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Moist Christmas Fruit Cake
Moist Christmas Fruit Cake – super flavorful fruit cake recipe that is moist and sure to please this holiday season, get the recipe
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup of treacle or honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons milk powder
1 teaspoon mixed spices
1 tsp baking soda
Method:
Sift the flour, milk powder and spices t0gether.
Combine dried fruits, butter, sugar, honey, orange juice and baking soda in a large saucepan.
Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat.
Stir consistently. Remove the saucepan and leave to cool.
Combine the eggs and gently beat it using a fork.
Gently stir it into the cooled cake mixture. Fold in the sifted ingredients. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked.
Remove the cake and brush the top with brandy. Cover it tightly with aluminium foil. The cake is best eaten after a few days of aging.
To prepare 2-3 weeks in advance:
7 cups chopped mixed fruits (assortment of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries, dried apricots, mixed peel, glazed cherries, etc.)
1 cup of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachio)
1 -1.5 cups brandy or rum
Pour the brandy or rum into the chopped mixed fruits and nuts. Keep it in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks before use.
What is Fruit Cake?
Fruit cake is a traditional British Christmas cake that is full of fruits and nuts and laced with alcohol, usually brandy.
This gives the fruit cake a subtle brandy flavor and a moist texture, plus it also allows the fruit cake to be stored for a long time.
I always enjoy eating it with a glass of red wine or even a cup of espresso.
Check out this moist fruit cake recipe as the method calls for boiling the ingredients first before baking.
Ingredients for Fruit Cake Recipe
- Butter
- Eggs
- Orange juice
- Honey
- Flour
- Milk powder
- Nutmeg
- Mixed spices
- Cinnamon powder
- Baking soda
- Brandy
Frequently Asked Questions
What alcohol is best for fruit cake?
It is best to use dark rum or brandy for this recipe. Brush 1-2 tablespoons over the cake right when it is removed from the oven.
How do you preserve fruit cake?
To store, wrap the cake in brandy soaked towels, and then wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Do you need to refrigerate fruit cake?
If stored correctly, the cake will last a month at normal room temperature. In the fridge, it should keep for 6 months.
How many calories?
This recipe has 246 calories.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
This meal is best served as a dessert. For a great holiday assortment, I recommend the following desserts.
Pairs well with:
Fruit Cake Recipe
Moist Christmas Fruit Cake - super flavorful fruit cake recipe that is moist and sure to please this holiday season, get the recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons milk powder
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon mixed spices
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 7 cups mixed dried fruits, chopped (Please refer to Notes for preparation method)
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 large eggs
Directions
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1Grease and line 5-6 mini loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 300 F or 150 C.
-
2
Sift the flour, milk powder and spices together.
-
3
Combine mixed fruits, butter, sugar, honey, orange juice and baking soda in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat. Stir consistently. Remove the saucepan and leave to cool.
-
4Combine the eggs and gently beat it using a fork. Gently stir it into the cooled cake mixture. Fold in the sifted ingredients. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour or until cooked.
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5Remove the cake and brush the top with brandy. Cover it tightly with aluminium foil. The cake is best eaten after a few days of aging.
Recipe Notes
To prepare 2-3 weeks in advance:
7 cups chopped mixed fruits (assortment of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries, dried apricots, mixed peel and glazed cherries). 1 cup of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans or pistachio). 1 - 1.5 cups brandy or rum. Pour the brandy or rum into the chopped mixed fruits and nuts. Keep it in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks before use.
Betty Bing Johnson
what do you mean by spices, what kind if spices?
Ann Goslee
There are NO DRIED FRUITS LISTED IN THE INGREDIENTS LIST — HELP !! I would like to make the fruit cake…..
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Ann, please refer to the Notes section on the preparation of the dried fruit. You need to prepare 2-3 weeks in advance for the best results.
Suzie Ralph
Hi Bee,
I love your blog. And i did try few of your recipe and it tuned out good. I love fruit cake and would like to try out your recipe.
1. I don’t know where to find Treacle in US but I believe you use honey instead of Treacle.
Will it still have the same taste?
2. I couldn’t find milk powder. The only thing i can find here is Instant Nonfat Dry Milk Pouch.. Can i use this or is it better to you whole milk ( liquid)?
3. Mini loaf pan- what is the size of mini loaf pan.
Rasa Malaysia
You can use honey. It works the same. Dry milk pouch should work. Mini loaf pan are very tiny in size, you can just use regular loaf pan.
SHEILA
1. After taking the cake out of the over, do you WAIT for the cake to cool before brushing the top with brandy?
2. Is there only ONE brushing of brandy?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes and yes. You can brush more if you like.
liz
cake sound delicious can I use a loaf pan
Rasa Malaysia
Yes I think so!
