Rum Fruit Cake (Melton Hunt Cake)

Rum fruit cake laden with sultanas, currants, glacé cherries, flaked almonds and Jamaican rum is a real treat. Known as Melton Hunt cake, this easy fruit cake recipe, originating in Leicestershire, has been around since 1854.

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A slice of this Jamaican rum fruit cake served alongside a cup of tea is a delicious treat to enjoy throughout the year. However, swapping the tea for a nip of rum is a lovely way to turn things around in the cooler months.

Also known as Melton Hunt Cake, this recipe forms part of my collection of recipes from the Midlands. This easy fruit cake is from the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

If you like the look of this easy fruit cake then don’t miss my fruity marzipan cake either. It can even be used as a last-minute Christmas cake. And if you’re intrigued by more recipes from Leicestershire then take a look at my Belvoir Castle buns.

What is Melton Hunt Cake

Melton Hunt Cake is a rich and moist English fruit cake incorporating sultanas, currants, cherries, flaked almonds and Caribbean rum. It’s eye-catching in appearance since the top of this rum fruit cake is decorated with whole glacé cherries and whole blanched almonds.

This easy fruit cake was first created in 1854 by John Dickinson, a local baker in the town of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. It was intended to be served to the local hunt party, along with a glass of sherry, before they set off on their fox hunt.

I’d like to make it clear that I do not support fox hunting. Quite the opposite. However, I do believe that history should not be ignored or glossed over, it’s there to learn from. I love history. Fox-hunting is part of English history, I know where I stand on that point so I’m celebrating the cake only not the associated activity.

This cake should not be confused with Dundee cake, which includes fresh orange zest and marmalade but does not include any alcohol or cherries. Essentially, orange is the signature flavour of this cake. It is also easy to tell the difference as the Dundee cake is covered in whole blanched almonds but no cherries.

Why you’ll like this easy fruit cake recipe

• Taste: it’s full of juicy fruit & nut flavour with a good glug of robust Jamaican rum adding extra depth to it.
• Appearance: this is an understated English fruit cake. Marzipan and icing would definitely be out of place. Whole glacé cherries and blanched almonds talk loud enough by themselves.
• Aroma: this joy starts as soon as the rum is poured onto the dried fruit to soak. Expect your house to smell divine for hours on end as you prepare and bake this Jamaican rum cake.
• Ease: this cake is quick and easy to put together and there is no time-consuming decorating to be done once it’s baked. It really couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients notes

Like other English fruit cakes, this recipe for rum fruit cake includes butter (use the real thing), plain flour and eggs. But what sets it apart are the following ingredients:

Rum: technically, any dark, spiced or amber rum will work in this bake. However, as I came across a recipe source that specified Old Jamaica rum, I went with a Appleton Estate Jamaican rum.

Sultanas and currants: plenty of these dried fruits are included in Melton Hunt Cake. Note that there are no other dried fruits included, so forget notions of adding in raisins, dried apricots or anything else.

Glacé cherries: these are essential to this cake. I went with classic glacé cherries that have a bright & bold colour, but you could opt for the natural darker ones if preferred.

Citrus peel: it’s debatable whether or not this is an authentic ingredient in a hunt cake. A few recipes I inspected use fresh lemon zest and a few use neither fresh zest nor candied peel. I am a huge fan of candied peel so decided to include it, but you can omit it if you don’t feel the same way as I do about this ingredient.

Almonds: use flaked almonds in the cake batter and whole blanched almonds to decorate the top of the cake. Almonds are an integral part of this easy fruit cake and leaving them out would be a mistake.

Sugar: you’ll need dark muscovado sugar for the flavour and colour it lends to your finished bake.

How to make this rum fruit cake

Full instructions and measurements are given in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

1. Chop the cherries finely then put them into a bowl with the sultanas and currants. Pour in the rum, stir well and leave it all to soak for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
2. Prepare your baking tin by greasing and lining the base and inner sides of the tin with baking parchment. Next, add a baking strip if using (see instructions in the next section detailing how to make a baking strip).
3. Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until it is noticeably lighter in colour and looks fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
5. Sieve ½ of the flour into the bowl and fold it in using a large metal spoon. Repeat with the remaining flour.

6. Fold in the rum-soaked dried fruit along with the flaked almonds.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tin and spread it out.
8. Lay 8 whole glacé cherries, equally spaced out, around the edge of the cake and place one in the centre of the cake too. Place 8 whole blanched almonds around the edge of the cake, in between each cherry.

9. Bake the cake for 45 minutes at 150C (300F) then reduce the temperature to 140C (280F) and continue to bake for a further 60-75 minutes until it is cooked through.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely in the tin before unmoulding it.

How to make a baking strip

1. Cut a piece of kitchen foil long enough to wrap around the side of your baking tin, overlapping slightly.
2. Cut a piece of kitchen towel of equal length to the foil.
3. Fold the kitchen towel lengthwise ⅓ of the way in. Now fold the strip in half lengthways.
4. Lay the strip of kitchen towel into the centre of the foil and pour a generous amount of cold water over it.
5. Now fold the bottom part of the foil over the towel.
6. Fold the top part over it too. The kitchen towel should now be enclosed in the foil.
7. Grease and line the inside of your baking tin as normal.
8. Wrap the baking strip around the outside edge of your baking tin and clip it into place. it is ready to use.

Note: the baking strip can be reused several times. Next time just carefully unfold the foil and sprinkle it with more water before folding it up again.

Expert tips

• Using a homemade baking strip helps your cake to cook evenly, meaning the side of the cake will be less dry than normal.
• I suggest using a homemade strip as it’s cheap and you can make it fit your pan perfectly. Many of the bought strips are intended for sandwich tins so are not deep enough to fit the tin.
• Don’t push the cherries and almonds too deeply into the top of the cake. As the cake bakes it will rise around them naturally.
• If you are not sure if your cake is cooked then use a digital food thermometer to test the temperature in the centre of the cake. Aim for 95C-98C (203F-208F)
• The cherries on top of the cake might dry out a little as the cake bakes. If it bothers you, you can always replace them once the cake has cooled down.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

There are numerous ways to enjoy this rum fruit cake:

• With a cup of tea – the obvious way and truly delightful.
• Plump for a few slithers of British cheese on the side – ideally Red Leicester or a strong cheddar. Dried fruit bakes and cheese is a very British food-pairing.
• Serve it with a small glass of rum.
• Finally, try your Melton Hunt cake the traditional way, pairing it with a glass of sherry.

More recipes using dried fruit

Have you made this easy fruit cake with rum? If you have please consider leaving a rating or comment. It really helps other readers know that they can trust my recipes when they see others have made it. And of course, I love hearing from you all.

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