Fruit Cake Recipes | Bake Christmas Cakes

This page contains two tried and tested recipes for fruit cake or Christmas cake. One is for a light fruit cake; the other is for a richer, dark cake. There is also a video demonstration.

Fruit cake recipes are good choices, whether you intend them for your Christmas or holiday baking, as a wedding or birthday cake, or just because you like fruit cake.

The recipes on this page are tested and tasty. In my home, they're popular treats. I hope you will like them as well.

Oh, and although I don't include instructions for icing them, of course you can add icing or other trim as you desire.

Bakers, choose you weapons! Where do you stand on the great fruit cake debate? Is a gift of a fruit cake a horrible thing to be feared, or do you quiver with delight when you receive a hand made holiday cake?

Does a home made fruit cake make a good gift?

This recipe makes three loaves. You can use three loaf pans or other pans if you wish. If you use other pans, you must judge baking time accordingly.

Prepare your pans by lining them with two layers of waxed paper. Butter the top layer.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of candied pineapple, diced (this is about half a pound)
• 1 pound of red glace cherries
• 1 pound of green glace cherries
• 2 pounds of light raisins
• 1 pound mixed peel
• 1 cup coconut, shredded
• 1 pound whole almonds, blanched
• 1/2 cup spirits (brandy or white wine is good)
• 1 pound of butter at room temperature
• 2 cups of white sugar
• 8 eggs
• 5 cups cake flour, stirred but not sifted
• 2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, canned
• 1 teaspoon flavoring (almond extract or vanilla extract)

Preparation

Place the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Pour the brandy or wine over top and mix. For best results, allow this to sit overnight.

When you are ready to make the batter, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.

Using a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the flour, pineapple juice and almond extract and beat until smooth. Please notice that this recipe does not use baking powder or other lighteners.

Stir this fruit cake batter into the soaked fruits. Mix.

Spoon your batter into the loaf pans. Place the loaf pans on the center rack in the oven.

Bake these cakes for thirty minutes at 300 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 250 degrees. Continue cooking for about three hours. As you approach the estimated completion time, test the cakes with a toothpick or cake tester. Cakes are done when it comes out dry.

Remove the baked fruit cakes from the oven and cool in the pans on a wire rack When they are cool, remove them from the pans and wrap well in triple plastic bags or in freezer safe bags. You can store them in the fridge or freezer for a long time. They will continue to "ripen" or mellow as they age.

If you wish, you can unwrap them from time to time and sprinkle lightly with brandy or white wine. This will enhance the flavor.

This larger recipe makes two or three cakes, depending on the pans you use. You might try using two loaf pans and one tube pan, for example, but do not use a pan with a removable tube. Line the pans with heavy waxed paper. Butter the paper.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of room temperature butter
• 2 cups of white sugar
• 2 cups of brown sugar
• 10 eggs
• 1 can of crushed pineapple (20 oz)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups of all purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 pound walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 pound glace cherries, red
• 1/2 pound glace cherries, green
• 1 pound mixed peel, chopped
• 1/2 pound or 1 1/2 cups of currants, washed
• 2 pounds light raisins, washed
• 1 pounded seedless dark raisins, washed

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a water pan filled with water in the bottom of the oven.

Using a large bowl, cream the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together. Mix until light. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the pineapple and vanilla.

Place all the fruits and nuts in a large bowl and mix. Pour the batter over the fruits and mix.

Place the batter into the pans. Push it around until it fills the corners and is smooth on top. Put pans in oven. Bake until done, which should take about three to three and a half hours. Refill the water in the water pan when it evaporates. The water is necessary since it prevents the fruits from hardening.

When the cakes are done, remove from the oven and cool in pans on wire racks.

When cool, remove from pans, wrap in air proof wrapping. You can store this in the refrigerator of the freezer for considerable time. It will improve or mellow as it ages.