Chilean English Fruit Cake — Homemade Queque Ingles Recipe

Versión en Español

Chilean queque ingles is a buttery loaf cake packed with candied fruit, nuts, and raisins, flavored with honey, vanilla, and rum, and finished with a lemon sugar glaze. It takes 30 minutes of preparation plus 50 minutes of baking and serves 6 people.

It is a sweet, bread like cake similar to the Chilean pan de pascua, very simple to make and ideal for breakfast or afternoon once.

How to Make Chilean Queque Ingles?

Queque ingles is made by adding candied fruit, nuts, raisins, and a splash of rum to a classic butter cake batter. Dusting the fruit with flour before folding it in keeps it evenly distributed instead of sinking to the bottom.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of queque ingles contains approximately 320 kcal, 45 g of carbohydrates, 15 g of fat, 4 g of protein, 1 g of fiber, 30 g of sugars, 40 mg of cholesterol, and 80 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Chilean Queque Ingles Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200 g (1 cup) of sugar
• 125 g (4.4 oz) of butter, at room temperature
• 125 g (1 cup) of all purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of candied fruit
• 1 cup of nuts
• 1 cup of raisins
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of rum
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

For the sugar glaze

• 125 g (1 cup) of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of water

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the candied fruit, raisins, and nuts, sprinkle them with a couple of tablespoons of flour, stir to coat, and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter with the sugar using a whisk for 4 to 5 minutes until creamy.

2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each in completely, then add the honey and vanilla. Add the sifted flour, the salt, and the baking powder and mix, then fold in the floured fruit, raisins, and nuts along with the rum, stirring until evenly combined.

3. Pour the batter into a buttered tin and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (356 F) for about 50 minutes. Let it cool for 15 minutes before unmolding, then finish cooling on a rack. For the glaze, gradually dissolve the powdered sugar in the water in a small bowl.

4. Add the lemon juice and stir until smooth and thick. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, spread it over the whole top with a spatula or long knife, and decorate with more candied fruit to taste.

Additional Tips

Do not overmix

To keep the cake from turning hard, mix the ingredients only until they are well combined. There is no need to beat the batter for long once the flour is in.

Choose good candied fruit

Buy fresh, good quality candied fruit, since it is the key ingredient that gives the cake its flavor, color, and texture.

Glaze only when cold

Pour the glaze over a completely cooled cake. On a warm cake it melts and soaks in instead of setting into a white, glossy layer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use fresh fruit?

Fresh fruit does not keep as well as candied fruit, but you can use it. Add it carefully and in smaller pieces so it does not make the batter too wet.

2. How can I make it moister?

Add a little more honey or some orange juice to the batter. You can also brush the baked cake with a little syrup.

3. Can I leave out the alcohol?

Yes. Leave out the rum and use orange juice or water instead. It barely changes the flavor and the cake is still delicious.

4. How long does it keep?

It keeps very well for several days at room temperature, even better wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container. You can also refrigerate it to keep it longer.

What Is Candied Fruit?

Candied fruit is fruit cooked slowly in syrup and then dried to preserve it, which gives it a sweet, tender texture. The method intensifies the natural flavor of the fruit and turns it into a colorful ingredient for fruit cakes, pan de pascua, and many other desserts.

History of the Queque Ingles

In Chile, queque ingles is the name for the fruit cake of British tradition, adapted to local bakeries and home kitchens. It sits between an everyday queque and the richer pan de pascua baked at Christmas, and it is sold in slices in bakeries all year round.

Did You Know?

Fruitcake is said to date back to ancient Rome, when a version was made with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, and raisins mixed into a barley mash.

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• Chilean Pan de Pascua Recipe
• Chilean Carrot Cake Recipe
• Chilean Orange Sponge Cake Recipe
• Chilean Marble Cake Recipe