Old-Fashioned Holiday Fruit Cake

This old-fashioned holiday fruit cake is the easiest to make! It’s a thick, dense, fruit-laden, spiced cake, filled with classic Christmas flavor. Each slice is moist and substantial.

This is one of those nostalgic desserts that I make every year for the holidays. It’s the antithesis of a light, airy layer cake, but it is comforting, with a nice weight to it. My house smells divine as it bakes. Cinnamon and nutmeg are intoxicating.

There is no need for complex soaking or aging. Just combine the spiced batter, fold in dried fruits, and bake at a low temperature. It makes a lovely homemade gift for friends and neighbors.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Filled with sweet dried fruit and crunchy nuts.
• Spiced with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
• Delightfully moist and keeps well for days.
• Looks stunning on holiday dessert tables.
• Super easy to customize based on your favorite dried fruits.

Ingredients You Need

You can make this holiday cake with just a few pantry staples and your favorite dried fruits. Using room-temperature, softened butter helps make the mixing process go so much faster.

• Dried fruit: Raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped dates give the cake plenty of sweetness and a wonderful texture.
• Warm spices: A mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves adds a warm, comforting flavor to the cake.
• Butter and sugar: Softened butter works perfectly with the brown and white sugars to give the cake a rich texture.
• Orange juice and zest: Adding orange juice and zest gives the cake a pop of fresh, citrus flavor.
• Chopped nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts add a delicious, earthy crunch.

How to Make It

Here’s how to make this delicious holiday cake in your own kitchen.

Prepare the Pan

Heat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

Cream Butter and Sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix well until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and orange zest.

Combine the Batter

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix gently. Add the orange juice and mix again, then add the remaining flour mixture. Continue mixing until a thick cake batter forms.

Fold in the Fruit

Toss the raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, and nuts with the tablespoon of flour. Fold them into the cake batter until evenly incorporated.

Bake Slowly

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the cake is golden brown. Allow the cake to cool in the pan before slicing.

Tips for Success

• Be sure to toss the dried fruit in a bit of flour to help keep it from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
• If the top of the cake gets too dark while baking, loosely cover it with aluminum foil halfway through baking.
• Make sure the cake is cooled completely before slicing to get the best results.
• Use fresh nutmeg and fresh orange peel for the most potent, fresh flavor.
• Feel free to substitute the dates for dried cherries or dried apricots, if you’d like.

Storage Instructions

• Store: Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. It’s even better the next day!
• Freeze: Wrap the entire cake, or individual slices, in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: This cake is best served at room temp. If frozen, defrost on the counter overnight.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve a slice with a hot cup of coffee or tea after dinner.
• Decorate for a beautiful Christmas dessert table with powdered sugar.
• Pair with a wedge of sharp cheddar cheese for a tasty, sweet and salty snack.
• Wrap individual slices in cellophane to make great, homemade gifts.

Old-Fashioned Holiday Fruit Cake

Jennifer

This simple old-fashioned holiday fruit cake recipe is loaded with sweet, dried fruit and warm spices for a moist and flavorful holiday dessert.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Servings 16 squares

Equipment

• 9×9-inch baking pan
• Parchment paper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tbsp. for the fruit
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla extract and fresh orange zest.
• Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2-3 batches, alternating with the orange juice. Mix gently until you have a thick, smooth batter. Be careful not to over-mix.
• Toss the raisins, dried cranberries, dates and nuts with the remaining 1 Tbsp flour. Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
• Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
• Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake is dark brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top becomes too dark during baking, loosely cover with foil for the last 15 minutes.
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you’re using with each recipe.

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