Christmas Fruitcake

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Getting into the Christmas spirit with this better than store-bought, oh so simple, and absolutely delicious homemade Fruitcake! Every bite is perfectly sweet, full of flavor, and extra festive. Made with dried apricots, cherries, golden raisins, currants, and pistachios that have been soaked in rum overnight(!!), mixed into a easy-to-make cake batter, and baked until golden. That’s right! There is no glacéed fruit in this recipe. Instead, it’s made with dried fruits for a better and brighter flavor! You definitely won’t want to re-gift this delicious cake. It’s truly SO. GOOD.

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About The Recipe

Happy Friday and happy December, everyone!!

We thought it would be fun to kick off the Christmas season with a holiday classic…fruitcake! But, stay with me. I promise that this is better than any fruitcake you’ve ever had! It’s a dense, but moist cake that’s LOADED with all of your favorite dried fruits that have been soaked in rum.

I mean, it really doesn’t get better!

We tried to stick with traditional flavors with this cake. From the cherries to the raisins, but we just wanted it to be a little more special. Rum (or bourbon!) adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the fruits that it just makes every bite irresistible.

And, while we know pistachios really aren’t that traditional, we did want a pop of green in each and every slice! Kinda makes it look a little more festive, you know?

It’s sure to be a stunner this December and my mom and I have just been SO excited to share this with all if you! Especially since so many of you have been baking our Fruitcake Cookies for the last couple of years.

So, whether you’re looking for a gift to give, or just want to have a delicious and classic Christmas cake, this extra festive loaf cake is sure to be the perfect recipe to make on repeat this holiday season!

What is Fruitcake?

Fruitcake is a dense cake typically made with glacéed fruit (or dried fruit!), nuts that have been soaked in liquor or brandy. It’s typically made at Christmas and eaten as a dessert.

Reasons You Will Love This Fruitcake

• Made with dried fruit!
• Super simple to make.
• Absolutely delicious.
• Makes for a wonderful gift this holiday season.
• Crowd-pleasing.
• Can be made without alcohol, if desired.

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Rubber Spatula
• Hand Mixer
• Stainless Steel Mesh Sieve
  Loaf Cake Pan
• Cake Tester

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Fruit:

• Dried Cherries
• Dried Currants
• Golden Raisins
• Dried Apricots
• Unsalted Pistachios
• Rum

For The Cake:

• Salted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Large Eggs
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder

How To Make Fruitcake

Step 1: Macerate fruit

In a medium bowl, combine cherries, currants, raisins, apricots, pistachios, and rum. Cover and let stand for 24 hours.

Step 2: Make cake batter

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift flour and baking powder into mixture. Mix only to blend.

Fold in fruit and nut mixture.

Step 3: Bake

Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake tests done.

How To Store

Once this loaf cake is cooled, it can be kept in a cake plate, lidded container, or zip top bag and left at cool room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months!

Substitutions

• You can substitute bourbon or brandy for the rum.
• If you would like to make this recipe without alcohol, simply omit macerating the fruit mixture. You can also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter to help add flavor!

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Fruitcake Cookies, Chocolate Fudge, Gingerbread Sheet Cake, Homemade Eggnog, Holiday Nut Cake

Expert Tips

• You need shelled, roasted, unsalted pistachios for this recipe.
• Be careful to not over-mix the cake batter!
• When baking, it’s best to use a cake tester or an instant read thermometer to tell when this cake is baked. If using a thermometer, the cake should read about 210 degrees.
• If the cake is over-baked, it will be dry and unpleasant to eat.

When you make this Christmas Fruitcake, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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