Nigerian Cake
A proper vegetarian built around mixed dried fruit and brandy — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Place the dried fruit in a bowl, pour over the brandy, and let it soak for at least 1 hour, or ideally overnight, so the fruit plumps up and softens.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C) and grease and line an 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time, adding the vanilla with the last egg.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined.
- Gently fold in the soaked dried fruit along with any remaining brandy, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean; tent with foil if the top browns too quickly.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
You'll use: Oven
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Cake take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Nigerian Cake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Nigerian Cake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Homemade Nigerian Cake.jpg by ChimaBee, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.