Never in a million years did I think fruit cake would make it to my top 10 favourite cakes of all time! I literally despised fruit cake growing up, always finding it too dry or having too many sultanas. UNTIL I developed this super moist fruit cake recipe that is packed with fruit, nuts, dates and so much more!
What is a fruit cake
A fruitcake is a dense and sweet dessert cake that is typically made with candied or dried fruits, nuts, and spices. It is definitely a more ‘mature’ cake, and is often associated with holiday celebrations, particularly Christmas – but they can be enjoyed year-round.
Key ingredients in a fruit cake
Candied fruits: Fruits like cherries, orange peel, pineapple and citron and are often candied by preserving them in sugar syrup. They add sweetness and a wonderful vibrant colour to fruit cake, and can often be bought at your local grocery store to save time!
Dried fruits: Raisins, currants, dates, and apricots are commonly used dried fruits in fruitcakes. They provide a chewy and fruity texture to the cake and add moisture too.
Nuts: Chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds, are often added to provide a crunchy element and enhance the flavor. For me, nuts are a MUST in a fruit cake otherwise there’s nothing to cut through the dried fruit which can sometimes be overwhelming (well for me anyway). 🙂
Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are typical spices used in fruitcakes to add warmth and depth of flavor.
Liquor: Some fruitcakes are soaked in alcohol, such as brandy, rum, or whiskey, which helps preserve the cake and adds a unique flavor. Because I personally don’t drink alcohol I have left this out of this recipe. I have used the the boiled fruit cake method which doesn’t require a long aging or curing time and therefore no alcohol 🙂
How to make fruit cake
This fruit comes together really easily with no mixer required! You can find the full written recipe, quantities of ingredients and recipe video in the recipe card at the end of the blog post, but you can follow along here for visual steps 🙂
Boiled Fruit Mixture
Begin with making the boiled fruit mixture. To a large saucepan add in unsalted butter, soft brown sugar, dried fruits, dates (if using firm dates – see note 2 on recipe card below), orange juice, orange zest and molasses. Bring that to a simmer over a medium heat, and once simmering, continue to let it simmer for a few more minutes.
Once done, pour the mixture in a large shallow dish to cool. To speed up the process I like to place the mixture into the freezer for about 45 minutes. Once ready it should have thickened up in consistency. Make sure it’s at room temperature (not hot or cold) before moving onto the next step.
Fruit Cake
Preheat oven to 140 °C (285°F) with the fan on (see note 3 on recipe card below if you don’t have a fan function) and grease an 8×3 inch cake pan (I use my homemade cake release), and line the bottom with baking paper.
Sift together your flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, ground ginger powder, nutmeg and all spice. Mix together with a whisk or fork and set aside for now.
In a small bowl combine the unflavoured vegetable oil and eggs. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
In a large bowl add in the boiled fruit mixture from earlier (make sure it’s at room temperature), and add in the oil/egg mixture. Using a spatula, fold until it’s well combined. The mixture is quite thick so may take a bit of mixing to get it all combined properly.
Next add in the walnuts (and dates if you didn’t add them to the boiled fruit mixture), and fold until well combined.
Next add in the sifted dry ingredients from earlier and fold until just combined. Do not overmix, so only mix until you can’t see any more streaks of flour.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and spread it out evenly. Drop the cake tin lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles, and then bake for 75-85 minutes, or until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 30 minutes and then run a thin knife around the edges of the cake tin to release the cake, and then turn it out onto a wire rack (right side up) to cool.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the orange syrup. Combine orange juice and sugar in a bowl, and then heat it up (in the microwave or on the stove top) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Using a pastry brush, brush the orange syrup all over the top and sides of the cake while the cake is still warm. Be sure to use all the syrup up as you want it to soak deep into the cake.
Wrap the cake in two layers of foil (see video below for demonstration) and place it into an airtight container. Leave it in a cool dry place for 48 hours before serving. I know it’s hard to wait, but it is crucial to allow the fruit cake to sit for 48 hours before serving it. This is going to allow the flavours to develop and the cake to become nice and moist. If you cut the cake too early, it may seem a little crumbly. It will still taste nice, but for the perfect texture it’s best to wait 🙂
Commonly Asked Questions:
How long will fruit cake last?
This fruit cake will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks at room temperature (when placed in an air tight container) or up to a month in the fridge.
Can I use lemon in replacement of the orange in this recipe?
For the orange zest used in the cake batter, and orange syrup used to soak the cake once it’s baked, you can substitute these both with lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. You may just need to add additional sugar to the syrup used to soak the cake to ensure it’s not too sour.
