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Old-Fashioned Moist Holiday Fruit Cake

Close-up of a rich, dark slice of fruit cake packed with dried fruits and nuts on a white plate.
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Bake a rich, moist fruit cake using this traditional recipe. This cake is packed with dried fruit and nuts, perfect for holiday celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
  • 1 pound (450 g) mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied cherries, citron)
  • 1/2 pound (225 g) mixed nuts, chopped (pecans, walnuts)
  • 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy or dark rum (optional, for soaking/feeding)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, mixed dried fruit, and chopped nuts. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and baking soda.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
  6. Fold in the cooled fruit and nut mixture until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
  8. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. If using alcohol, poke holes over the top of the cooled cake. Slowly drizzle the brandy or rum over the cake. Wrap tightly in cheesecloth soaked in more alcohol, then wrap in foil. Store in a cool, dark place for at least one week before serving for best flavor.

Notes

  • For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the brandy/rum with orange juice or strong brewed tea when soaking the fruit.
  • If you skip the soaking/feeding step, the cake is ready to eat immediately, though the flavor deepens with time.
  • You can substitute the dried fruit mix with your preferred combination of dried apricots, dates, and raisins.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://devourdish.com/fruit-cake-old-fashioned-moist-holiday-recipe/