Mary Berry Manor House Cake Recipe

Mary Berry Manor House Cake is made with a generous blend of sultanas, glacé cherries, and ground almonds, creating a timeless “cut-and-come-again” fruit loaf that stays moist for weeks. Unlike heavy Christmas cakes, this is a lighter bake that relies on the almonds to provide a tender, nutty crumb, finished with a crunchy scattering of flaked almonds on top. It is the quintessential English teacake, perfect for having on standby for unexpected guests.

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Mary Berry Manor House Cake Ingredients

200g (7 oz) Glacé Cherries: You must wash and dry these to prevent them from sinking.
225g (8 oz) Self-Raising Flour: Sifted.
175g (6 oz) Softened Butter: Room temperature is essential for the all-in-one method.
175g (6 oz) Caster Sugar: (Superfine sugar).
4 Large Eggs: Room temperature.
50g (2 oz) Ground Almonds: The secret ingredient for moisture and texture.
225g (8 oz) Sultanas: The primary dried fruit.
Zest of 1 Lemon: Grated finely.
50g (2 oz) Flaked Almonds: For the crunchy topping.

How To Make Mary Berry Manor House Cake

Preheat and Line: Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) Fan or 180°C (350°F) conventional. Grease an 18-20cm (7-8 inch) round deep cake tin (or a deep loaf tin) and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
Prep the Cherries: Cut the glacé cherries into quarters. Place them in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under warm running water to remove the sticky syrup. Dry them completely with paper towels or a clean tea towel.
Toss Fruit: Place the prepared cherries and sultanas in a bowl. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the measured flour over the fruit and toss to coat. (This “flouring” helps suspend the fruit in the batter).
Mix the Batter: Measure the remaining flour, softened butter, caster sugar, eggs, ground almonds, and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl.
Beat: Using an electric mixer, beat the ingredients together for about 2 minutes until well blended and creamy.
Fold in Fruit: Gently fold the flour-coated cherries and sultanas into the batter using a large metal spoon.
Fill the Tin: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of the spoon.
Top: Sprinkle the flaked almonds generously over the top of the cake.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes.
Check: The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
Cool: Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Tips

Washing Cherries: This is Mary Berry’s golden rule for this cake. The heavy syrup on unwashed cherries makes them slide to the bottom of the cake during baking. Washing and flouring them keeps them evenly distributed.
Preventing Browning: Fruit cakes bake for a long time. If the almonds on top start to brown too quickly before the center is cooked, cover the cake loosely with a piece of foil for the last 30 minutes of baking.
Tin Size: If you use a shallow tin, the cake will cook faster and may dry out. A deep round tin or a 2lb loaf tin is best.
Storage: This cake improves with age. If you wrap it in foil and keep it in an airtight tin, the texture becomes moister after 2-3 days.

What To Serve With Mary Berry Manor House Cake?

This is a standalone tea cake, but it pairs well with:

English Breakfast Tea: The tannins cut through the sweet fruit.
Wensleydale Cheese: In Yorkshire tradition, fruit cake is often served with a slice of crumbly cheese.
Butter: A thin spread of salted butter enhances the almond flavor.

How To Store Leftovers Mary Berry Manor House Cake

Room Temperature: Store in an airtight tin wrapped in greaseproof paper and foil. It keeps perfectly for up to 3 weeks.
Freeze: Freeze the whole cake or individual slices wrapped in cling film and foil for up to 3 months.

Mary Berry Manor House Cake Nutrition Facts

Calories: ~380 kcal
Fat: 18g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Protein: 6g

Nutrition information is estimated per slice (based on 10 slices).

FAQs

Why did my fruit sink to the bottom?

This happens if the batter was too runny (eggs too large/butter melted) or, most likely, the cherries weren’t washed, dried, and floured.

Can I use plain flour?

If you only have plain flour, add 2 level teaspoons of baking powder to the 225g of flour to replicate self-raising flour.

Can I omit the almonds?

If you have a nut allergy, replace the ground almonds with an extra 50g of self-raising flour. The texture will be slightly less moist but still delicious.

Try More Recipes:

Mary Berry Boiled Orange Cake Recipe
Mary Berry Mars Bar Cake Recipe
Mary Berry Tunis Cake Recipe