For the store-bought orange juice in the cake batter, you unfortunately cannot substitute this with lemon juice as it will change the flavour profile of the cake quite drastically. You can however subsitute this with apple juice if you prefer.
Can I use plastic wrap instead of aluminum foil to wrap my fruit cake when storing it?
Yes, plastic wrap will be fine too. Just be sure to keep your fruit cake somewhere out of direct sunlight (preferrably a dark spot – like inside your kitchen cupboard).
What’s the difference between Christmas cake and fruit cake?
Christmas cake can be thought of as a specific variety within the broader category of fruitcakes. The term “Christmas cake” is typically used to describe a particular type of fruitcake that is known for its rich and intricately decorated features, and it is specifically associated with the festive traditions of the Christmas holiday season. In contrast, fruitcake is a more general term encompassing a wide range of cakes that share common ingredients like candied or dried fruits, nuts, and spices, and it can be savored at any time of the year.
Easy Moist Fruit Cake
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Fruit Cake
- ¾ cups (170 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cups (150 g) soft brown sugar
- 2 cups (350 g) dried fruits - I used a combination of sultanas, raisins, currants, red and green glace cherries and citrus peel (see note 1)
- ½ cup (100 g) dates - pitted and cut into small pieces, see note 2
- ⅔ cups (166 g) store bought sweetened orange juice - like Just Juice, Tropicana etc.
- 1½ tbsp orange zest - the zest of about 1 medium sized orange. The juice of the orange will be used later in the syrup.
- 2 tbsp (36 g) molasses
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 1½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- 1½ tsps cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger powder
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp all spice
- ¼ cup (52 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 3 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup (100 g) walnuts - halved
Orange Syrup/Glaze
- 3 tbsp (50 g) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1¾ tbsp (20 g) white granulated sugar
Instructions
Boiled Fruit Mixture
- To a large saucepan add in unsalted butter, soft brown sugar, dried fruits, dates (if using firm dates - see note 2), orange juice, orange zest and molasses. Bring that to a simmer over a medium heat, and once simmering, continue to let it simmer for a few more minutes.
- Once done, pour the mixture in a large shallow dish to cool. To speed up the process I like to place the mixture into the freezer for about 45 minutes. Once ready it should have thickened up in consistency. Make sure it's at room temperature (not hot or cold) before moving onto the next step.
Fruit Cake
- Preheat oven to 140 °C (285°F) with the fan on (see note 3 if you don't have a fan function) and grease an 8x3 inch cake tin (I use my homemade cake release), and line the bottom with baking paper.
- Sift together your flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, ground ginger powder, nutmeg and all spice. Mix together with a whisk or fork and set aside for now.
- In a small bowl combine the unflavoured vegetable oil and eggs. Whisk with a fork and set aside.
- In a large bowl add in the boiled fruit mixture from earlier (make sure it's at room temperature), and add in the oil/egg mixture. Using a spatula, fold until it's well combined. The mixture is quite thick so may take a bit of mixing to get it all combined properly.
- Next add in the walnuts (and dates if you didn't add them to the boiled fruit mixture), and fold until well combined.
- Next add in the sifted dry ingredients from earlier and fold until just combined. Do not overmix, so only mix until you can't see any more streaks of flour.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and spread it out evenly. Drop the cake tin lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles, and then bake for 75-85 minutes, or until a skewer or knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 30 minutes and then run a thin knife around the edges of the cake tin to release the cake, and then turn it out onto a wire rack (right side up) to cool.
Orange Syrup
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the orange syrup. Combine the orange juice and sugar in a bowl, and then heat it up (in the microwave or on the stove top) until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the orange syrup all over the top and sides of the cake while the cake is still warm. Be sure to use all the syrup up.
- Wrap the cake in two layers of foil (see video for demonstration) and place it into an airtight container. Leave it in a cool dry place for 48 hours before serving (see note 4).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
242 Comments
Hello dear, for half the qty of cake that I plan to bake, what size tin should I use? As per your recipe, it’s 8inch for 0.5x as well as 1x. Can you pls confirm?
Maryam, this fruitcake is delicious. Moist, flavorful and best of all, not too sweet! You really taste the fruits. This is now my fruitcake recipe. Bonus, it is easy to put together. Made my second double batch. Two loaves are going to my brother, a true fruitcake connoissuer. Also made a batch of your Pan Release and gifted it to a friend who is an avid baker. She loves it. Her comment, “Why didn’t we think of that”!
