How to make Traditional Sugee Fruit Cake - A Christmas favourite in Malaysia & Singapore 🎄

Scroll down for ingredients Baking a fruit cake from scratch is definitely a labour of love! ❤️❤️❤️ As kids we never really appreciated how much effort goes into this cake as our mum used to just bring us the end product whenever our parents visited us in the UK and Ireland for Christmas. She always brought us blocks of them to store in our freezers and slowly enjoy with our friends till the following Christmas!
Even as adults living away from home, we never really got to watch her make this in Klang. This year, due to our parents spending the whole Christmas season with us in Singapore, and the fact that we are documenting her recipes on KZbin, we truly appreciate how much effort she puts into her sugee fruit cake. Pounding her own spices and chopping dried fruit into tiny bits instead of using pre-packed mixes, and patiently drizzling small amounts of brandy onto the cake for a perfectly even distribution. She certainly takes “cooking with love” to another level. It is no wonder why this is one of her classics which we enjoy so very much!
Anne learnt to make this sugee fruitcake about 50 years ago, so it has become a tradition in our family to savour it during the Christmas season. She has tweaked the recipe over the years to achieve a moist cake with the right balance of fruit and nuttiness! Anne's kitchen in Klang is usually abuzz by this time of year as she bakes multiple batches of this fruit cake which make a delicious and treasured holiday gift for loved ones.
Happy Christmas Baking! 🎄
TRADITIONAL SUGEE FRUIT CAKE
Ingredients:
SEMOLINA BUTTER:
500g Sugee (Semolina)
500g Butter
FRUIT MIXTURE:
250g Sultanas
250g Raisins
200g Cashew nuts (chopped)
200g Almonds (chopped)
125g Dried crystallized ginger
125g Mixed peel
125g Glaced red cherries
125g Glaced green cherries
3/4 cup Sweet sherry
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tsp Rose essence
1/2 tsp Almond essence
1/2 tsp Lemon essence
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp Clove powder
CAKE BATTER:
20 Egg yolks
5 Egg whites
400g brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tsp Rose essence
1/2 tsp Almond essence
1/2 tsp Lemon essence
1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
1/4 tsp Clove powder
2 tbsp Golden syrup
2 tbsp Black treacle
Semolina butter
Fruit mixture
3 Tbsp Brandy (to sprinkle after cake is baked)
BAKING TIME:
160C 30 mins,
then 140C 30 mins,
then 120C 30 mins,
then 100C 30 mins,
then 80C 30 mins
Note:
To make 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder, grind the seeds of 8-10 cardamom. (Discard the pods, use seeds only)
To make 1/2 tsp of clove powder, grind 30-40 clover flowers. (Discard the stem, use flower only)
It is important to wrap fruit cake in greaseproof paper and aluminium foil before storage. This keeps the cake moist. Store fruit cake in an airtight container for 1 week in room temperature, or 3 weeks in the fridge. It can keep for months, even years in a deep freezer.

[@krahzeekat6164]

Dear Anne you are very kind to share with us this recipe. Usually these are family secrets. Thank you for your generosity.

[@emeraldgarnet7330]

Reminds me of my mum’s sugee fruitcake she will bake without fail every year for Christmas, from the time I know what fruitcake was. Always reserving one for my dad’s birthday 2 weeks after Christmas. Remembering the time she will tell me to chop up the fruits and nuts as fine as possible, no big chunks can escape her eyes, that includes me trying pop some nuts and fruits in to my mouth. She also makes her own spice mix, caramelises the sugar to dark golden brown. The aroma of baked cakes, being fed with brandy with a straw, cakes being wrapped in foil and paper, only to be opened on Christmas Eve after midnight mass, where we toast her cake with Calbec red wine in tiny wine glasses. Those memories I will cherish forever. She is no more.😭 Thanks for sharing your recipe, found your video by chance on KZbin.

