Genoa Cake Muffins

Genoa Cake Muffins have all the dried fruit, almond, and lemon flavours found in one of Britain’s favourite cakes. But they can be ready in a fraction of the time. Just like a good homemade Genoa cake, these muffins are light with a delicate flavour. The great advantage though is that they’re easily made and baked in little more than half an hour.

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GENOA CAKE vs GENOA MUFFINS

Ever since I posted my recipe for Genoa Cake back in 2019 it’s been one of my most popular. As you’d expect from the name, it originated in the Italian city of Genoa. The original, called pandolce, is a rich, yeasted fruit and nut cake traditionally eaten at Christmas.

But the version known and loved here in Britain is a simpler affair. Made with a light batter, the moist, tender cake is studded with dried fruit (including, for many of us the best bit, glacé cherries) and is flavoured with almond and lemon. Lots of you who’ve made my recipe left comments to say that my Genoa Cake has become a regular favourite. And so much better than shop bought.

But I recently started wondering. What if there was a quicker alternative that tasted just as good? After all, while the cake is easy enough to put together, it does take around an hour to bake plus several hours to cool. So, I came up with Genoa Cake Muffins and am so happy with the result.

The muffin batter is even speedier to whip up than the original cake and the muffins cook in less than 20 minutes. Importantly though, they’re just as light and delicious, and with all that well-loved fruity, nutty, lemony flavour.

TIPS FOR MUFFIN MAKING

If you’ve never made muffins before, you’ll be pleased to know they’re dead simple. For the very best, light and fluffy muffins, there’s just a few general tips to follow.

• Prepping the muffin mix is quick, so gather and weigh all your ingredients first and preheat your oven.
• Don’t over-mix. To get a light muffin, fold the mixture just enough to combine the  ingredients, even if it looks a bit lumpy.
• Muffins usually take around 17 minutes to cook, so don’t go wandering off! Use a skewer or cocktail stick to check if fully cooked. The skewer or stick should come out clean when they’re done. If not, cook for two more minutes and check again. Try not to overcook either though, or they won’t be as light.

GENOA CAKE MUFFINS

One of the reasons that muffins are so quick to put together is that, unlike regular cakes, there’s no softening of the butter then creaming it with sugar before gradually adding the eggs. All you do is fold the dry ingredients plus your chosen add-ins and flavourings into the wet ingredients.

You’ll find full instructions and ingredient amounts for making 12 delicious Genoa Cake Muffins in the recipe card at the end. But I recommend you read on for tips and step-by-step images.

STEP 1: PREPARE THE DRY INGREDIENTS

For Genoa Cake Muffins, you start by sifting together self-raising flour, baking powder and a large pinch of salt. Although self-raising flour already contains raising agents (the clue is in the name), I like to give it an extra boost. So that the high proportion of dried fruit doesn’t sink to the bottom of the light batter, I toss it in some of the sifted flour mixture.

You can choose whichever dried fruit you like so long as it all adds up to 240 grams. For me, it must always include glacé cherries and dried peel. Here, I’ve added raisins, sultanas and currants too. Also in the bowl are chopped toasted almonds and the finely grated zest of a lemon.

STEP 2: WHISK THE WET INGREDIENTS

Traditionally, many muffin recipes contain buttermilk. But I use full-fat plain yogurt in mine, and in all my sweet and savoury scones. Not only is yogurt more widely available, but I think it gives a light and fluffy texture.

I put the yogurt in a roomy bowl along with caster sugar, then I crack in 2 large eggs and pour in melted butter. For Genoa cake’s distinctive flavour, I also add almond extract. You simply whisk everything together, ideally with electric beaters to speed things up. All you’re aiming for is to just amalgamate the ingredients and dissolve the sugar.

STEP 3: COMBINE

Now we combine the mixes we made at steps 1 and 2. Start by folding into the yogurt mixture the sifted flour that DOESN’T contain the fruit. Follow that with the fruit and the flour you tossed it in.

Don’t worry if the whole thing looks a bit lumpy. This is fine as overmixing can result in a heavy muffin.

BAKING & STORING GENOA CAKE MUFFINS

Once the raising agents in the flour are combined with the wet ingredients they will start working their magic. So don’t hang about, but straight away get the mixture into 12 paper cases placed in a deep muffin tray. I don’t go to the extreme of weighing it but do try to divide the batter as equally as possible. Genoa cake traditionally has blanched almonds all over the top. To echo this, but without weighing the batter down, I place three halved ones on each muffin.

In my electric fan oven, every batch of Genoa Cake Muffins has taken exactly 17 minutes. Ovens will vary though, so be sure to check by inserting a cocktail stick or skewer. If the muffins are done, it should come out clean. If not, put them back in the oven but for no more than another two minutes before checking again. They can cook very quickly and won’t be as soft and light if you overbake them.

Cool the muffins on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container. I must admit I do like to eat one while they’re still just a little warm though!

EASY, DELICIOUS GENOA CAKE MUFFINS

It’s really not surprising that Genoa cake is such a favourite in Britain. We love our fruit cakes, breads, and buns of all kinds. Add to that the flavour of almonds and lemons in a light and tender cake and it really is very good. But now we can enjoy those same flavours and texture in a super-easy and quick muffin.

I’ve looked and looked to see if anyone else has already had the idea of Genoa Cake Muffins. I can hardly believe it, but I seem to be the first! So, now it’s over to you to get baking these wonderful little treats and spread the word.

If you made this recipe, do let me know how it went by leaving a comment.

5 from 2 votes

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Genoa Cake Muffins

These easy muffins have all the delicacy, dried fruit, almond and lemon flavours of traditional British Genoa cake but are made and baked in a fraction of the time.

Swap in whichever dried fruit you like, so long as it totals 240 grams.

It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.

Course Dessert, Snack, Cake

Cuisine Italian, British

Keyword quick, cupcake, easy

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

• 325 g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 large pinch salt

Dried fruit (you can vary these so long as they total 240 g), toasted almonds, lemon zest

• 60 g dried peel
• 60 g glacé cherries chopped
• 40 g raisins
• 40 g currants
• 40 g sultanas
• 30 g toasted almonds (finely chopped)
• 1 lemon, zest only (finely grated)

Wet ingredients + sugar

• 240 ml plain yogurt
• 200 g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 120 g melted butter
• 2 tsp almond extract

Decoration

• 18 blanched almonds (split in half lengthwise to give 36 pieces)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200° C / 180° Fan /Gas 6 /400° F with a shelf just above the middle.

   Put a paper case into each hole of a 12-hole deep muffin tin.

2. Stir together the dry ingredients then sift and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together all the dried fruit, chopped almonds, and lemon zest.

   Add to this bowl approximately ⅓ - ½ of the sifted flour mixture. Toss the fruit etc. in the flour to coat it then set aside.

4. Put all the wet ingredients + sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together, preferably using electric beaters, until combined and the sugar is dissolved.

5. Gently fold into the wet mixture the flour which DOES NOT contain the fruit.

   Now fold in the rest of the flour which contains the fruit.

   For light muffins, try not overmix: it doesn't matter if the batter looks a little lumpy.

6. Divide the mixture equally between the 12 muffin cases.

   Top each one with three halves of blanched almond and immediately transfer to the preheated oven.

7. Bake until a cocktail stick or skewer comes out clean: approximately 17 minutes.

   Cool on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.

   Best eaten within 2 days or can be frozen.

   Tip: heating in a microwave for a few seconds should bring back the fluffy texture of slightly stale muffins.

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