An improved fuel filter cartridge can be used with a header of a conventional fuel filter assembly. The cartridge has a water coalescing sock filter enclosed within a housing and a generally conically shaped water separating baffle with a spiralling rim and an outer barrier at the lower periphery of the baffle. As water droplets coalesce and fall off the bottom end of the sock filter, they are intercepted by the water baffle and coalesce on the radially inward side of the downwardly spiralling rim and the radially inward side of the outer barrier. As the water droplets spiral outwardly toward the outer barrier, they agglomerate. The water, thus separated and routed away from the fuel stream, exits the water baffle at an outlet of the outer barrier and falls to the bottom of the filter cartridge under the influence of gravity. In some embodiments of the filter cartridge, the conical water baffle can have one or more vents disposed along the radially outward edge of the spiralling rim in order to allow greater effective water depth within the cartridge.