A traditional holiday cake, this fruit cake is full of sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, and warm spices. It is so soft, moist, and flavorful that you will never want a store-bought one again. It’s an old-fashioned classic that makes for a wonderful gift as well, especially as this recipe makes two loaves. It’s also such a versatile treat, as you can use your favorite dried fruit and liqueur.
It’s a tad boozy, but thanks to the alcohol, this fruit cake stays fresh for weeks, making it perfect for making ahead of time! Actually, I recommend you make this ahead of time, so the cake can essentially marinate and be even more flavorful when you serve up a slice. Want another holiday dessert recipe? Try my gingerbread cake recipe, thumbprint cookies recipe, or toffee recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Fruit mix — it’s not a fruit cake without fruit! I make a homemade fruit mix with dried apricots, raisins, figs, crystallized ginger, and candied cherries. You can change the type of dried fruit in the recipe, just make sure to use the same amount in total weight.
Nuts — you can use a mixture of chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans, and walnuts or use just one.
Flour — I recommend using all-purpose flour as the protein content is low enough that the fruit cake won’t end up dense and hard.
Baking powder — make sure the baking powder is fresh, so the cake rises properly.
Spices — cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg add that warm flavor to the cake.
Sugar — using brown sugar will add a richer, caramelized flavor to the cake when baked. Make sure the brown sugar is soft before adding it to the mixer.
Eggs — make sure to use large eggs! The eggs act as a binder for the batter and add flavor as well as moisture to the cake.
How to Make Fruit Cake
1. In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, raisins, figs, crystallized ginger, and rum or brandy. Stir well. Cover and let the fruit soak for at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla.
5. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined.
6. Using a spatula, fold in the soaked fruit (along with any remaining liquid), candied cherries, and nuts.
7. Divide the batter evenly among 2 (9×5-inch) parchment paper-lined loaf pans. Bake for 2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Generously brush the tops and sides of each cake with rum or brandy. Cool completely. Store as is or wrap in cheesecloth soaked with rum or brandy and keep in an airtight container for several weeks to age.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- You can substitute apple cider for the alcohol for a nonalcoholic version of this fruit cake. Orange juice is another delicious alternative.
- Make sure to fold the batter thoroughly so you evenly dispersed all the fruit and nuts throughout the batter. It’s a good arm workout!
- Do not skip soaking the fruit. The longer you have to soak it, the better! The longer the fruits soak, the better the flavor of the cake. The dried fruit will rehydrate and plump up and soak up the brandy or rum.
- Due to the fillings and the crumb of the cake, I recommend using a serrated knife to slice the fruit cake when ready to serve.
- The fruit cake improves in flavor as it sits, so I recommend you start the process of making the cake as soon as possible.
- Make sure to measure the flour correctly. The dough will dry if you add too much flour, and your fruit cake will be too crumbly. The ideal way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter, as it’ll lead to a dense and dry cake.
- It’s best to have your eggs at room temperature so they mix effortlessly into the batter. Bringing eggs to room temperature helps prevent the batter from being overmixed. If you forgot to set out your eggs, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This cake yields two loaves, making it perfect for the holiday season! Keep one for yourself for your guests and gift one to a friend. These loaves may seem small, but they’re very dense and rich, so the two loaves yield 16 servings.
Thanks to the dried fruits, nuts, and alcohol, fruit cakes last quite a while! Wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap for 6 to 8 weeks. You can add several weeks to the shelf-life of the cake if you wrap it in cheesecloth soaked with rum or brandy and keep it in an airtight container.
To freeze, tightly wrap the fruit cake in a layer of plastic and then in aluminum foil. Then, freeze for up to 3 to 6 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the cake in the fridge overnight and bring it to room temperature before serving.
I highly recommend not using different sized pans and following the recipe as tested. While you can use a different cake pan, the baking times and results will vary. You do not want the cake to overbake and dry out.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Fruit Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Fruit Cake
Equipment
- 2 9×5" loaf pans
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried apricots chopped (320g)
- 1 cup golden raisins (160g)
- 1 cup dark raisins (160g)
- 1 cup dried figs chopped (160g)
- ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger (80g)
- 1 cup rum or brandy plus more for brushing (240mL)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 1½ cups light brown sugar (330g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup candied cherries chopped (160g)
- 1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts) (140g)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, raisins, figs, crystallized ginger, and rum or brandy. Stir well. Cover and let the fruit soak for at least 4 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 300°. Grease 2 (9×5-inch) loaf pans, and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ground ginger, and nutmeg.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Using a spatula, fold in the soaked fruit (along with any remaining liquid), candied cherries, and nuts. (The batter will be very thick.) Divide the batter evenly among both prepared pans.
- Bake for 2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes and place on a wire rack. Generously brush the tops and sides of each cake with rum or brandy. Cool completely.
- To store, wrap the cakes tightly in plastic wrap for 6 to 8 weeks. Or, wrap in cheesecloth soaked with rum or brandy and keep in an airtight container for several weeks to age.
Notes
- You can substitute apple cider for the alcohol for a nonalcoholic version of this fruit cake. Orange juice is another delicious alternative.
- Make sure to fold the batter thoroughly so you evenly dispersed all the fruit and nuts throughout the batter. It’s a good arm workout!
- Do not skip soaking the fruit. The longer you have to soak it, the better! The longer the fruits soak, the better the flavor of the cake. The dried fruit will rehydrate and plump up and soak up the brandy or rum.
- Due to the fillings and the crumb of the cake, I recommend using a serrated knife to slice the fruit cake when ready to serve.
- The fruit cake improves in flavor as it sits, so I recommend you start the process of making the cake as soon as possible.
- Make sure to measure the flour correctly. The dough will dry if you add too much flour, and your fruit cake will be too crumbly. The ideal way to measure flour is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- Avoid overmixing the cake batter, as it’ll lead to a dense and dry cake.
- It’s best to have your eggs at room temperature so they mix effortlessly into the batter. Bringing eggs to room temperature helps prevent the batter from being overmixed. If you forgot to set out your eggs, you could quickly bring them to room temperature by placing them in a large bowl and covering them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.