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.
303 Comments
I absolutely love your ‘Easy Moist Fruit Cake’ recipe! The combination of spices, molasses and walnuts is perfect. 👌The cake is rich in flavour, has an even texture and cuts beautifully.
Thank you!!!!! 🤗
Aww yay! So glad you loved the recipe Vicki 😀
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
Hi MK,
Just found this recipe and would love to bake this for my MIL’s birthday. Can i covered this with fondant? I saw some on youtube on how to cover fruit cake or christmas cake using marzipan and fondant. Is marzipan the same as almond flavour fondant here in NZ? Can i use that instead of marzipan? Or do you know where to buy marzipan here in NZ? Thank you so much.
Hi Myra! 🙂 Yes you should be able to cover this cake with fondant – it is quite a sturdy, strong cake 🙂
Marzipan is a little different to fondant (from my understanding). It’s a bit harder to find here in NZ, I think it’s more of a specialty product. I haven’t ever used it myself so am not too sure where to purchase it sorry! Checking online would be the best option and you may even be able to buy it online 🙂
I think almond flavored fondant would work well or even plain vanilla fondant too. I like to make my own fondant (I feel it tastes a lot better). I don’t have the recipe on the blog yet but I do have a video on it that you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m13wJ2aHKnA
Hope that helps Myra! 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous, a huge hit with all the family. I subbed black treacle for molasses but it turned out amazing ! Everyone gets one for fathers/ mothers day now.
Easy ingredients too.
Thank you from UK
Awesome! So glad to hear everyone loved the cake Rosy 😀
Hi there. Want to try out this recipe. Can I just double the ingredients for a bigger cake ?
Hi Hilda! 🙂 Yes you can totally double the recipe for a larger cake (2x this recipe will make a single 10 inch cake). Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I love fruit cake, I will make it this weekend for my birthday. No sugar. This recipe sounds delicious . Thanks so much
Hi Lihle! 🙂 So happy you’re wanting to give the recipe a go! Just keep in mind that leaving out the sugar will have an impact on the taste and texture of the cake, particularly how moist it is 🙂
Hope you enjoy the recipe Lihle and happy birthday! 🙂
Perfect! I made this for my dad for father’s day tomorrow (in the uk but it might not be the rest of the world) and he just found it in the fridge and before I knew he’d got to it, the half of the cake was completely gone, and honestly, I can’t blame him. Usually I hate things with dried fruit in them, but I really enjoyed eating this one. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely be using it again!
Awesome! So so happy to hear you and your dad loved the recipe Toby 😀 hope you had a wonderful day celebrating with your dad 🙂
I made this cake and turned out very well. But, is it possible to replace the dried cherries with fresh strawberries ? Will fresh strawberries affect the density of the cake ? Given that they are not dried fruits?
Hi Kal 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
When it comes to the fresh strawberries, as you’ve mentioned, I wouldn’t recommend adding in fresh fruit as this is likely to change the texture of the cake due to the additional moisture in the fresh fruit, which can make the cake too dense. Hope that helps and again, so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Somehow the recommended time to bake 75 mins at 155 degrees Celcius ( without fan) is insufficient. I had to bake for almost 2 hours. Perhaps it differs from oven to oven.
Hi Kal! 🙂 Yes you’re correct in that ovens can differ, though the change in cook time isn’t expected to be that drastic. I wonder if perhaps your cake tin was slightly smaller so the cake was thicker and therefore took longer to bake? If you found that the top wasn’t browning too much while baking, you could turn up the temperature a little bit to help it cook a bit faster. Not too high though otherwise the sides will become dry. Hope that helps and hope you still enjoyed the recipe despite the long cook time 🙂
Hi I am struggling to find molasses, is There anything else I’ve can use instead of it??
Hi Ruth! 🙂
Molasses is a key ingredient in this recipe for that rich fruit cake flavor, however you could substitute this with golden syrup or just use soft brown sugar instead. Just keep in mind this will alter the taste and texture of the cake 🙂
Hope that helps!
HI MK
I HONESTLY LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS FRUIT CAKE
I shy away from making it before but now i love it
i was asked to make a fruit cake with no sugar and no eggs
i wonder how that will taste hmmmmm
Hi Keisha! 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe :D. Making a cake with no eggs and no sugar is quite the challenge! I’ve never tried it before so can’t provide any helpful suggestions at this stage sorry!