All Bran Fruit Loaf

This All Bran Fruit Loaf is a fantastic mid-morning boost that will keep you going all the way to lunchtime. And not only is it super-tasty, it’s super easy to make in just one-bowl. Say goodbye to your hunger pangs and hello to the easiest loaf cake ever!

The most popular recipe on the site and it’s one of the easiest cake recipes you’ll ever make. I’ve given my favourite All Bran fruit loaf an update with some new hints and tips for getting the perfect bran loaf every time.

I’ve been making this bran loaf cake as long as I can remember, and its been passed down through the family over several generations. And it’s easy to see why it’s become such a firm favourite

And that’s because it’s…

• Perfectly sweet and moist, packed full of juicy sultanas – it will satisfy the biggest sweet tooth without a sugar overload
• Easiest grab and go snack – Add a good spread of butter and even a dollop of jam and it will see off hunger pangs
• Super simple, no special skills required – just mix everything together in one bowl and bake. Yes, it really is that easy!

Ready to get baking?

Ingredients

Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment

• All Bran or Bran Buds (US) – These are the main ingredient and they are main source of the fibre in the loaf. You can use regular cereal bran or use bran sticks. And if you can only find bran flakes, these will work just as well.
• Plain Flour or All-Purpose Flour – You can also use self-raising flour, just leave out the baking powder
• Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar – For a little extra flavour you could also use a golden caster sugar like Billingtons; it gives a little caramel taste. But regular caster sugar works just as well
• Sultanas
• Full-fat Milk or Semi-skimmed Milk
• Baking Powder

Recommended ingredients

CONVERT TO CUPS: There is a cup conversion option in the recipe card to convert the ingredients. This is automatic and I can’t guarantee the accuracy. For best baking results, I recommend using digital scales and weighing the ingredients.

Equipment you will need

When you’ve got your ingredients all together, you’ll need just a few things to make the loaf cake with. These are the exact tools I use…

• 1lb Loaf Tin – This is the perfect size for this loaf – it will give your cake height for the perfect slice
• Large mixing bowl
• Rubber spatula
• Baking Parchment
• Angled Palette Knife – One of my essential pieces of equipment
• Digital Kitchen Scales

How to make All Bran loaf

Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card

This bran fruit loaf is so easy it should really be known as one bowl bran loaf. And as everything goes into one bowl, so there’s hardly any washing up to do. How good does that sound?

Here’s everything you have to do…

TOP TIP: To cut down on the cleanup, weigh your ingredients straight into the mixing bowl and then combine – a true one-bowl recipe!

• Add the All Bran, sugar, sultanas and milk into a large mixing bowl and stir together
• Leave the ingredients to soak in the milk for at least an hour or overnight in the fridge. The All Bran will soak up the milk helping the bran fruit loaf stay moist
• Once the mixture has soaked, sieve together the flour and baking powder and add to the soaked ingredients
• Mix everything together until well combined. It will start to look more like a cake batter now
• Pour the mixture into a loaf pan lined with baking parchment and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden, then turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool.

Once fully cooled, you can slice up the bran loaf, wrap and pop in the freezer, getting it out the night before you want to eat it, or keep it in an air-tight container and slice as you eat it.

Tips for success

This genuinely is the easiest loaf cake you can make, and if you follow the recipe you can’t go wrong. But just incase here a few of my top tips for the perfect bran loaf every time…

• Pre-soak the dried fruit – Before adding the dried fruit into the mixture, soak in hot tea or hot water for 10 minutes and drain
• Try different fruits and add a little spice – Switch out the sultanas for other fruits such as golden raisins, dried cranberries, chopped apricots or glace cherries. Add a pinch of cinnamon and ginger for a little spice
• Bake in a loaf tin for easier slicing – A 1lb loaf tin is ideal; line with baking parchment or use my homemade cake release for best results. The release helps the thick and sticky bran loaf mixture slip easily out of the tin when cooled
• Be careful not to over mix – The bran loaf mixture can be quite sticky, so be careful not over mix the batter as it can give the baked loaf a tough texture.
• Why not make mini muffins – If you do not have a loaf tin, why not make All Bran fruit muffins instead? Again make sure you use mini muffin cases or cake release. The muffins can easily be frozen and taken out when needed

FAQs about All Bran fruit loaf

How healthy is this one bowl bran loaf?

All Bran fruit loaf is one of my favourite grab and go breakfasts; with a thin spread of butter and jam, it’s perfect for fighting off hunger pangs. Add in a good cup of coffee, a side of strawberries and I’m set up for the day.

To keep this bran loaf guilt-free, the recipe has a reduced amount of added sugar. Instead, the sultanas add the right amount of sweetness.

Also, by swapping more traditional buttermilk for a semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, the loaf has a lower fat content. The recipe doesn’t call for any butter, except for any that you spread on top – so no added fat.

I use white all-purpose flour, but for extra fibre, you can swap for a wholemeal plain flour instead.