Sharon
Hi Bee, how much is 2 sticks of butter in terms of cup? Thx
Rasa Malaysia
1 cup.
Sharon
Thanks Bee. Love all your recipes and can’t wait to try your Christmas Cake. I’ve tried all recipes from others but none turned out good. Keep up the good job. From the Great White North.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sharon, thanks so much for your comment, you’re so sweet. I am so happy having you as a supporter. :)
Please try more recipes on my site, they are all good: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Eileen
Hi how much of fruits n nuts need to use for this recipe? ?
Rasa Malaysia
Please check the recipe, it’s at the bottom, please scroll down.
malia
Hi,
I would just like to ask, shall I put the 7 cups of fruits? or just some of it? Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Just follow the instructions of the recipe.
Susan
Hi what does mixed slices contain?
Shahzad Ahmed
Hi Dear,
Very nice article, keep up the good work.
CakenGifts.in Ghaziabad
Yesterday there was a party in my family, we made this cake. It was very awesome!!!! Everobody praised of this cake.
Rasa Malaysia
That’s good to hear.
SANDY
I make Fruitcake with my mother’s Scottish recepie. She never added 7 cups of fruit. That is way too much. Two cups of fruit is fine. Two cups of raisins either blonde or black. Pitted prunes and crushed walnuts, Sometimes she added a few chopped figs..but that was a luxury. A teaspoon of each: mace, allspice, ground nutmeg, cinnamon. Don’t forget the baking powder, 1 tsp. Molasses 1/4 cup. Orange juice, rum, sherry (Oporto) whiskey if you have it…if not don’t matter. 3 eggs but I’m gonna try with 4….My sister claims that a pyrex with water on the bottom shelf will keep the cakes moist (if you have a problem with the cakes coming up dry or flaky) My mom lined her tins with brown paper (manila) and brushed them with butter.
The paper gives the cakes a rich special flavour. A tip so the fruit doesn’t sink to the bottom of the pan, dust it with flour before adding it to the liquid mix. Most important make sure the cake is cold when you slice it and make sure the knife you use is super sharp. Warm custard is a nice topping…and a cuppa! Happy Xmas!
Alex
Hi,
My cake turn out to be very moist like a pudding or kueh, unlike that one in your pic, bits of cake crumbs are still visible. What have I done wrong? I follow your instructions step by step.
Thanks for help.
Coty de Guerra
Hello! My name is Coty de Guerra, I’m from Nicaragua. I made The Christmas fruit cake, it was absolutely delicious!. Can this cake be stored in the freezer ? For how long?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can, for a week?
Arleen
RaRasa, I think fruitcake would keep for months in the freezer…probably up to a year..all that alcohol helps keep it from going bad. .. thought maybe you misread coty’s ques as storing in fridge not freezer.
Ps. Going to make for dh for xmas. But I have to shave off a couple days..I only have 10 to soak..
Elisa
I made this 2 days ago, as its name, it was very moist and flavorful. The only thing i changed was replaced the 1 Cup orange juice with milk and hence replaced the 2 Tbs milk powder with plain flour. That’s because i ran out of orange juice. Love this cake! thanks for sharing.
Aruna
I tried this recipe. It tastes good but i don’t get a cake consistency. mine turns out too dense and more of a firm pudding. What went wrong?Even the mixture before baking is runny.
karuna
Aruna the exact same thing happened to my cake too! Did you figure out why?
Sarah
Hi!
I just made this cake the past weekend and it smells so incredible that I can’t stop thinking about it. It kills me to have to wait for days before I can eat it!
I made it into 4 Loaves and am planning to give 3 Away.
How long do these cakes keep? I’ve read that fruit cakes taste better with age, but there isn’t any indication on how long your fruit cake can keep for.
Any advice?
Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
It will keep well for one week or so.
Sarah
Would it be good if I aged it like other fruit cake recipes? Planning to make it soon and have it ready for Christmas
LD
Hi, your recipe is very interesting and I am gonna try it out. I just have a few questions.
1) the recipe requires me to boil the soaked ingredients with butter,sugar, orange juice, honey and baking soda. Do I need to drain out the soaked mixture before putting in the saucepan or just include it with the rum as well?
2) is it okay to boil the baking soda?
3) the egg has to be mixed with the mixture from the saucepan or the dry ingredients?
4) I noticed it is stated that we have to fold in the mixture. Does that mean we don’t have to use the electric mixer at all for this recipe?
anjum
I followed the exact recipe, but the cake looks wet but it tastes amazing. It doesnt look like the picture you posted, mine doesnt look like cake. What did i do wrong?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can.
Veronica
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Mix Fruit cake is my husband favourite. He told me mix fruit cake should be dense and moist.I tried a recipe from other chef, It’s fluffy so I wonder if it is because of the flour I use (Medium Protein Flour).
Now I found your recipe and feeling so excited for it. Thanks again for sharing.
