Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (2024)

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Eggless Christmas fruit cake recipe – Moist, soft, light and delicious eggless fruit cake made without alcohol. This simple recipe is one of the most quick & easiest that anyone can make with great success. Most fruit cake recipes call for soaking the dried fruits in alcohol for several days to weeks. But the recipe shared here is an instant one which doesn’t require you to soak them in advance.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (1)

To make this eggless fruit cake, you can use any of your favorite dried fruits likes raisins, dried dates, figs, apricots, berries and glace cherries. You can also skip glace cherries if you want to avoid artificial colors.

Just replace them with some dried cranberries as they add similar color to the fruit cake. You can use cashew nuts, almonds and walnuts in any proportions to make them 100 grams.

Towards the end of this post, I have shared few pics of the same recipe made using wheat flour and oil which I had made few years ago.

If you are a newbie, please read the step by step photo instructions. They are much more clearly explained along with pictures taken at every step.

Preparation

1. Using a good spice mix to make the fruit cake is very important as it enhances the flavor. I have used homemade spice powder using cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

You can also use dry ginger powder if you prefer the aroma. If you want to make it just add the 3 ingredients to a spice jar and powder it finely. I have also added 1 tbsp of sugar to help the spices blend easily. Set this aside.

2. Grease a 8 or 9 inch cake tray and dust it with flour. Instead of flour, you can also use a parchment paper or grease proof paper to line the cake pan. You can also use a loaf pan. If using aluminum pan it is good to line the pan.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (2)

Preparing fruits

3. These are the dry fruits and nuts I have used. I usually skip the glace cherries from this recipe and use mixed berries. If you prefer to avoid the artificial colors then just replace the glace cherries with dried cherries or berries.

You can also add more citrus peels if you prefer. But 20 grams was good enough for our taste buds. Preparing the fruits and nuts does take some time so it is good to prepare in advance.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (3)

4. Add chopped raisins, citrus peels, cranberries and apricots to a large mixing bowl.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (4)

5. Bring water to a boil and pour them over the dry fruits. Actually this is a boiled cake recipe where all the dried fruits are briefly boiled in water to soften the fruits.

In the recent years I started to feel boiling them does affect the flavor of the fruits & cake so I prefer to just pour hot water to them.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (5)

6. Leave them to soak until the mixture turns cool or warm.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (6)

7. The fruits get soaked in the hot water and turn soft.

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How to make eggless christmas fruit cake

8. Add brown sugar to the mixture. The recipe works well with 150 to 200 grams of brown sugar depending on the kind of dried fruits used. If using dates 150 grams would be sufficient.

I have used 1 cup packed i.e 200 grams. So use to suit your taste.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (8)

9. Add salt.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (9)

10. Pour orange or apple juice. I used freshly squeezed unsweetened orange juice without pulp.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (10)

11. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. I have used organic apple cider vinegar. Avoid cheap vinegar as it can make the cake bitter.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (11)

12. Add vanilla extract. You can also skip this since the flavors from the spice mix is good enough.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (12)

13. Pour melted butter or oil.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (13)

14. Mix them all to dissolve the sugar. Set this aside.

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15. Preheat the oven to 170 C for at least 15 mins.

16. Fluff up the flour in the jar and spoon it to the measuring cups. Level the cups with a spatula. Add it to a sieve placed over a mixing bowl. Then add soda.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (15)

17. Add the spice powder. Sieve them all together.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (16)

18. If using wheat flour, then repeat the process thrice. This makes the cake light and less denser.

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19. The batter needs to go into the oven right after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. So make sure the oven is hot enough before you begin to mix the both. Stir the fruit mix well. Pour it to the flour.

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20. Mix the batter gently just until combined. Do not over mix. Add in the chopped cashews, almonds and cherries.

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21. Gently mix in.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (20)

22. Pour it to the cake pan. Knock it gently to the kitchen top only twice. Do not over do as the nuts will settle at the bottom.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (21)

Baking eggless fruit cake

23. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 mins if you have used a 8 inch pan. If using a 8½ by 4½ loaf pan, you will have to bake for 50 to 55 mins. Please do adjust the timing based on the size of your pan. When the cake is done, a tester inserted comes out clean.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (22)

24. Cool the cake for 15 mins. Invert the cake on a wire cake.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (23)

25. Cool the cake completely.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (24)

Slice Eggless Christmas fruit cake once cooled completely.

