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Gooseberry season is pretty short, so when I spotted a few punnets of fresh gooseberries at my local produce market, I couldn’t resist bringing them home. I figured it was the perfect excuse to bake a gooseberry cake and here it is! An easy, buttery cake packed with tart, juicy gooseberries.
Table of contents
Tip from Simone
If you can find small gooseberries, they’re ideal for this cake. Mine were quite large – bigger than grapes – which meant they were heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the batter. They also burst open as they baked, making a few spots in the cake a little moister than I would have liked. It was still absolutely delicious though, and definitely not a reason to skip making this recipe!
Recipe Ingredients
I kept this cake nice and simple.
- Gooseberries – I used one punnet (about 8 ounces/225 grams).
- Self-rising flour – Gives the cake a lovely light rise. (Or use all-purpose flour with baking powder if preferred.)
- Sugar – Fine granulated sugar works best.
- Eggs – I used four medium eggs.
- Butter – Make sure it’s softened to room temperature.
How To Make Gooseberry Cake
Making gooseberry cake couldn’t be easier and it’s such a treat! If you’re a fan of gooseberries, you’ll also love my Gooseberry Tart.
Step 1 – Prepare the gooseberries
Trim both the stem and blossom ends from the gooseberries. It’s a bit of a fiddly job, but it’s worth the effort. Toss the gooseberries with a little flour.
Step 2 – Make the batter
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Finally, fold in the self-rising flour until just combined.
Step 3 – Fill the pan
Gently fold the gooseberries into the batter and transfer it to a lined 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan. If you’d like, press a few halved gooseberries into the top of the batter for decoration.
Step 4 – Bake
Bake for about 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and fully baked. Test the center with a wooden skewer – toothpick works too. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Let it cool completely before slicing.
How to Store Gooseberry Cake
The gooseberry loaf cake will keep well for 3 to 4 days at room temperature. Wrap it in aluminum foil or store it in an airtight container.
It also freezes beautifully. I like to slice the cake first and freeze the slices individually, making it easy to thaw just one piece whenever I’m craving cake. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ Gooseberry Cake
No. The gooseberries go into the batter raw. Tossing them with a little flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Yes! Gooseberries naturally have a bright, tangy flavor. They become a little sweeter as they bake, but they’ll still have that characteristic tartness. If you prefer a sweeter cake, dust it with powdered sugar before serving.
Absolutely. If you can’t find gooseberries, try red currants, blueberries, raspberries, or chopped rhubarb instead. The baking time should stay about the same.
A light coating of flour helps keep the fruit suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom as the cake bakes. That said; since my gooseberries where so big they did end up sinking to the bottom which also created a few places where the cake was a bit wetter than I would have liked. Nothing too serious though. But something to keep in mind.
You could slice the gooseberries into smaller pieces, than dust with flour and bake. I haven’t tried this myself though.
Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, or with just a few dry crumbs attached, it’s done. If there’s still wet batter on the skewer, bake the cake for another 5 to 10 minutes before testing again.
More fruit cakes
Gooseberry Cake
Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter softened
- 225 g granulated sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 225 g self-rising flour
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 225 g gooseberries
Equipment
- 10-inch (25 cm) loaf pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) using conventional (top and bottom heat), or 325°F (160°C) if using a convection oven.
- Trim the stems and blossom ends from the gooseberries using a small sharp knife. Toss them with a little flour.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
- Fold in the self-rising flour until just combined.
- Gently fold the gooseberries into the batter.
- Line the loaf pan with parchment paper and spoon in the batter, smoothing the top.
- If desired, press a few extra gooseberries into the top of the batter.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
