Sultana loaf
A classic, spiced cake style loaf, filled with juicy bursts of sultanas.
This sultana loaf is great toasted for breakfast, packed into lunch boxes or served fresh and warm for afternoon tea. For a simple fruit loaf recipe that is easy and affordable you cannot beat this sultana loaf.
This is the best sultana loaf
Spiced and sweet without loads of sugar.
Perfectly soft but it still slices and toasts up beautifully.
This is a one bowl recipe that so easy to make with only 3 simple sages, just soak, mix and bake.
Do you like your sultana loaf warm from the oven for afternoon tea or crispy and toasted in the morning? Either way, spread on a generous helping of butter and enjoy this sultana loaf for yourself.
Here are some other loaf recipes that you may like!
Ingredients
Sultanas – This recipe uses 1 1/2 cups of sultanas which is appropriately 265g.
Sugar – Brown sugar works best for this recipe. But feel free to swap it out for plain white sugar if you do not have any on hand. This is a lower sugar recipe with less than half a cup of sugar per loaf.
Butter – Use salted butter. You can also use a dairy free margarine for this recipe for a dairy free or budget friendly option.
Spices – Cinnamon, mixed spice and nutmeg.
Eggs – 2 eggs at room temperature. Make sure that the sultana mixture is not too hot when you add in your eggs.
Flour, baking soda, baking powder and water
3 basic steps
Soak – Nobody wants a hard, dried out and chewy piece of fruit in their sultana loaf. To avoid this you need to soak your sultanas in boiling water for an hour. I add in the butter and brown sugar at this point too as well as some baking soda which will make the sultanas even softer. As an added bonus,this step also makes your mixing process so much easier. Feel free to start this process the night before, soaking the fruit overnight and baking your fruit loaf first thing in the morning.
Mix – This is where you add in your remaining ingredients and mix until it is all just combined. Simple as that! One bowl and no fuss wins every time.
Bake – I like to bake mine in 2 smaller loaf tins (approx 22 x 11 cm). This ensures a quick bake with a very low risk of any sinking in the middle. The mixture makes the perfect amount for this. If you would prefer to make this in a larger tin with a deeper loaf then you will need to increase the cook time by 10-15 minutes. Cover the top of your loaves with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking to steam the crust a little bit and keep your sultanas on the surface from burning.
Serving date loaf
Allow your date loaf to cool for at least one hour before you begin to slice into it. If you try to cut into it while it is still piping hot, it will just crumble away. It will be a delicious crumble but it will definitely be a bit difficult to spread your butter on top. To slice use a serrated knife and cut even, thick chunks of sultana loaf. I like to serve this sultana loaf warm with butter and a little drizzle of maple syrup. It is also great toasted.
Storing your date loaf
Store your date loaf at room temperature in an air tight container or firmly wrapped in cling film.
Do you want to have one loaf now and one loaf as a back up in the freezer? This date loaf is also a great recipe to freeze. To freeze a loaf make sure that it is completely cooled. You should first wrap it in aluminum foil and then wrap again in cling film.
This will last about 5 days at room temperature or about 3 months in the freezer.
Sultana loaf
Ingredients
Method
- Add the sultanas, sugar, butter and baking soda to a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set the bowl aside for at least one hour to allow the sultanas to soften.
- Preheat your oven to 170 degrees, fan bake and prepare 2 small loaf tins.
- Add the eggs into your prepared sultana mixture and mix well to combine.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix together until all of the ingredients have just combined.
- Divide your loaf batter between your two prepared loaf tins, making sure the mixture is evenly split between them.
- Cover the loaves with some tin foil and place them into the preheated oven.
- Bake the sultana loaves for 30 minutes, before removing the tin foil and baking for a further 15 minutes (or until they are fully baked through).
- Allow the loaves to cool for at least half an hour before serving. Use a serrated knife to cut your cooled loaf.
- Serve warm with butter and a drizzle of golden syrup.
Notes
To freeze, wrap firmly in cling film or tin foil and place in the freezer. Store, frozen, for up to 3 months.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my sultana loaf recipe. I hope you enjoy trying this out for yourself. Please feel free to add any questions or comments below. I am happy to help out wherever possible and I would love to hear how this recipe worked out for you.