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (25)

For more Cake Recipes, you can check
Eggless Vanilla cake
Eggless chocolate cake
Black forest cake
Eggless tutti frutti cake
Eggless sponge cake
Vanilla butter cake
Banana cake
Eggless carrot cake

Eggless Fruit cake made with wheat flour

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (26)
Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (27)

Tips

Flour: This cake can be made using all purpose flour/ maida or whole wheat/ atta. Using wheat flour would make the cake slightly dense but still tastes very good. However if using wheat flour, sieve it well with the other dry ingredients at least thrice. This makes the cake lighter.

Fats: I have used melted butter this time but it also works well with oil. I had used several times extra virgin coconut oil and just loved it. There was no flavor of oil in the cake.

Towards the end of this post, I have shared few pics of the same recipe made using wheat flour and oil which I had made few years ago.

If you are a newbie, please read the step by step photo instructions after the recipe card. They are much more clearly explained along with pictures taken at every step.

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Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (34)

Eggless christmas fruit cake

Delicious eggless fruit cake that is soft, moist, delicious and doesn’t use alcohol. This cake is great to make for any occasion and is kids’ friendly as it has no alcohol.

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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time20 minutes minutes

Cook Time40 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour

Servings8 inch cake or 8.5 *4.5 loaf

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

Dry fruits (150 grams, use any of your choice)

  • 40 grams raisins (4 tbsp chopped)
  • 30 grams apricots (3 tbsp chopped)
  • 60 grams glace cherries (6 tbsps chopped)
  • 20 grams cranberries (2 tbsps chopped)

Other ingredients for fruit cake

  • 20 grams citrus peels (2 tbsps chopped candied peels, more if desired)
  • ¾ cup hot water or 180 ml (3/4 cup + 1.5 tbsp or 200 ml if using atta)
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ to 1 cup brown sugar (about 170 to 200 grams) or sugar
  • 1/3 cup oil or melted butter (about 80 ml)
  • 120 ml orange juice or apple juice
  • 100 grams nuts chopped (cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 ¾ cups wheat flour (atta or maida/ all-purpose flour, 210 grams)

Spices (or use spice extract or just skip)

  • 1.5 grams ceylon cinnamon or true cinnamon about 1/2 tsp ground
  • 8 cloves
  • nutmeg small piece or 1/3 tsp grated

Instructions

Preparation

  • Chop all dry fruits and nuts to small bits. Keep the nuts separately.

  • Add raisins, apricots, cranberries and citrus peels to a large mixing bowl.

  • Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. If using whole wheat flour use 1.5 tbsps more. Pour the hot water over the dry fruits. Leave them aside to cool.

  • Add cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to a mini spice jar. Make a fine powder. You can also add a tbsp of sugar to the spices to help them powder finely. Set this aside to cool.

  • When the mixture cools down, preheat the oven to 170 C for at least 15 mins.

Making eggless fruit cake

  • Add the brown sugar, melted butter, orange juice, vanilla and vinegar to the fruit mixture. Stir everything well.

  • In another mixing bowl, sieve together flour, salt, spice powder and soda. You can discard any coarse bits of spices.

  • Mix up the flour well once more and make a well in the center.

  • When the oven is hot enough and past 12 to 15 mins, then give the fruit mixture a good stir. Pour it to the flour all at once. Make sure the fruit mixture has cooled down before adding it to flour.

  • Mix gently with a spatula until you see no streaks of flour.

  • Add in cherries and chopped nuts. Gently give it a good stir. Do not over mix.

  • Pour this to a cake pan. Knock the pan twice to the kitchen counter. Don’t over do this as the nuts will settle at the bottom.

  • Keep it in the oven and bake at 170 C for 35 to 40 mins. If using a 8 inch pan it takes about 40 mins. If using a 9 inch pan it will be done around 32 to 34 mins. If baking in a loaf pan it takes about 50 to 55 mins.

  • When the cake is done, a skewer inserted comes out clean.