GWee
What temperature do you store the soaked chopped nuts ? In the fridge ?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
Nish
I don’t have brandy but can I use bacardi white rum or hennessy ( cognac)? Will this alter the taste too much?
ur fan
2 sticks of butter meaning how many grams??
Rasa Malaysia
Convert here: http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/butter_converter.html
Josephine
Hi!
Please help me to understand why the baking soda would get heated…I never heard of that and can’t find any info on it. Thank you!
Also, I am very happy to be making this cake; It will be my very first fruit cake!
Christine
Hi..according to your info-we need least 5-6mini pan loaf,can i use the 9×5 pan loaf instead?? if yes..do i still need to follow exactly 7cups of fruits and 1cup of rum??
Please advise. Thank you so much.
Maleni Devadas
Tried this cake and allowed all my relatives to try it. They’re now HOOKED! Have been asked to bake a whole cake for each of them next time around. Also, my brother who hates fruit cakes finished half the cake moments after it was out of the oven! Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
That’s great. This is a great recipe by my contributor Siew Loon.
joyce
I’m planning on making the moist fruitcake.But am wondering on time for regular size loaf pan.
Advise is appreciated.
Sharon SC Chao
Hi may I know if I can use self raising floor. Thanks
funbaker
What if I don’t have dry milk. Will it affect the outcome?
Rasa Malaysia
It will not taste as great.
marisa
Hello! How long can I keep this cake? I wonder when can I start preparing it for christmas. Thank you !
suma
You are using here 8 cups of dried fruits and 21/3 cups of all purpose flour .Could you please give the measure ment in grams for both. Can I use cake flour or plain flour in the place of all purpose flour?
Rasa Malaysia
Plain flour is fine. Not sure about grams.
FranKouju
Hi… I can see that you are using stick to your butter measurement. How many gram of 1 stick of butter that you are using? Normal block of butter is about 250 gram.
Pakhi
What do you mean by mixed spices.What should I be looking for in the market.
Jason
Christine: you can can get a conversion on http://www.OnlyDish.com
renu
i tried the recipes… its awesome…superb…i f been receiving repeating orders. thanx.
wat can i subtitute the alcohol..if i wan non alcohol fruit cake..
Rasa Malaysia
Skip it there is no substitute
joel avinash
is der a non alcohol sub for brandy n rum.. can i like replace wt juice or smthin
bobby veeramany
hai is it possible to have this recipe in metrics please. I have searched so many fruit cake recipe and only yours was truly satisfying to read problem is i can neva make a cake with imperial measurement
Rasa Malaysia
You can convert using this chart: https://rasamalaysia.com/conversion/
Christine
Hi, is it possible to have the recipe in metrics, please? Thx.
susan
It sounds as though you wrap the cake right out of the oven. Is this so, or do I let it cool as I would any other cake? My first fruit cake… wish me luck. Looks great so far; putting it in oven now!
Cindy
Thanks for a great recipe! I made this last week n it is a success n I m hoarding a big chunk of it for myself. Hehe. Hence will make a 2nd one for Christmas Day itself. I wish I hv a longer time to mature n soak the fruits but I m too greedy to gv up my personal stash! Thanks again. Btw I made it w rum.
Gin
Hi, thanks for the great recipe. I wonder what causes my cake to look more like a pudding than a cake. Have I used too much orange juice. Please help as I followed the recipe and the batter is very liquid. Thanks once again.
Sabrina
Hi I’m gonna try this fruit cake. Would you mind to advise how many gram of butter? How much butter of 2 sticks?
Thanks
Sabrina
Jocelyn
Hi, I’ve bookmarked this recipe for a few months and intend to save it for this year’s Christmas. The raisins are already soaking! I read somewhere that I need to place a pan of water in the oven to prevent cake drying out, do I need to do this in your recipe? I’m so excited!!
Susan Chee
I am trying this recipe for the 1st time. I have the dried fruits and nuts soaking in the brandy in a pyrex container; do I need to keep the mixture in the fridge since it is almost summer in Australia and it is rather warm?
How soon can the cake be removed from the loaf tin? Should the cake be brushed with brandy after it has cooled or should it done when it is still hot?
leng
hi bee! just would like to ask what could i substitute for milk powder? and lastly, the brandy where the fruits/nuts were soaked, do i throw that away or mix it with the rest of the ingredients?
thanks so much!!!
may
Hi leng, this is the 1st time I came across a fruits cake recipe that uses milk powder. You can skip it. The residue brandy mix in, don’t throw. Brandy makes the cake tastier, more moist & keeps longer.
DENISE
Can I replace brown sugar with molasses?