Hey Maryam, Steffi here. It’s been so long since I last commented, my sincere apologies. These past few months, we have been battling illnesses and growth spurts, teething pains in the little one. @_@ I’m still alive!! -sigh of relief-
Anyways, as promised months ago, I’m making your fruit cakes for gifting this Christmas. I’ve just finished glazing my cakes with the orange syrup a couple of minutes ago 🙂 So there goes my first fruit cakes for this year. <3
On a related note, I would like to have some advice about bulk baking these fruit cakes. My mum is having a gathering, there will be like 20+ people, and I would like to make these cakes in 6 inches for them. I'm probably being very very ambitious, and out of my league here. (Previously you advised me to divide the batter into 2 for 6 inches, and that totally worked just now! Thank you!) I'm thinking possible logistical issues that may pop up:
1) Since my oven can fit four 6 inch cake pans, I'm thinking to double this recipe, and then divide into the 4 pans. Is this advisable? I understand there's a risk of over mixing …
2) You advise 48 hours after glazing with the syrup, but since I am from Singapore, I am worried about our insane humidity here. Do you think this cake will stay fresh at room temp for 48 hrs? Or should I do these cakes like 24 hrs before the gathering? I also don't have so many airtight containers ofc, but I have cake boxes, so I'm thinking to foil them up, and into the cake boxes straight until it's time to give them.
3) For gifting, I know this is mainly aesthetics, but do you think it's okay to give the cakes foiled up (maybe add like a festive sticker and tie a ribbon)? Or should I unwrap and then box them?
As always, thank you for the recipe! (I've been silently stalking your newer recipes hehe.) And thanks in advance for your reply <3
I use alcohol; wine/rum for moistening the fruits instead of the boiling process. I was wondering if I need to add butter besides the oil to the batter recipe , or if just the amount of oil in the recipe is enough ?
Hi Monica! 🙂
The butter adds additional flavor and moisture to the cake so I would recommend adding in the butter and would also recommend still doing the initial boiling process for this recipe (I am not too sure as I don’t consume alcohol but it should be fine to substitute some of the orange juice in the initial boiled fruit mixture with alcohol if you still wanted it in the recipe).
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
What could I use instead of molasses please ?
Hi Denise! 🙂
Molasses is an important ingredient in this recipe so I would recommend using it if you can. You could substitute it with treacle, golden syrup or brown sugar but you may need to reduce the quantity slightly as these substitutes are a bit sweeter than molasses.
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Can I use fresh orange juice in the batter?
Hi Grace! You could do that, it may just alter the taste slightly based on how sweet the oranges are 🙂
Just make sure they aren’t bitter or sour, otherwise this may come through in the cake.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi Mk 👋
Love your cakes so much I can’t wait to try this amazing recipe this Christmas.
What can I use to cover the cake if I need to decorate it for Christmas?
Always wanted to try a boiled fruitcake, but stuck with my tried and true. So glad I chose your recipe to try. Doubled the recipe and it filled 3, 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pans perfectly. Baked at 310°. Did need the full 85 minutes bake time. The house smelled amazing, they are now wrapped and refrigerated. Hard to wait 48 hours to try though. Your Pan Release recipe is amazing. Worked like a charm. Still learning new things at 70. Thank you!
Hi Ann!
So glad to hear you enjoyed trying my recipe out 😀
Haha yes so hard to wait the 48 hours! If refrigerated, just allow it to come to room temp for a couple of hours before serving for best results 🙂
So glad you loved the cake release too! It’s such a game changer right – makes things soooo much easier 😀
I always feel extra special when I get wonderful comments from experienced bakers like yourself Ann! Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
Made this three times now and it always turns out lovely although this time it cracked on top so I don’t know what I did different
So glad you’re loving the recipe Wendy! 😀
Usually cracks on top could be due to a little too much flour or an oven that is a little too hot. Hope that helps for next time 🙂
Hello, if I want to size up to a 10″ tin, how much extra ingredients would I need? Extra 1/4 or 1/3 for example? My son made this cake and we loved it, so I want to use it for my Christmas cake. Thanks!
Hi Nicola! 🙂
For a 10 inch cake with the same height, I would double the recipe. Just keep a close eye on it as it cooks as you may need to adjust the cook time 🙂
So glad your family loved the recipe – I hope it makes for a great Christmas cake 😀
Like, I’ve told EVERYONE about this cake. I’ve made 5 so far. One for christmas! I can’t thank you enough!!! A firm favourite now. Thank you so much x