Irish Dessert

Irish Porter Cake

It combines a keeping cake’s dense fruit with malted depth.

Jump to recipe More Irish food
25 minsPrep time
1 hr 45 minsCook time
Serves 12; total time includes waiting (see method notes)Servings
MediumDifficulty
Irish Porter Cake
About this dish

Irish Porter Cake: the story on the plate

Porter cake brings dark beer into the Irish fruit-cake tradition. It is a dense keeping cake, not a light sponge, and its flavour develops after cooling and resting. Simmering dried fruit with butter, sugar and porter softens the fruit, but the mixture must cool before eggs are added. The dark colour should come from fruit and malt rather than overbaking. A tea-table cake; cooking does not guarantee removal of all alcohol.

Historical background

Porter cake brings dark beer into the Irish fruit-cake tradition. It is a dense keeping cake, not a light sponge, and its flavour develops after cooling and resting. Simmering dried fruit with butter, sugar and porter softens the fruit, but the mixture must cool before eggs are added. The dark colour should come from fruit and malt rather than overbaking.

Why it is famous

It combines a keeping cake’s dense fruit with malted depth. The defining contrast is dense, moist fruit crumb.

Cultural significance

A tea-table cake; cooking does not guarantee removal of all alcohol. This recipe is portioned for home baking or dessert service; it does not imply one fixed ceremonial use.

Nutrition

Estimated nutrition per serving

These figures are estimates per serving. Actual nutrition can vary with the brands and exact amounts you use, how much oil, dressing or sauce is absorbed, any substitutions or added extras, and the portion size served.

A practical guide for comparing recipes and planning meals.

321Calories
4.2gProtein
51.5gCarbs
11.3gFat
Ingredients

What you need

  • 250 plain flour
  • 150 butter
  • 100 brown sugar
  • 400 mixed dried fruit
  • 250 porter beer
  • 100 egg, 2 eggs
  • 5 baking powder
  • 4 mixed spice
  • 20 orange zest
Method

Step-by-step method

Follow the recipe in order, tasting and adjusting seasoning where needed.

  1. 1. Line the base and sides of a deep 20 cm cake tin. Reserve cooling time; this cake is best cut only once fully cold.
  2. 2. Simmer porter, butter, sugar, dried fruit and zest for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow about 1 hour to cool completely before adding eggs.
  3. 3. Once the fruit mixture is completely cool, heat the oven to 160°C conventional. Check that the deep 20 cm tin is lined on its base and sides.
  4. 4. Beat eggs into cooled fruit mixture.
  5. 5. Fold in flour, baking powder and mixed spice; transfer to the tin.
  6. 6. Bake for 80–100 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre emerges without wet batter. Cool in the tin, allowing about 3 hours to become fully cold. Wrap only when cold; an optional overnight rest before slicing is additional.
Cook smarter

Tips, storage and serving advice

Shopping tips

Line the base and sides of a deep 20 cm cake tin. Reserve cooling time; this cake is best cut only once fully cold.

Ingredient quality

Line the base and sides of a deep 20 cm cake tin. Reserve cooling time; this cake is best cut only once fully cold. Cool the fruit mixture to lukewarm before adding egg. If the top colours early, cover loosely with foil while the centre finishes.

Common mistakes

Do not add eggs to hot fruit or slice the cake while warm. Long baking does not guarantee that every trace of alcohol disappears.

Chef’s tips

Cool the fruit mixture to lukewarm before adding egg. If the top colours early, cover loosely with foil while the centre finishes.

How to know it is cooked

Bake 80–100 minutes until a skewer emerges clean. Cool in the tin, then wrap when fully cold and slice the next day if possible.

Plating advice

Dark moist porter fruit cake, one substantial slice revealing raisins and dried fruit throughout, remaining round cake behind, small cup of tea, dark oak; no icing.

Make ahead

Allow about 1 hour for the simmered fruit mixture to cool before adding eggs and 3 hours for the baked cake to cool completely. Total time allows 370 minutes. Wrap only when fully cold; an optional overnight rest improves slicing but is additional.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers at 5°C or below and use within 48 hours or the shortest ingredient use-by date. Reheat one portion once until steaming hot throughout, stirring sauces and soups for even heating. For chilled desserts, serve chilled rather than reheating.

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