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you so much for sharing your touching story. It’s wonderful that you have such a vivid memory of your mum’s fruit cake. She will definitely be smiling from up above! Have a lovely Christmas season & may you enjoy recollecting all the festive memories you shared with your parents 🎄❤️❤️❤️

[@angelofgod5418]

Hi... you mentioned your mom caramelised the sugar ya... well i do that too... but thats unless you dont add Black treacle or molasses into it... right Aunty Anne Soosay?

[@emeraldgarnet7330]

Thank you and Merry Christmas Anne and family , have a blessed day and happy new year.

[@carinajoseph65]

Wow! I’m a big fan of of this type of fruitcake & have been looking for a good one for such a long time, unfortunately have come across ppl who do not want to share claiming it’s a ‘family secret’. Nvr expected to find a generous spirit online with such an awesome recipe. Tried it for the first time & the cake was a hit. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so selfless . May God Bless you & family always. Wishing you an early Blessed Christmas 🌼🙏🏽

[@judyleese9633]

It’s a delight to see someone else make the same cake as my mum. My mum passed the recipe to me and I bake this cake religiously every Christmas and sometimes for Easter too. All my English friends can’t have enough of this cake and have asked for the recipe but when they find out that it uses 20 eggs, they rather I bake for them. We lived in Klang and I’m sure your mum knows my parents. Thank you for sharing your various recipes, Anne. God bless you. ❤

[@agnestheseira4914]

WOW!! after weeks of searching Fruit cakes to bake for tis year, God is Great all the TIME, and here I have found someone who hails from Klang yeayyyy to you Anne, I'm from Klang too 👍 and I'm definitely with a big definitely going to do this recipe 😀💘 Thank you veryyyyyyy much and God Bless 💎

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Agnes! Thank you for your kind words, God is indeed great. Yay to Klang! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😄😄😄 Hope you enjoy making this. Have a blessed Christmas season ❤️

[@agnestheseira4914]

@@AnneSoosayCooks 💘 , I bake pang susi too and will definitely give your recipe a try too, Thank you once again kind lady from Klang yeayyyy ❤ Blessed Christmas to u too

[@linamericanpenn1260]

Dear Anne. I just baked my Christmas cake for 2023. Your recipe is just like my mums recipe down to the recipe ratio. I’m sure my mum knows you and maybe some of our family friends do too. Anyway. I have adopted some of your methods and definitely your oven temp. This year I made the surge butter mix. I just took the cake out of the oven and it is looking great. Thank you so much for sharing. Have a wonderful and happy Christmas. Lina Merican.

[@zohanrock]

If you're short on time or lazy like me, you can skip the sugee butter phase by going the butter cake route by beating the butter+sugar and adding the eggs one at a time towards the end and finally just add in all the dry ingredients and fruit mix. You'll pretty much get the same results with half the time.

[@believep1909]

Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. It looks delicious 😍 I love old school recipes, they are the best.

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you so much for the compliment! Hope you get to try my recipe 💗 Have a wonderful Christmas season 🎄

[@kathykamala8743]

Hi Anne thanks for sharing this recipe. It was very generous of you. God bless you!

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Kathy, it is my pleasure to share! Have a lovely Christmas 🎄

[@viet862]

My mom can make the best sugee fruit cake .. moist with brandy that she cuts and wraps with “glass” paper into sweets n then stores them in dry and cool container n keeps it for more than a year and the smell of alcohol deepens with age. She learnt to make it from a Scottish missionary teacher during British era . She is more than 80 years old now and stopped making Becos the process is long and tedious as she is fastidious to cut n prepare every single thing herself and all the ingredients should be of best quality esp the brandy . One day an Italian businessman visited my family and I gave him an aged cake (which my mom would make and pack for each of her children) .. the Italian was vowed that an Asian could make it so well. Misses her cake so much and appreciates your video

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Irene, we enjoyed reading your fruit cake story! Your mum sounds as meticulous as ours 😄 Anne is 77 years old now, we too realise that the time will come when she will find it tough to make her sugee fruit cake at Christmas. That’s the reason why we are documenting her recipes for future Soosay generations to learn her methods of cooking and baking. We are so glad you enjoyed our video. Have a wonderful Christmas season 🎄

[@viet862]

