This Candied Fruit Cake Recipe is a buttery loaf packed with colorful candied fruit and raisins, lightly flavored with orange, and finished with a glossy apricot glaze. It has a tender crumb, plenty of fruit in every slice, and it’s easy enough for everyday baking while still feeling special enough for the holidays.
This Is the Kind of Fruitcake I Actually Want With Coffee.Fruitcake can mean a lot of things.
Very dark cakes. Very dense cakes. Cakes that have been sitting in a tin since approximately last Christmas.
It’s a lighter, buttery loaf with colorful candied fruit running all the way through, a little orange juice in the batter, and a warm apricot glaze brushed over the top once the cake has cooled.
The crumb stays soft enough to feel like cake rather than a block of dried fruit, but there’s still enough fruit in every slice to make the name completely justified.
If you’re in the mood for another easy loaf-style bake, my Moist Carrot Cake Loaf has a soft spiced crumb and simple one-pan format. For another bright glazed cake, try my Easy Lemon Cake with yogurt and fresh lemon.
Around the holidays, I’d put this beside my Hot Cross Buns for another fruit-filled bake, and a slice is especially good with a mug of Homemade Hot Chocolate when coffee isn’t happening.
Ingredients
How to Make Candied Fruit Cake
- Prep the raisins. Put the Corinthian raisins in a bowl and add warm water for 10-15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt.
- Coat the candied fruit. Toss the chopped candied fruit lightly with the flour mixture before folding it into the batter. This helps the fruit cling to the batter better and reduces the chance of the pieces sinking to the bottom.
ng in the batter).
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending after each.
- Add liquids. Add milk, orange juice and vanilla sugar and combine.
- Combine wet + dry. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until there’s no more dry flour. If necessary, do a gentle fold to prevent overmixing.
- Add raisins. Stir in the raisins (drained) until well mixed.
- Fill the pan. Drop the batter into a lined loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake. Bake until the loaf is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in middle emerges clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and glaze. Cool the cake, warm the apricot glaze and brush over the top.
What Is Candied Fruit Cake?
Candied fruit cake is a cake containing preserved candied fruit, often alongside raisins or other dried fruits.
This version is a lighter buttery loaf rather than a very dark, long-aged fruitcake.
What Candied Fruit Can I Use in Fruitcake?
You can use combinations such as:
- Candied cherries
- Candied orange peel
- Candied lemon peel
- Citron
- Mixed fruitcake fruit
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Using candied fruit pieces that are too large, which can make the cake hard to slice.
- Skipping the step of coating the fruit lightly with flour.
- Overmixing the batter after adding the flour.
- Adding too much candied fruit, which can make the cake heavy.
- Baking at a temperature that is too high, causing the outside to brown before the center is done.
- Cutting the cake before it has cooled completely.
- Storing the cake uncovered, which can make it dry out.
What To Serve With Candied Fruit Cake
Candied Fruit Cake is delicious served with hot coffee, black tea, mint tea, hot chocolate, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. It also pairs well with fresh fruit, yogurt, honey, cream cheese, or a simple holiday dessert tray for Christmas, parties, and homemade gifting.
FAQs
If the pieces are too big, or if batter has been over mixed or is thin, the cake can sink. Chop big pieces and coat all fruit in flour before adding.
Yes. It cuts best after it cools completely, and the flavor deepens after a few hours.
Yes, any old raisins will do. Keep the same amount.
Toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, and the top should be golden.
Yes, but bake time changes. Smaller pans cook more quickly; larger ones, more slowly.
No, but it gives shine and helps keep the cake moist. You can omit it, or brush with a warm jam such as apricot.
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Candied Fruit Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Place the Corinthian raisins in a bowl, cover with warm water for 10–15 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the small diced candied fruits and candied fruit pieces to the flour mixture and stir to coat.
- In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until lighter and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in milk, orange juice, and vanilla sugar until combined.
- Add the dry mixture and mix just until no dry flour remains.
- Stir in the drained raisins.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs (about 45–60 minutes).
- Cool in the pan 10–15 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack.
- Warm the apricot glaze slightly and brush over the top before slicing.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Coating the candied fruit in flour helps prevent sinking.
- Don’t overmix after adding flour to keep the crumb tender.
- Apricot glaze brushes best when slightly warm.
- Optional flavor boost: add orange zest to the batter.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
