This easy fruit cake recipe is a quick way to make a cake for Christmas or any other occasion, because it is non alcoholic and needs no soaking and feeding.
The Easy Fruit Cake Recipe
- is easy, simple, quick. We call it the Boiled Fruit Cake
- A NON ALCOHOLIC fruit cake, perfect for everyone who do not consume spirits for any reason.
- No Pre Soaking of fruits in alcohol, is required.
- No Feeding of alcohol after baking.
- Its lighter on the pocket, which means, its not expensive. Because no fancy ingredients, just some dried fruits. will do the job. and NO ALCOHOL
Traditional Fruit Cake Vs Easy Fruit Cake.
The traditional fruit cake is soaked in alcohol for months before being baked. - so its time consuming and a little heavier on the pocket.
Also, a traditional fruit cake, requires to be fed with alcohol in regular intervals. as we need to keep topping it up with alcohol as and when the fruits completely absorb the alcohol.
Whereas,
A Non Alcoholic Fruit Cake is
an easier, quicker version of a fruit cake, which needs no alcohol to pre soak.
The flavour comes from boiling the dried fruits with sugar, butter water and spice mix.
. With no soaking time, the cake is still rich dark dense and moist, loaded with the best of dark and light fruits.
But are boiled with spices, until the fruits are plumped. So it is less time consuming.In addition to being easy and quick it gives a moistness and a nice crumb.
What is a fruit cake ?
A fruit Cake is usually a Dark Rich Dense Cake. Made with the best dried fruits soaked in alcohol( whisky, rum or gin) for months or in cranberry or apple juice.It is generally baked for Christmas, in the month of December; and fed by alcohol.
Fruit cakes are also great for Weddings and a very common cake variety in the United Kingdom.
A little history to the fruit cake
A traditional Christmas fruit bake dates back to the ancient Rome. had pine nuts, raisins mixed into mashed barley. Gradually with time, preserved fruits were use and the recipe started to evolve the cake recipe started evolving. Optionally soaking in alcohol. Now, people use candied peels, dried fruits, nuts and spices.
The Fruit Cake takes various names, forms and recipes from around the world, considering the different fruits and nuts available locally.
Like in Milan Italy there is Panettone. Panforte is another version, which are all called as Sweetened breads and use yeast in them.
Then there is Germany’s Stollen. In Uk it is called Dundee.
While in Poland, it is loaf shaped, and called the Ket, which contains figs and raisins.
India's Plum Cake usually dark brown in colour. Most importantly, every country's fruit cake, is closely determined by the type of fruits and spices used in them.
These cakes are dark or light coloured. And the taste depends on what goes into the cake, the fruits, nuts, spices and alcohol.
How To Make Easy Fruit Cake
The taste and flavour is based on the fruits and the spices. so here it goes.
- We have prunes, apricots, candied ginger, raisins dark and golden sultanas, candied kiwi, figs,
- Nuts - walnuts, pecans, almonds. Can be optional. ( I have not used them)
- spices - ground ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
- All purpose flour - just plain flour. No cake flour or bread flour or anything. To know more on types of Read here
- Dark brown sugar - using brown sugar, elevates the colour, flavour and moistness
- Butter - Plain unsalted butter. No replacements or substitutes.
- eggs
- baking powder
- molasses - for the rich dark colour and flavour, which can be completely optional.
Get Your Tools Ready
Nothing Fancy just basic Stuff
- Large stock pot
- Medium size bowl
- whisk
- Spatula
- 9 inch round Pan or 9x5 loaf, or mini paper bakeware,
- Parchment sheet.
- An Oven to Bake
- wire rack to cool the cake
MIXING & BAKING THE FRUIT CAKE
In this Recipe, First,
The fruits are boiled in butter, water, sugar and spices. Giving the cake the moistness and the dark colour, with the deep rich flavour. Let it reach room temperature or lightly warm to touch is also fine.
To this the eggs, flour is added. And If you are using any nuts, fold them in the last.
Mixing this batter is very simple and you just cant go wrong.
This is you batter
Baking the Cake
The Easy Fruit Cake batter is heavy, and thick so bake this for a longer time at lower temperature. Which makes it moist and stays that way for an extended time
SHELF LIFE & STORAGE
This Fruit cakes stays absolutely good at room temperature around 24 to 28 deg. for whole 2 months. This is tried and tested.
TO STORE THESE -
- BAKE them in bake and serve paper bakeware, cling wrap and store them in room temperature.
- If you are baking them in tins, then again cling wrap or foil wrap. store in room temperature.
pin this for later
📖 Recipe
EASY Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 220 grams brown sugar (dark or light)
- 60 grams butter (unsalted)
- 250 ml water
- 450 grams raisins, prunes, apricots, ginger peel, sultanas, figs (all chopped )
- 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground clove (optional)
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 210 grams all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp molasses (optional )
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or a stock pot, melt the butter with sugar, water, ground spices and the dried fruits. Bring it to a boil, until the raisins are all plumped up.
- Leave aside and let it cool down. Around 10 - 15 mins
- Meanwhile prepare pans. Grease and line a 9 inch round pan. In another bowl whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set Aside. Preheat oven at 160 degree celsius.
- Once the mixture cools down. Add in the eggs, mix well until the egg is well incorporated. Then add in the flour mixture and fold in well using a spatula. Mix just enough until there is no flour specks
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 to 50 mins. Until it is completely done or a tooth pick inserted comes out clean
- Once done, remove from the oven and place on the wire rack for 10 mins, and then remove from the cake pan. Let it completely cool, before serving.
Notes
- They are'nt any hard and fast rules, but this fruit cake requires raisins.
- All ovens are different, use an oven thermometer and also check for doneness in between 40 to 60 mins.
- This batter is heavy, so baking long at low temperature does the trick.
Manjari says
Any substitute for eggs ?
Shrilatha says
you can use thick yoghurt for the same amount of eggs, for 1 eg it is 60 gms of yoghurt. MAke sure it is hung curd.
Happy Baking Manjari
Satish Navaneethakrishnan says
Amazing recipe. 😊 loved it.
Shrilatha says
Thank you. Glad you liked it.
ปั๊มไลค์ says
Like!! Thank you for publishing this awesome article.
Ronak Mehta says
I tried out a cake with the above recipe. The cake was very soft and tasty. Thank you.
Shrilatha says
Thank you Ronak, So glad you liked the cake. Happy baking
ashok says
Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Shrilatha says
So glad that your family loved it. Im humbled.
Thank you so much
Do share your bakes @sweetspotbakeblog on insta
vishal kumar says
This fruit cake looks so moist and tasty I cant wait to try my hands on this yummy recipe thanks for doing what you do
akshay says
Thank you for this wonderful blog dear , i definitely prepare this at home.
Andrew Paul says
Cakes are the best gift which contribute happiness in any special occasion of life, thanks for the lovely cake recipe, this will help me alot.
Can you tell me at what temperature i will bake it to make it perfect?
Thank you for this informative blog.
Cake Shop in Noida says
Hi, Your information is Really True and The Content is So Nice, Useful. Thanks For Sharing, I Hope You Share another Blog.