Raisin Cake

5 from 3 votes

This old-fashioned raisin cake not only stores incredibly well but also requires just a few staple ingredients to make.

Prep Time25

Cook Time55

Total Time1 20

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American, British

Servings: servings

Calories: 305kcal

Zest an orange and set aside. In a medium saucepan, add freshly pressed orange juice and raisins. Bring everything up to a simmer and switch the heat off. Let the raisins soak in the hot orange juice for 15 minutes.
1 1/2 cup raisins, 2 oranges
Preheat the oven at 350°F (180°C). Grease a bundt tin with butter.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream softened butter and sugar.
1 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar
Add egg yolks one by one while stirring.
4 eggs
Add flour, baking powder, pinch of salt, vanilla extract, orange zest, and milk. Mix until well combined and smooth. Make sure not to overmix the batter at this point.
3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 pinch salt, 1 cup whole milk
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
4 eggs
Drain the raisin mixture and gently fold them into the batter along the beaten egg whites until just combined.
Pour the batter into a prepared tube pan or bundt cake pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar. Slice and serve.

Soak raisins: To ensure juicy, plump sweet raisins in your cake, soak them in the hot orange juice mixture for at least 15 minutes before using.

Cream well: Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly to achieve a light and fluffy cake texture.

Fold gently: Be careful not to overmix the batter when folding in the beaten egg whites and raisins to preserve the cake's light texture.