Fruitcake Recipe Easy : Quick & Simple Treat

Make fruitcake without the fuss! Discover our fruitcake recipe easy with simple ingredients for a flavorful, homemade dessert. Perfect for the holidays!

Fruitcake often gets a bad reputation. Some say it’s too dense, too dry, or too complicated to make. In fact, many people scare from baking fruitcake because they assume it’s a holiday dessert reserved for experienced bakers or takes hours of work in the kitchen. But here’s the good news: fruitcake doesn’t have to be complicated!

In this post, I’m going to show you an fruitcake recipe easy that is quick, delicious, and perfect for the holidays. This fruitcake recipe easy uses simple ingredients, requires minimal preparation time, and delivers a moist, flavorful fruitcake that everyone will love.

Why This Easy Fruitcake Recipe Works

If you’ve been put off by fruitcake in the past, it’s likely because you’ve encountered recipes that are unnecessarily complicated or don’t deliver great results. This fruitcake recipe easy is designed to take the stress out of the process. Here’s why it works:

1. Simple Ingredients: We keep it basic with pantry staples like flour, sugar, eggs, and dried fruit. No fancy or hard-to-find ingredients are needed!
2. Minimal Prep Time: Unlike traditional fruitcake recipes that require soaking fruits for days or long baking times, this fruitcake recipe easy can be whipped up in under 90 minutes.
3. Customizable: you can add or remove fruits, nuts, or spices to suit your taste. The flexibility of this fruitcake recipe easy means you can make it your own.

Ingredients Needed

Here’s what you’ll need for this fruitcake recipe easy. You can adjust based on what you have available or your personal preferences.

• 2 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, chopped dried apricots, or candied cherries)
• 1 cup mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, or pecans, roughly chopped)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice (optional)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup orange juice (or rum for an extra festive touch)
• 1 tbsp orange zest (optional)
• ¼ cup rum or fruit juice (for soaking the fruit, optional but recommended)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the Fruit & Nuts

Start by soaking your dried fruits. Place them in a small bowl and pour enough rum or orange juice over them to cover. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight for more flavor). This step ensures the fruits absorb moisture and stay juicy in the cake.

While the fruit is soaking, chop your nuts into smaller pieces. This adds a delightful crunch and texture to your fruitcake.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice (if using)and Set aside.

3. Make the Batter

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest (if using).

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—this will keep your fruitcake tender.

4. Fold in Fruit & Nuts

Once the batter is ready, gently fold in the soaked fruits and chopped nuts. The batter will be thick, but this is exactly what you want to ensure a dense, moist fruitcake.

5. Bake

Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a cake pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you’re using a larger or smaller pan, baking times may vary, so keep an eye on it.

6. Cool and Serve

Let the fruitcake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once it’s fully cooled, slice it up and enjoy! For extra moisture and flavor, you can brush the top of the cake with a little more rum or orange juice once it’s cooled.

For more such delicious and easy recipes, click here.

Tips for the Best Easy Fruitcake

• Soaking the fruit: Soaking the dried fruits in juice or rum adds moisture and enhances the flavor. If you don’t have time to soak overnight, a quick 30-minute soak will do the trick.
• Make it ahead: Fruitcake actually gets better after a few days! Making it ahead of time allows the flavors to meld together. Just wrap it tightly and store it in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• Storage: To keep your fruitcake fresh, wrap it in plastic wrap or foil and store it in an airtight container. It also freezes well for up to 3 months, so feel free to make it ahead for the holidays.
• Customization: You can customize it according to your preferred ingredients. You can swap in different dried fruits like cranberries or figs, add a handful of chocolate chips, or use different spices like ginger or cloves for added flavor.

Variation Ideas

• Add Dark Chocolate: For a rich twist, fold in some chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips.
• Use Different Fruits: Try swapping raisins for dried cranberries or adding dried pineapple for a tropical flavor.
• Add a Glaze: Brush the finished fruitcake with a honey or citrus glaze for an extra touch of sweetness and shine.

For a detailed fruitcake recipe, click here.

Conclusion

Fruitcake doesn’t have to be a complicated or dry holiday dessert. With this fruitcake recipe easy, you can create a moist, flavorful fruitcake in no time—perfect for sharing with friends and family this holiday season. Whether you make it ahead of time or bake it fresh for your next gathering, this fruitcake will be a hit!

Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns out. Happy baking!