Here is my take on a Christmas Fruit Cake. The cake is buttery, fruity and so Christmassy!
And when I say fruity, I mean it is practically a fruit party in the mouth loaded with raisins, shredded coconut (my fave!), freshly squeezed orange juice, and orange zest. These flavors pair well together yielding a fruity taste that is to die for.
However feel free to use other dried fruits you can lay your hands on so you can make it even more Christmassy! Just make sure all the fruits you use in this recipe don’t go above one cup. That way the fruits are not more than needed.
I really wanted to make a Christmas Fruit Cake without alcohol. Most online recipes call for rum. A boozy cake is not my thing but if you want a boozy cake then feel free to substitute the orange juice for rum in this recipe.
Here is a tip for you: make this Christmas Fruit Cake way ahead of time for Christmas then wrap it with a plastic wrap and keep in the freezer. Take it out to thaw on Christmas morning for an easy breezy Christmas treat!
Another tip for you: serve these beignets for Christmas morning breakfast. They are to die for!
How to Make a Christmas Fruit Cake
Here is a rundown of how to make a Christmas Fruit Cake:
1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add eggs, orange juice, orange zest then mix together until just combined.
3. Add flour, baking powder, grated (or ground) nutmeg and salt then mix until just combined.
4. Fold in raisins and shredded coconut plus other dried fruits if using.
5. Place batter in a greased pan and level the top.
6. Place in a preheated oven to bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
When your cake cools completely, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top if desired then slice up and serve.
This Christmas Fruit Cake is filled with some of my favorite fruits: shredded coconut, raisins, fresh orange juice plus orange and freshly grated nutmeg which ties everything together. It is basically a Christmas party in the mouth.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup butter - softened at room temp (2 sticks or approx 226g)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 orange)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees C). Rub a 9-inch baking pan with some of the butter then dust the pan with some of the flour.
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Place sugar and butter in a bowl then cream together until fluffy. I use an electric mixer to ensure it turns out fluffy with me sweating me out with my hands (it is quite a workout!) However if you do not have a mixer, use a fork to cream them together.
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Add the eggs, orange zest and orange juice then mix until just combined.
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Add the nutmeg then sieve in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until just combined and you can't see any more flour but be careful not to overmix. Add the raisins and coconut then gently fold in until just combined.
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Pour the batter into prepared pan and level the top. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
1. I love grating my own nutmeg for this recipe because that way, the flavor is more intense. However, if you can't find whole nutmeg, feel free to use pre-ground nutmeg.
2. Note that the batter for this Christmas Fruit Cake is thicker than you will expect a cake batter to be. It is not runny/dripping. And that's okay! It turns out perfectly melt-in-your-mouth buttery because of all the butter in it. It is also great for soaking up rum if you intend to go down that route!
3. This cake is a little on the sweet side for those who do not have a sweet tooth. Feel free to cut down on the sugar if you do not want it too sweet or do not sprinkle it with powdered sugar.
4. You could use other dried fruits you like. Just make sure all the fruits in the recipe stay at about 1 cup.
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