Fruit Cake Recipe
- Preparation 30 min
- Cooking 1 h 25 min
- Servings 20
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍊 Finally, a fruit cake that’s actually good!
This is the best homemade fruit cake, the one that doesn’t taste like the back of an old drawer! I don’t have good memories of fruit cake. Every one I’d tried was too strong, too soaked, too candied. This one is just well balanced. I think it’s perfect.
🥃 Take it out, brush it, serve it
Rum and maple syrup mixed together, a good brushing on the still-warm loaves, and you’re done. That’s all, man! You don’t have to wait to eat it. That’s how I made it and I thought it was unreal.
👵 Grandma’s fruit cake, only way better
It’s dense like a real fruit cake, but still moist, and the applesauce keeps it really tender. I gave some to my neighbor, and we both really, really loved it. Make the two loaves: one for you, one to give away.
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🌴 Get Medjool dates
Regular dates will do the job, but Medjools are the best on earth. I suggest you go with those.
🍊 Where to find candied orange peel
I found mine online. Some grocery stores carry it too. Look near the dried fruit and baking supplies.
🥄 Pack it down well in the pans
There’s a lot of fruit for not much batter, and that’s what a fruit cake is: compact. Pack it well, smooth the top, and it’ll hold up when you slice it.
🔥 Why 300°F
At that temperature, it’s not going to burn at all. You bake it gently so it doesn’t rise too fast. Mine took about 85 minutes.
🥃 No alcohol?
This cake doesn’t really work without alcohol. You can use non-alcoholic rum, but it really isn’t the same.
⏳ Want to age it?
You can. Wrap it tight, keep it in the fridge and brush it with rum every week. I didn’t age mine, and it was absolutely delicious.
🎁 A perfect gift
You’ve got two loaves: give one to someone you love. It freezes beautifully, so you can also make them ahead for the holidays.
❄️ Storage
It keeps 3 to 5 days in the fridge, well wrapped. To freeze it, slice it and freeze it that way: you only take out what you need.
📅 Make-ahead prep
Your fruit gets prepped the day before anyway, so make the most of it. Chop your dates and apricots, dice your orange peel, measure your spices into a small jar and store everything in labelled containers. Take your butter and eggs out in the morning so they’re at room temperature. The rum and maple syrup wait until the last minute: they go on the loaves while still warm.
✅ What to serve with my fruit cake recipe
A coffee or a tea, and plenty of butter on your slice. That’s all it takes. And if you love this kind of holiday dessert, try the best date squares or my pumpkin bread.
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Soaked fruit
- 1 ½ cups (375 ml) pitted Medjool dates, chopped
- ¾ cup (185 ml) golden raisins
- ¾ cup (185 ml) dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (185 ml) dried apricots, chopped
- 1 cup (250 ml) candied orange peel, finely diced
- ½ cup (125 ml) dark rum
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) orange juice, warmed
Batter
- 1 ⅔ cups (410 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp (7 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cloves
- ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground nutmeg
- ¾ tsp (4 ml) salt
- ½ cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (125 ml) packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) molasses
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- Zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup (125 ml) unsweetened applesauce
Finishing
- ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup
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Preparation
- The day before, combine the dates, raisins, cranberries, apricots and orange peel in a large bowl. Pour in the rum and warm orange juice. Cover and let soak on the counter for 12 hours, stirring once or twice.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C), with the rack in the center. Grease 2 loaf pans of 8 x 4 inches (20 x 10 cm) and line with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, molasses and maple syrup for 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the zest. The mixture may look separated, that’s normal.
- Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed, then the applesauce.
- With a spatula, add the soaked fruit with its liquid. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- Divide between the pans, pack it down well and smooth the top.
- Bake for 75 to 85 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick comes out almost clean when poked beside the fruit. Let cool slightly in the pans.
- Unmold. Mix the rum and maple syrup, then brush generously over both loaves while still warm. Serve.
No. You can age it, but I didn’t, and it was absolutely delicious. Take it out, brush it with rum and maple syrup, and serve it.
Count on 75 to 85 minutes at 300°F (150°C) for two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. A toothpick poked beside the fruit should come out almost clean.
It doesn’t really work without alcohol. You can use non-alcoholic rum, but it really isn’t the same.
In some grocery stores, near the dried fruit and baking supplies, or online.
Absolutely, it freezes beautifully. Slice it and freeze it that way, then take out only the slices you need.
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