@@AnneSoosayCooks Hi.. my mom is 81 years old from Methodist Girls’ School, Klang. We used to hv a close family friend. His name is Dr Soosay married to a Chinese lady. His clinic is in Port Klang , but is now managed by his son , a well known family doctor to many in Klang. My mom is old and her memory is not so good now. She no longer bakes her compulsory CNY cookies and has adjusted all her cooking for health reasons .. which tastes mild and sometimes bland. In her hey days, she follows strictly her recipes to the dot and spent every night writing her test and tried recipes. She could cook all kinds of food from different races well and so we learnt to enjoy eating all kinds of food and hv many friends of all races. Those were the time where all races lived harmoniously. May God bless your mom many more long healthy and productive years with her family. Merry Christmas !

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Irene, the Dr. Soosay you mention is our dad! Yes, our eldest brother practices in that same clinic. Anne is Dr. Soosay’s Chinese wife 😄😄😄 She too is very “muhibbah” in her cooking! Our mums are so similar. They are of a great generation! How wonderful to know that they know each other. What’s your mum’s name? Thank you so much for your lovely wishes. The same to you, your mum & your family. Merry Christmas to all!🎄

[@gracexavier]

Wishing you a blessed Christmas - I love the way the recipe and method is provided - no holds barred! Truly a generous person and may God bless you and family. I have been making this cake for a while now - my mum's family recipe and this is so wonderfully accurate - thank you Madam Anne Soosay for your kind heart and warmth.

[@sheelasegaram826]

The cake turned out superb and hats off to Anne for a wonderful recipe - keep going Anne

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you for your feedback, Dr. Sheela! I am so happy it turned out well. You are a great cook 💗

[@annesharma7114]

Thanks for this lovely cake recipe. Will definitely do this for Christmas 🎄

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Our pleasure! ❤️ Hope you enjoy it 🎄

[@angelofgod5418]

DEEPEST CONDOLENCE to aunty Anne and family...

[@absolutelyexperience2328]

Wow! So generous with ur tips n knowledge. Very well explained. Thnk u very much. God bless u always.

[@ceciliasn4221]

enjoyed watching this video. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Will try out.

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you so much. It’s my pleasure to share. Hope you like it. Have a lovely Christmas 🎄

[@deeviyaclara3027]

I was waiting for this!

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Yay! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 We are happy to share one of our Christmas favourites 🎄

[@sharonmajella349]

Wow this is good.thanks.Must try.

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you, Sharon 💗 Hope you like it. Have a lovely Christmas season 🎄

[@sheelasegaram826]

excellent recipe- well done Anne

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you so much, Dr. Sheela! ❤️

[@shantakumari1376]

Hi anne - Going to try this for Deepavali. If I were to half the recipe - what size square or round pan should I use

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Shanta, sorry for the late reply! We haven’t tried half recipe before. However it should be quite safe to use a 6 inch square pan. Hope it works! Happy Deepavali ✨✨✨

[@annieseow9648]

It was yummy. I got to eat this cake!!!

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it ❤️😄😄😄

[@jessycherian7963]

Hi I really want to bake this cake. The Sugee Butter. Is it to be kept overnight as well or how long is the resting period before mixing. Please advise . tqvm

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Jesse, Toast the sugee and mix with butter. Keep it out overnight for about 8 hrs. Hope this helps. Enjoy making this fruit cake! 💗

[@angelofgod5418]

Hi Anne... i noted that you didnt add any baking soda or baking powder. I added and my cake texture and taste was good just that it had a slight bitter feel on the tongue... Whst made it bitter ya,? Does too much Essences or baking soda or spices like clove... give out bitterness.

