Fruit cake gets plenty of attention at Christmas, but I think it deserves a spot beside the coffee pot the rest of the year, too. This easy simple fruit cake recipe makes the sort of homemade loaf you can put on the table and let everyone help themselves to. Dress it up for the holidays if you like. For an ordinary afternoon, a slice on a small plate does very nicely.
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Watch my easy fruit cake video below to see each step, including what the batter should look like. If you enjoy it, give it a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel for more homemade cakes.
Why I love this easy, simple fruit cake recipe
You can make this fruit cake when you feel like baking. There’s no fruit to prepare the night before and no waiting days before you can try a slice. The fruit goes straight into the batter, then it’s ready for the oven. You do need to let the cake cool afterward, which might be the hardest part.
This fruit cake is moist and buttery, and lovely just as it is. The cake has a soft, tender crumb with fruit and nuts all the way through. It’s rich enough to enjoy without adding frosting or pouring anything over it. Give me a slice and a cup of tea, and I’m happy.
Ingredients for this easy simple fruit cake recipe
Makes: 1 loaf, cut into 7 generous slices
Baking time: 50-60 minutes, plus cooling
Pan: Approximately 8 x 4 inches (25 × 11 × 6 cm)
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- About 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond essence
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- Approximately 2-3 cups (300-400 g) mixed dried fruit and nuts
- A handful of candied cherries, chopped
- A little extra dried fruit, nuts, and candied cherries for the top
For the fruit mixture, you can use raisins, golden raisins, currants, chopped dried apricots, or candied peel, along with your chosen nuts. Keep the dried fruit and nuts together within the listed weight, then add the handful of cherries separately.
How to make this moist fruit cake
Step 1: Get the oven and pan ready
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease your loaf pan and line it with baking parchment. Leave a little paper sticking up over the long sides, so you have something to hold when lifting the cake out.
Use a pan close to the size listed above. A deeper or shallower pan can change the baking time.
Step 2: Beat the butter and sugar
Put the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat for about 3-4 minutes, until the mixture looks paler and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: Add the eggs
Add the eggs and beat for about 1-2 minutes, until mixed in. Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl so you don’t leave any butter mixture behind.
Step 4: Fold in the flour and baking powder
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula, reaching right down to the bottom where dry flour likes to hide.
Stop once most of the flour has disappeared into the batter. You’ll be mixing again in the next step, so there’s no need to keep going.
Step 5: Add the milk and flavorings
Pour in the milk, vanilla extract, and almond essence. Beat briefly, for about 20 seconds, just until mixed.
Give the bowl another scrape. The batter should be thick and easy to spoon into the pan.
Step 6: Add the fruit and nuts
Fold in the mixed dried fruit and nuts. Add the chopped candied cherries, then gently fold again so you don’t end up with all the cherries in one part of the cake.
Top tip: Cut larger pieces of dried fruit and nuts into smaller pieces before adding them. They’ll spread through the batter more evenly and make the finished loaf easier to slice.
Step 7: Fill the pan
Spoon the batter into your lined pan, gently pushing it into the corners. Smooth the top, then scatter over the extra fruit, nuts, and cherries.
You only need a light scattering on top. Leave some batter showing between the pieces.
Step 8: Bake the cake
Bake for 50-60 minutes. Before taking it out, push a skewer into the center and check that it comes out without wet batter.
A piece of fruit can leave a sticky mark on the skewer, so check another spot if you’re unsure. The middle matters more than how brown the top looks.
Top tip: If the top looks brown enough but the middle still needs time, loosely cover the cake with foil and carry on baking. This helps protect the top while the center finishes cooking.
Step 9: Let it cool, then slice
Leave the cake in the pan until it feels firm enough to lift without breaking. Carefully lift it out, peel away the paper, and put it on a wire rack to cool completely.
Try to hold off on cutting it while it’s warm. It’ll be easier to get neat slices once it’s cool, especially around the pieces of fruit. Use a sharp serrated knife and cut gently rather than pressing down hard.
Related Recipe: If you like your cake really packed with fruit, try my other fruit cake recipe here next. It has warm spices and orange and lemon zest for a more festive flavor. I prepare the fruit a little differently in that one, which helps make it so moist.
Easy Fruit Cake Recipe | Soft, Moist and Buttery
Moist fruit cake with dried fruit and nuts, no soaking needed.
7
servings20
minutes1
hour670
kcal1
hour20
minutesIngredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup milk
3 cups mixed dried fruits and nuts
a handful glacé cherries
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Beat softened butter with sugar for 3-4 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Add eggs and beat for 1-2 minutes until combined.
- Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold gently.
- Add vanilla extract, almond essence, and milk, then beat until smooth.
- Gently fold in mixed dried fruits and nuts, followed by candied cherries.
- Fill the lined pan with the batter, spread evenly, and smooth the top.
- Scatter extra dried fruit, nuts, and candied cherries over the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly in the pan, turn it out onto a wire rack, and cool before slicing.
Notes
- Swap fruit by weight: For a slightly tangy flavor, replace some of the raisins with the same weight of dried cranberries or dried cherries. Count these as part of your fruit mixture rather than adding them on top of the full amount.
- Rinse very sticky cherries: If your candied cherries have a thick coating of syrup, give them a quick rinse, then pat them thoroughly dry before chopping. This helps separate the sticky pieces so you can spread them through the batter
- Toast nuts for extra flavor: If you’re using walnuts or pecans, try toasting them before adding them to the batter. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 6-8 minutes, until they smell nutty and start to brown, then let them cool completely.
- Leave out almond essence: If you don’t enjoy almond flavor, simply leave out the ½ teaspoon of almond essence. Keep the vanilla as listed; you don’t need to replace that tiny amount of liquid.
- A cracked top is normal: A split along the top doesn’t mean you’ve ruined the cake. Loaf cakes often crack as the middle rises through the surface, so check the center with a skewer rather than judging doneness by the crack.
- Turn slices into dessert: For something a little more special, serve a slice with a spoonful of softly whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’d keep the cream unsweetened since the cake and candied fruit already bring plenty of sweetness.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 139 g
- Total number of serves: 7
- Calories: 670kcal
- Fat: 34g
- Carbohydrates: 89g
- Protein: 9g
Keeping the cake fresh
Wait until the cake is completely cool, then wrap it well and put it in an airtight container. Keep it somewhere cool in your kitchen and aim to enjoy it within 2-3 days. Once you’ve cut a slice, cover the cut end before putting the rest away.
If you need to keep it longer, wrap it well and refrigerate it for up to a week, following general guidance for unfrosted cakes. Let a slice sit out until it’s back at room temperature before eating it, so the cake has a chance to soften again.
Note: Baking it the day before you need it is fine. Let it cool, wrap it up, and leave it whole until you’re ready to serve. That also gets the baking out of the way if you’re expecting company.
More fruit cakes to try
If you like a cake with even more fruit, warm spices, and a little citrus, take a look at my other baking videos on my YouTube channel.
Let me know which fruit and nuts you use in yours, and if you have a question about the fruit cake recipe or video, leave it in the comments below or in the YouTube video comments, and I’ll try to help.