 16, 2023

Should you beat eggs before adding to cake mix? ›

Martina says, “Late in the mixing stage, eggs will incorporate better if you lightly beat them before adding to the batter.

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