  • Cool the cake in the pan for 10 to 15 mins.

  • Invert it on a wire rack carefully. Cool it completely before slicing.

  • You can dust some powdered sugar over the eggless fruit cake.

Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts

Eggless christmas fruit cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 404Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 242mg11%

Potassium 218mg6%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 100IU2%

Vitamin C 8.5mg10%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (35)

About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Eggless christmas fruit cake recipe | How to make fruit cake - Swasthi's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What makes fruit cake last so long? ›

What typically makes fruitcake last so long is its super dense texture. This texture prevents, let's say, less than appetizing things from setting up camp in the cake's crevices. Additionally, a lot of the ingredients in our fruitcakes are dried or glaceéd, so they don't contain much moisture.

Why is my fruit cake not moist? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

How do you keep fruit cake moist when baking? ›

It's really important to soak your fruit mix so that they soften and plump up. This way, they'll stay moist and juicy and won't absorb moisture from the cake batter during baking, ensuring that your cake stays moist. Bonus! Home soaked fruits taste amazing, and you'll be ridding your fruit mix of excess sugar as well!

What is hidden in Christmas cake? ›

A coin was hidden inside a small cake, whoever found it was crowned as mock king. Hiding small tokens in a cake is another tradition that has existed throughout the ages. The Christmas Sixpence, which is hidden inside a Christmas pudding or cake as a token of good fortune, being a recent example of this tradition.

What ingredient makes cake last longer? ›

For the home baker extending shelf life by a few days can be achieved by adding glycerine or golden syrup to the cake batter. If you type in the search box 'lengthening the shelf life of cakes' and 'shelf life' you'll see some answers there. Other preservatives are Sorbic Acid and Potassium Sorbate.

What alcohol is good for fruit cake? ›

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

Why is my fruitcake dry and crumbly? ›

Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

How do you revive a fruitcake? ›

Applying simple syrup is a technique that can rescue overbaked, dry cakes. You can apply it while the cake is still warm from the oven or leave it to cool. Brushing: Brush the syrup onto each layer of your cake. Poking Holes: Use a fork or toothpick to poke holes in the cake, then pour the syrup over the top.

How do you keep Christmas cake moist? ›

If you are making the cake more than 3 months in advance then you will need to "feed" it occasionally to help it to stay moist. Feeding involves brushing the surface of the cake with a couple of tablespoons of alcohol (brandy, whisky or bourbon are the most popular choices).

Can I open the oven while baking a fruit cake? ›

Don't open the oven door until the cake is almost cooked

Similarly, when you're putting the cake into the oven, don't hang about and let all the heat out.

Should fruitcake be refrigerated? ›

For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.

Can you overfeed a Christmas cake? ›

Might just give one last go this week then leave it til ready to ice it. I overfed mine last year. It tasted fine (I love a boozy cake!) but it was very very soggy.

What is the difference between a fruit cake and a Christmas cake? ›

Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter. The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky.

What is typically hidden inside of this traditional Christmas dessert? ›

It was common practice to include small silver coins in the pudding mixture, which could be kept by the person whose serving included them. The usual choice was a silver threepence or a sixpence.

What does a Christmas cake girl mean? ›

In the 1980s, a woman unmarried by 25 was dismissed as "Christmas cake" — thrown out on Dec. 26. These days the big number is 31, and women unmarried by that age are "New Year's Eve noodles," noodles being a typical New Year's Eve dish.

How long can homemade fruit cake last? ›

For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer.

How long can fruitcake last? ›

How long can you typically keep a fruit cake, assuming that it is not 100 years? The U.S. Department for Agriculture (USDA) suggests up to 1 month in the pantry, up to 6 months refrigerated and up to a year frozen. The USDA does not indicate how long you can keep fruitcake in a hut in Antarctica.

What stops fruit cake from going Mouldy? ›

Make sure the cake is completely cool. I cool for three days to ensure there is not hint of warmth which may encourage mould growth. Store cakes wrapped well in a box or tin in a cool place.

Why don't fruit cakes go mouldy? ›

The alcohol acts as a preservative that prevents the growth of mold. Fruit cakes that contain alcohol can last for several months and still be edible as long as they have been properly stored.

References

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