Trust me when I tell you this incredibly easy, deliciously sweet, and wonderfully moist homemade fruit cake recipe is sure to be a hit at any holiday party! A variety of dried and candied fruits are soaked in alcohol, combined with ginger and pecans, then baked into a beautifully rich and dense loaf cake that is anything but dry. I’ll show you how to make a fruitcake that kids, family, friends, and party guests will all be begging to eat!
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I wasn’t always the biggest fan of fruitcakes–they have a reputation for being dry, so I avoided those store-bought slices when I saw them on the Christmas dessert table. But my homemade recipe makes a super moist, rich, and flavorful fruit cake that totally changed my opinion of this old-fashioned dessert!
Ingredients for Fruitcake
- Dried & Candied Fruits: I used a combination of dried figs, apricots, and pineapple, plus candied cherries, raisins, and crystallized ginger. Chop everything up into small pieces so that they’re easy to distribute through the batter.
- Rum or Brandy: Alcohol adds moisture to the dried fruits, and infuses rich flavor. Rum, brandy, or whiskey is best for fruit cakes.
- Butter: Let the butter sit out for a while to soften, so that it’s easy to cream with the sugar.
- Sugar: Use granulated sugar.
- Sour Cream: This adds some extra moisture into the cake batter, so that it doesn’t end up dry.
- Egg: Binds ingredients to create structure in the cake.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour.
- Orange Zest: One orange-worth of fresh zest adds some brightness to the final flavor of the cake.
- Cinnamon: Adds some warmth to the mix, which balances nicely with the sweetness of the fruit.
- Baking Soda: This leavening agent helps the cake rise properly.
- Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, or another chopped nut add texture; and they help balance out the sweetness of the cake.
Tips for Success
Soaking the dried fruit in liquor (like rum or brandy) is key to a moist fruitcake! The fruit will soak up all that extra moisture (and flavor) from the alcohol, so that it’s well-hydrated before being baked into the cake. Without that step, the dried fruit will try to steal moisture from the other ingredients in the cake batter, which will leave you with a drier result.
I recommend soaking the fruit for at least 2 hours, or overnight–12 to 24 hours is really ideal for the best of the best. I find it easiest to do this step the day before I bake the cake.
How to Store
Fruit cakes are known for having a long shelf-life, and this homemade recipe can be kept for quite a while too. It’s important to brush all sides of the cake with brandy, as instructed, to get the most out of it–this step is for both flavor and preservation!
Let the cake fully cool before storing. Wrap it in a layer of parchment paper, plastic wrap, or foil, then place it in an airtight container or resealable bag. It will keep at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.
Aging and longer-term storage can be achieved by wrapping the fruitcake in a brandy-soaked cheesecloth, but I designed this recipe to make an easy version you can bake and serve right away!
Serving Suggestions
This simple fruit cake would be beautiful served with candied nuts, sugared cranberries, or whipped topping. And pairing it with a chai latte, chai spiked with bourbon, or hot apple cider would really complement the rich and warm flavors of the cake!
Fruit Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried figs chopped
- ½ cup dried apricots chopped
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ½ cup candied cherries chopped
- ½ cup dried pineapple chopped
- ⅓ cup crystallized ginger chopped
- 1 cup rum or brandy see note*
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 1 orange zested
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup pecans chopped, or walnuts
Instructions
- Add the figs, apricots, raisins, cherries, pineapple, and ginger to a bowl.½ cup dried figs, ½ cup dried apricots, ⅓ cup raisins, ½ cup candied cherries, ½ cup dried pineapple, ⅓ cup crystallized ginger
- Pour the rum or brandy over the fruit, and let it sit for at least 2 hours or overnight.1 cup rum or brandy
- Preheat the oven to 325℉.
- Beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Then, beat in the sour cream, egg, and orange zest.½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup sour cream, 1 egg, 1 orange
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until just combined.
- Using a spatula, fold in the fruit with the soaking liquid, ginger, and pecans.½ cup pecans
- Pour the batter in a greased 9×5 loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then, remove it from the pan, and transfer to a rack.
- Brush the sides and top of the cake with brandy.
- Let the cake cool completely before serving or storing.
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Fruit Cake Step by Step
Soak the Dried Fruit: Add ½ cup of chopped dried figs, ½ cup of chopped dried apricots, ⅓ cup of raisins, ½ cup of chopped candied cherries, ½ cup of chopped dried pineapple, and ⅓ cup of chopped crystallized ginger to a bowl. Then pour 1 cup of rum or brandy directly over the fruit.
Soak: Let the dried fruit sit and soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Cream Butter and Sugar: When ready to prepare for baking, preheat the oven to 325℉. In a bowl, beat ½ cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar until smooth. Then, beat in ½ cup of sour cream, 1 egg, and the zest of 1 orange.
Combine Batter Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until just combined.
Fold in Soaked Fruit: Using a spatula, fold the soaked fruit mixture into the cake batter, along with ½ cup of chopped pecans.
Bake: Grease and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, then pour in the batter. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool and Finish: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes; then remove it from the pan (lift it up using the parchment paper), and transfer to a cooling rack. Brush the sides and top of the fruit cake with extra brandy. Then let it finish cooling completely before serving or storing.
