Candied Fruit Holiday Cake — No Need to Wait Until Christmas!
I’ll admit it: I have an obsession with candied fruit. All kinds, but especially candied oranges from Sicily — tender, cooked low and slow until every trace of bitterness has melted away, until they’re pure heaven in bite-sized form.
The flavor lingers on your tongue long after you’ve finished, in the best possible way.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Fruitcake has a reputation problem. For most people, the words conjure up something dense, dry, and vaguely indestructible — the kind of cake that gets regifted for decades and used as a doorstop long before anyone actually eats it. I understand the skepticism; I grew up on the classic version myself, the one studded end to end with candied fruit and nuts, baked weeks in advance and left to mature under a blanket of brandy. It’s a beautiful and wonderful tradition, but it is, admittedly, a project.
This is not that cake. Think of it instead as fruitcake’s easygoing cousin — soft, moist, and tender, with just enough candied orange, cherry, and boozy raisins scattered through a light almond-flecked crumb to make every slice feel festive without ever feeling heavy. There’s no weeks-long soaking, no marathon baking session, no dense wall of dried fruit in every bite.
The beauty of this cake lies in its lightness. Baking powder gives the batter a gentle lift, leaving it soft and slightly crumbly, with just enough room for the fruit to swell as it bakes rather than sink to the bottom.
It’s the cake I make when I’m craving candied fruit with none of the fuss — and it might just be the recipe that finally convinces the fruitcake skeptics in your life.
Difficulty level : Easy
Prep Time : 20 minutes
Bake time : 30 – 35 minutes
Yield : 2 small cakes or one 20cm X 10cm loaf
INGREDIENTS
Candied fruit (150g total)
50g candied orange peel
50g candied cherry, chopped
50g raisins soaked in Cognac or dark rum (Any combination of candied fruit works — use what you love.)
Batter
125g butter, room temperature
150g caster sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
80g milk, warmed (30 seconds in the microwave is plenty)
170g all-purpose flour (3 tablespoons reserved for coating the fruit)
100g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Butter and flour your loaf pan (a 20cm x 10cm pan works well, or any similar-sized pan you have on hand.
Coat the fruit. Set aside 3 tablespoons of the measured flour in a small bowl and toss the candied fruit in it until well coated. This keeps the fruit suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom during baking.
Dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, and ground almonds.
Cream butter and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, and the sugar is almost fully dissolved.
Add eggs and milk. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the warm milk and continue mixing. The batter will look quite loose and slightly curdled at this stage — don’t worry, the flour will bring it together.
Combine. Fold in the flour and almond mixture in three additions, mixing gently after each until just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
Fold in the fruit. Add the floured candied fruit and fold in by hand with a spatula, distributing it evenly through the batter.
Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling it about three-quarters full. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Tent with foil partway through if the top is browning too quickly.
Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Tip du Jour
This cake keeps beautifully — wrap it tightly and it will taste even better the next day, once the raisins and Cognac flavors have had time to settle in. It also freezes well for up to a month.
For the raisins, I warm the Cognac in the microwave for about a minute, then stir in the raisins. I transfer everything to a jar with a lid and let them soak at leisure, until I’m ready to use them.
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