[@angelofgod5418]

MERRY CHRISTMAS ANNE.. 🎅🍻🍰

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Merry Christmas to you too! 🎄❤️❤️❤️

[@defectivepotato_6583]

where can i find the full recipe please . This recipe is for 10" square tin . how long is the baking time and temperature please . thanks for sharing your love with US

[@jacquelynrao8739]

Hi mam….can I replace sweet sherry with brandy

[@jossiejeya424]

Mam, what is the wihite topping on the cake

[@priyaraja7837]

Hi Anne, for half recipe, how many hours I shall bake? Kindly advise

[@laviniashireentheseira2687]

Hi Anne, First time baker here! 🤩 Thanks for the video. We’re excited to try it! If we are unable to get a hold of mixed peel, can we used lemon and orange zest instead? If yes, how much would you recommend? I’m in Bangkok right now and trying to get my ingredients in order. Awaiting your reply 😃Thanks

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Lavinia, how exciting to be a first time baker! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼I am afraid I haven’t tried making this with fresh lemon/orange zest. If you can’t get Mixed Peel in Bangkok, perhaps you can try to make your own Mixed Peel? I have seen a few websites teaching how to do this. Hope you get to make & enjoy your Sugee Fruitcake soon! Have a lovely Christmas 🎄

[@laviniashireentheseira2687]

@@AnneSoosayCooks thanks dear for your reply. That’s an idea and will try it out! Merry Christmas to you and your fam bam in MY! Missing it there badly but we will make do with what we what to make it special with your recipe!

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

@@laviniashireentheseira2687 Hi Lavinia, we too are missing Malaysia! Will be celebrating in Singapore this year. Have a wonderful Christmas in Bangkok 🎄

[@laviniashireentheseira2687]

@@AnneSoosayCooks the lovely Singapore where everything is 20mins away 🥰 lovely 😍 Oh yes, a quick question, we have a 11x11 pan and it’s 1inch deep. Is that the standard depth for this size of a tray or yours is deeper?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

@@laviniashireentheseira2687 Hi Lavinia, it has to be 2 1/2 to 3 inches deep

[@sharonmajella349]

Hello,do you do plain sugee cake? Stay safe

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Sharon, sorry for the late reply. Yes we hope to make it before Christmas. You stay safe too 💗

[@christinaalexander1141]

Looks awesome! Can I use rum?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Thank you, Christina. You can soak the dried fruits in rum. However after baking you must feed the cake with brandy to have a good taste. Hope this helps. Happy baking & have a wonderful Christmas season ahead 🎄

[@christinaalexander1141]

@@AnneSoosayCooks thanks Anne. Can I half the recipe. How about the 1/4tsps of the spices, do this need to be halved as then it will be too little? Also, the egg whites. How many should I use fior half the batch? Can I bake this halved recipe in an 8" pan? Baking lesser time? Sorry for the many questions but really want to try a smaller batch first with success😊 A very Merry n blessed Christmas season to you too!

[@sharonmajella349]

Instead of cherry, can I use brandy?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Sharon, yes you can replace sherry with brandy

[@sharonmajella349]

Havent done my cake yet.

[@kathyvan5623]

Don't I need to soak the fruits first with brandy?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Kathy, we soak the fruits in sweet sherry. Brandy is only used to pour onto the fruitcake after baking. Hope that clarifies 😊

[@kathyvan5623]

@@AnneSoosayCooks yes ..thank you Ann

[@sharonmajella349]

Anne this cake does not use any flour?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Yes, no flour is used 😊

[@rowenamoses7251]

Anne may I know the above ingredients are for how many kgs?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Rowena, this makes a 3kg cake. Happy baking!

[@rowenamoses7251]

Thanks a lot Anne . I want to bake a 1/2 kg Sugee Fruit Cake. .so that means I need to use about 150 grams of sugee ?

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

Hi Rowena, you can use quarter or half recipe to make a smaller cake. However in my opinion, it is best to halve the recipe at most (use 250g Sugee). Doing anything less would give you a very small cake which might not we worth all the effort that is required. Best to make half recipe, then store the balance fruit cake properly in the freezer to enjoy another time. Have a lovely Christmas season 🎄

[@rowenamoses7251]

@@AnneSoosayCooks Thanks Anne . Merry Christmas 🎄❤️

[@AnneSoosayCooks]

@@rowenamoses7251 My pleasure! Merry Christmas 🎄❤️

[@sharonmajella349]

Sorry it should be Sherry.