Rasa Malaysia
Molasses is liquidy but brown sugar is dry, not sure what the end result would be.
bgawat
Hello,
I made this fruit cake, followed your recipe but it did not turn out dark, more on the light side. What did I do wrong? Thanks in advance.
may
Hi bgawat, it could be due to the brown sugar that you use (some are light brown, some dark brown)or the proportion of dark coloured fruits in your fruits mixed. As long as the taste is good, the colour is unimportant.
funbaker
don’t have dry milk. can i use regular milk or dry creamer? only ask for 2 tbs.
karuna
Hi I made this cake last night and had it this morning. It’s tastes delicious and moist but has come out dense( not fluffy and airy). Is this cake supposed to be dense? Our have I don’t something wrong?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes fruit cake is supposed to be densed. Like the pictures.
Lance Desker
My Gran used to use golden syrup – Lyle’s was the brand – Molasses has a semi-bitter taste, while golden syrup is light tasting, sweet and has the same texture as molasses. Some people use honey.
kiyoka mori
thanx for sharing the recipe with us. what can i substitute [email protected] with as i am making some for my muslim friends.
Maria John
Yummy Cake…Thanks for sharing the recipe…
Et
I know Xmas is over but wud like to try yr recipe. When I add the fruits do I have to add the brandy as well or do I throw it away and use only the fruits. Can us also pls advise the amount of flour in grams as I can never get the measurement right if I use cups measurement. thks
CONNIE
LOL..I actually like fruitcake. It gets such a bad rap. Wish I had some now.
ayink
Beautiful cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Brighton Restaurants
This looks lovely & it is really captivating ! Merry X-mas :-)
gaffhill
Your recipes look great my problem is they are not printer frinedly. I printed the recipe and got everything comments I got 5 pages printed for a single recipe?
alice
next time you want to print JUST THE RECIPE, highlight the recipe, when it’s all highlighted, then go to top of page, click file, (if you don’t see it, right click and click print) when your printer properties come up, you should have an option for printing SELECTION click on that.then, click print.
gg
use all the 7cup mixed fruits + 1 cup mixed nuts = 8 cups for this recipe?
JC
I am not a fruit cake person as I always find them very sweet. But I do love reading your recipes as you also share the tips and purpose of adding a certain ingredients into the recipe. That makes us a wiser cook than just put this and that ingredients without better understanding! I love your blog! Do keep the recipes coming. Thanks! Wishing you and family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
siewloon
The Baking pan I use is 5 inches by 2 inches.
DEBBI
COULD WE ALSO USE A BUNDT PAN FOR THIS? LOOKS AWESOME!! I WILL USE KAHLUA! YUmmmm!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Rasa Malaysia
I think so!
Sweet Tim
Another tried and tested recipe for this cake, add kahlua . Guarantee your guests will go for second helpings :)
dandan
Wow! Your fruitcake looks delicious! May I know what sized baking pan do you use?
MeiLing
I love this cake. My aunt used to bring us this cake during Christmas. Do you recommend any kind of rum or brandy? I don’t know much about alcohol as I seldom used them when I baked.
siewloon
ANy brand of liquor is fine.
alice
what can you do to keep the cake moist, if you don’t have any liquor at all to use in it ?
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen
I love fruitcake,and have tried many recipes, but yours will solve my problem of keeping the cake moist. Thanks for sharing. I must try this one. Happy Holidays, Bee!
[email protected]
I’ve never heard of a moist fruit cake :) I’m not a big fan of Xmas cakes because it’s always so dry but ‘m definitely gonna try this recipe!
Tina
Thanks 4 recipe, I live in Australia so can u please let me know how many grams is 2 sticks of butter?
siewloon
You can use 240g.
fiona
Hi,
Is it possible to use 250 gm of butter?
Thanks.
Pam Ladds
I am a Brit and fruit cake is an essential part of the holiday (any holiday). Brandy is an option but scotch and rum are also used – equally liberally. And we don’t genteely brush the top. We stab it in several places with a skewer and pour more booze over the top so that it runs in! It is particularly good with Gaelic coffee!! But wine is fine too!! ;o)
wok with ray
Beautiful cake! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
JimQ
wow, I like this fruit cake, definitely I will bake this one for Christmas, I used to but a lot when I was in Singapore, Tempations Pastry Shop make a good fruit cake also. Do you a Chocolate Mousse Cake “ETOILE” w/c Tempations Pastry has?
renee
yummmmmmmmmmm want to try it
jane
Hello! what are mixed spices?
by the way, loved your site, always looking here to make good foods for my family. thanks for sharing.=)
siewloon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_spice
You can get it from the spice section in the grocery store.
[email protected]
Fruit cakes have such a bad name but this looks fantastic!
Sookie
I love fruit cake with Brandy!! Thanks for sharing!! Do you know how to make mince pies (made with rich all-butter pastry and filled with a delicious fruity mincemeat)? I used to purchase from Mark’s and Spencer in Sg. But, US is not selling.