Super EASY & MOIST Fruit Cake Recipe | No Soaking Fruits and No Caramel

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil provides a dairy-free option with similar texture.

mixed dried fruits

🥗Healthier: fresh fruits

💰Cheaper: raisins

Fresh fruits can reduce sugar content and enhance flavor.

nuts

🥗Healthier: seeds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Seeds can provide a nut-free option while maintaining crunch.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey offers natural sweetness with unique flavor.

Add 3/4 cup unsalted room temperature butter and 1 cup packed dark brown sugar to a heavy bottom pot.

Smash the brown sugar down before adding 3 cups of mixed dried fruits, which have been coarsely chopped.

Add 200 g of glacé cherries to the pot for brightness.

Zest 2 oranges, ensuring to only get the top layer of the skin, and add the zest to the pot.

Extract the juice from both oranges, aiming for 1/3 cup, and add it to the pot.

Zest 1 lemon, again only taking the top layer of the skin, and add it to the pot.

Add 1/2 cup of cherry brandy to the mixture.

Stir the mixture and bring it to a gentle boil over medium heat.

Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to help the dried fruits absorb the alcohol and juice.

Remove the pot from heat and transfer the mixture into a bowl to cool to room temperature.

While the mixture cools, line an 8-inch cake tray that is 3 inches high with parchment paper, ensuring it comes above the height of the tray.

Fold in about half an inch at the base of the parchment paper and snip the bottom portion diagonally to help it fit the tray.

Brush the sides and base of the cake tray with a little soft butter to hold the parchment paper in place.

Place two pieces of parchment paper at the bottom of the tray.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg.

Smash 15 cloves into a fine powder and add to the dry ingredients, then whisk everything together.

Add 1/4 cup chopped almonds and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the dry mixture, coating the nuts with flour, and set aside.

In another bowl, crack 3 large room temperature eggs and add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, whisking to combine.

Once the fruit mixture has cooled, add the beaten eggs and stir.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and use a cut and fold method to incorporate it.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and again use a cut and fold method to mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and level it out.

Place the cake in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C) and bake for 45 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 275°F (140°C) and bake for another hour to an hour and 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

After baking, use a skewer to make 10 to 12 holes in the warm cake.

Pour 1/4 cup of cherry brandy over the cake and allow it to cool completely to room temperature.

Once cooled, unmold the cake by removing the parchment paper from the sides and inverting it onto a wire rack.

Wrap the cake and place it in a box, feeding it with more cherry brandy weekly until Christmas.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens