Classic Manor House Cake Recipe – Better Than Mr Kipling!
If you grew up enjoying a traditional Mr Kipling Manor House cake then you’re going to love this easy homemade version. Filled with juicy sultanas and topped with crunchy demerara sugar, it’s everything a proper teatime cake should be, simple, comforting and perfect with a cup of tea.
Although Manor House Cake became famous through the Mr Kipling version that arrived on supermarket shelves in the 1960’s, it’s roots appear to lie in the tradition of simple light fruit cakes consisting of a light sponge and dried fruit, which offered a lighter alternative to the rich fruit cakes traditionally reserved for Christmas and celebrations.
Cakes like these have been served at afternoon tea for generations. They were increasingly popular in Victorian times and are still very much enjoyed today.
The one thing that sets this classic cake apart from other simple fruit cakes in the delicious crunchy sugar topping. The simple addition of demerara sugar before baking creates a wonderful crunchy crust that’s possibly the best part of the whole cake!
You’ll be pleased to hear that this is a very simple cake to make. It can be mixed by hand, with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, whichever you prefer.
Modern electric mixers have made baking quicker and easier than ever and I use mine regularly, particularly when baking our Bread recipes or larger batches. For a simple cake like this however, I do enjoy reaching for a wooden spoon instead. The extra few minutes spent creaming and mixing by hand can be surprisingly relaxing, slowing the pace and focusing on the process, turning the preparation of a home baked cake into an activity to be enjoyed.
Equipment You Will Need…
If you opt to mix by hand you will need 1 large mixing bowl, one smaller bowl to sieve the flour into and a small bowl to soak the sultanas.
A sturdy wooden spoon with make creaming the butter and sugar a breeze and a good quality 18cm (7″) round cake tin with a loose base with make sure your cake is baked to perfection.
You will also need baking parchment, a pre-cut greaseproof paper liner or a reusable liner to fit the base of the tin
A good spatula can be used to gently stir the flour into the creamed mixture and make sure that you get all of the mixture out of the bowl and into the tin – nothing wasted!
This cake is a light buttery sponge studded with juicy sultanas and the iconic crunchy topping. As it is such a simple cake the quality of ingredients can have an influence on the flavour. Choose butter for flavour and take a little extra time to soak the sultanas at the beginning to give them maximum juiciness.
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Classic Manor House Cake Recipe
Classic Manor House Cake
Equipment
- 1 Scales
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Smaller Bowl for Sieving The Flour
- 1 Small Heatproof Bowl to soak the sultanas
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 18cm / 7" Round Cake Tin
- 1 Baking Parchment
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 175 grams Unsalted Butter
- 175 grams Caster Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, whisked
- 225 grams Plain Flour
- 1½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 175 grams Sultanas
- 1 tablespoon Demerara Sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160c fan / 180c / 350F / gas 4
- Place the sultanas in a heatproof bowl and add enough boiling water to just cover them. Leave to stand for 20 minutes then drain and blot dry with a clean tea towel. Return the sultanas to a dry bowl.
- Grease your cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
- Take 1 tablespoon of you measured flour and sprinkle over the sultanas. Thoroughly coat the sultanas with the flour, this will help stop them from sinking in the cake mixture during baking.
- Sieve together the remaining flour and baking powder into a bowl and leave to one side.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and the caster sugar until they are light and fluffy. You can do this with the wooden spoon or save time and use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- Slowly add the eggs and beat well between each addition. As more egg is added the mixture may look like it will curdle so add a spoonful of your measured flour
- Add the sieved flour and baking powder to the butter and sugar mixture and gently fold them together using a spatula or metal tablespoon. Do this gently to keep as much air in the creamed mixture as possible.
- The mixture should be stiff but still drop off the spoon in about 5 seconds. If it's too stiff, add a little milk.
- Scatter over the sultanas and gently stir them into the mixture evenly.
- Spoon the mixture into your prepared cake tin and level the top.
- Sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly over the top of the cake and bake in the centre of the oven for about an hour until it is well risen and golden brown
- Check the cake by inserting a skewer in the centre, there should be just a few crumbs sticking to the skewer. If there is still raw mixture, continue baking for another 15 minutes and check again.
- When the cake is cooked, leave in the tin to cool for 20 minutes then remove from the tin, remove the baking parchment and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
As simple as this cake is, it truly is as versatile as it is delicious. It’s perfect for afternoon tea but also makes a great addition to a lunchbox as well as a welcome treat in a picnic basket.
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