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Mae’s Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe: Spices, Nuts & Rum-Soaked Fruits! Oh My!

There’s a reason why fruit cakes are such a Christmas/ holiday staple. They are rich in flavor, nice to look at and sometimes I almost feel like a slice is a full dish because of how filling it is!

Growing up, I was never a fan of fruit cake. If we’re keeping it 100, I was never a fan of eating in those days, period. I have always loved making food, but as a child, it took some convincing to get me to eat. Yes, even delicious desserts like this fruit cake. My husband, on the other hand? Big fan! He absolutely loves Christmas fruit cakes. I think if he could get away with it, he would have added it to the fine print of our marriage contract. Like, “make sure I’m allowed to eat fruit cakes, no matter what is happening in my life!”

I love this cake because of the process. You know I love a process! The steps and intricacies make it all the more rewarding when it’s time to munch on them. And yes, they’re traditionally eaten at Christmas. But who needs an excuse? You can make this recipe anytime! So here are some of my highlights!

The journey of the fruit

Technically, you can soak your fruit in rum (or other liquid - see below) for anything from overnight to 6 months. Yes, you read that right! I met a 6-monther last week, and while I’m not at that end of the spectrum, I respect her game. I typically do anything from 1 to 4 weeks; to give the fruit enough time to have the rum infused into it. I like to use rum, but you can also use bourbon, brandy, cognac, coffee liqueur or even champagne! The longer you soak the fruit, the smoother and less sharp the taste of the cake mixture. Most importantly, this process helps keep the cake moist for as long as possible. In the final stage, when you add the applesauce and the orange juice, it all comes together and gets you that perfect soft texture!

As an alternative for those who do not drink alcohol, you can soak your fruit in any type of fruit juice, syrup or even soda. I find that people usually go for apple or orange juice as well as cream soda.

Ginger: My special ingredient in the fruit mix

In addition to the dates, raisins and prunes, adding candied ginger to the fruit mix has been a game changer for me. these days I am staying away form the candied ginger tough, and I mostly use fresh ginger shavings now, if only to reduce the sugar content of the cake overall. I typically use raw ginger when I’m soaking the fruit for a longer period, because that way there’s enough time to dull the sharp taste of the ginger but retain the beautiful flavor.

The Nut Mix

Needless to say, but I will say it anyway. If you have any kind of nut allergy, this recipe is not for you, unfortunately. My basic recipe uses a mix of 3 nuts – each unique in their own right and the combination is just the right kind of nutty to add texture and balance out the fruitiness of the raisins, the sharpness of the spices and the tartness of the rum.

Spices

I like to leave this part a bit flexible. In this recipe, I’ve used cardamom, cinnamon, ginger powder and nutmeg. Some people like to add cloves and all-spice. Some give it the pumpkin spice treatment, especially if like me, you are a sucker for all things pumpkin. It really comes down to your taste. I find that these mild spices combine beautifully to give the cake that beautiful aroma that does crazy things to your senses when you open the oven after baking!

Christmas Fruit Cake

Yield: 12-15

Author: Mae

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 2 H & 15 MInactive time: 24 HourTotal time: 26 H & 45 M

Indulge in the festive spirit with our mouthwatering Christmas Fruit Cake – a symphony of rich fruits, warm spices, and holiday cheer baked to perfection!

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Fruit Mix

1 cup raisins, sultanas, currants, cherries (one or a combination)
1/2 cup candied ginger (or for less sugar, fresh minced ginger)
1 cup prunes
1/2 cup dates, diced
1.5 cups brandy, sherry, whisky or rum, plus extra for topping. Non-alcoholic option: apple juice, orange juice, syrup or cream soda.

Cake Batter

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cardamom powder (or ground cardamom)
½ teaspoon ginger powder (or ground dried ginger)
¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest and juice form one large orange
zest and juice from one large lemon
0.5 cup applesauce (or grated apple)
1.5 cups combination of nuts of choice (pistachios, walnuts, pecans, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts etc.)

Instructions

For the fruit mix

Soak all fruits in the brandy (or liquid of choice) for at least 24 hours
When ready to make the cake, using a sieve or cheesecloth, drain the fruits from the liquid, storing the liquid for future use later in the recipe

To make the cake

Heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of parchment paper. using soft butter or an oil spray, grease the cake pan before placing the parchment paper, and grease the inside of the pan on the parchment paper after it's placed in the tin.
In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients, combining well.
To the strained fruit mix, add half a cup of the dry ingredients, until all fruit pieces are covered in the dry mix.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until creamy and light
Add in the eggs one after the other. Then after the last egg is added, add in the vanilla extract, lemon and orange zest and juices and applesauce.
Mix for about 2 minutes until well combined; and add the dry ingredients one cup at a time, allowing the mix to combine between each addition but being careful not to over-mix.
Gently fold in the nut mix and the floured fruit mix until just combined
Tip the mixture into your prepared cake pan, level the top with a spatula and bake in the centre of the oven for around 2 hrs and 15 minutes. After 2 hrs insert a skewer into the centre of the cake to test. A dry skewer indicates that the cake is done. however, if any batter sticks to the skewer, then bake for the remaining 15 minutes and keep checking until the skewer comes out dry.
When the cake is fully baked, remove the cake from the oven, poke holes in it with a skewer and drizzle about 3 tablespoons of the fruit mix liquid you saved. Leave the cake in the pan until it is completely cool, then remove, wrap in cling film and aluminium foil and refrigerate.

Notes

PS: if you want to store the cake for longer before you eat, drizzle the fruit mix liquid on it every 3-4 days and leave to infuse overnight until you are ready to serve or your liquid is finished. Do not serve less than 24 hours after the last infusion.