Equipped with an array of dried fruits, I set out to make some healthier recipes by involving a larger component of natural fruits and cutting down on the sugar and butter factor whenever possible. I am so proud of this Fruit Cake and since it is different from the traditional Christmas fruit cake, I am putting my name on it to differentiate it!

Javier’s Fruit Cake Recipe

Well first of all, there was no alcohol used in the entire process. Being a student, I can’t afford to be eating an alcohol-soaked fruit cake and still be paying attention in class, no way! Next, this is actually closer to a pound or a butter cake than the traditional fruit cake.

This cake will definitely serve as a good memory for me in the future too, especially considering how I actually spent almost the entire afternoon taking photographs of it since the sunlight was too harsh. I was only satisfied with the two images, the top, and one that will follow this text! I like both equally!

Fruit Cake by Bakeomaniac

As per usual, I will be breaking down this recipe sharing into the taste and texture, ingredients and method of preparation so that it will be easy to digest on your end!

For the taste and texture, this is a lightly buttery cake that is not overly sweet. The main component of sweetness comes from the dried fruits that you are using, and it will be accompanied by a lightly buttery background.

This is especially so when dried fruits, without their water content, have a higher concentration of sugar!

The main flavour will definitely come from that of your fruits and depending on how much fruits you used. Personally, I chose currants and cranberries, two of my favourites!

Next, for the ingredients.

The amount of dried fruits and nuts you are using are pretty much fixed. I will recommend it between 200-225g. I did try going more before and it made the cake extremely crumbly when eating. The cake factor is also overwhelmed and it felt like I was just eating a bowl of dried fruits!

However, there is a large degree of flexibility in the choice of dried fruits and nuts. Feel free to mix and match according to your likes though I would always strongly recommend keeping to a maximum of three, with the ingredient having the most prominent flavour added the least.

While it is highly possible to use fresh fruits, I would advice against that. This is because for this cake recipe, it is likely that the fruits will shrink during the baking process, creating large crevices / holes which will make the cake look unappealing. Nonetheless, if you like that, go for it!

For the method, there is nothing much that I would like to emphasize except for one point.

Refrigeration of the cake is needed here for neater cutting. What I did was to seal the cake with plastic wrap after it is out for an hour, and refrigerated it for between 8-12 hours. You can experiment whether it is ready to slice when by cutting a small portion of the corners. If there are a lot of crumbs, either refrigerate it longer or place it in the freezer for about an hour instead.

Do make sure to tightly wrap it with plastic or in a container so that the cake does not dry out or absorb any weird scents from your refrigerator!

Without further ado, let me share the recipe!

Javier’s Fruit Cake Recipe
by Javier Tan April-14-2019

A light and fluffy Fruit Cake that is well-balanced for the flavour of the dried fruits to shine with a delectable and slightly buttery background!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup or 120g Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup or 100g Granulated White Sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups + 1 Tablespoon or 180g All Purpose/Plain Flour, Sifted
  • 3/4 Teaspoon or 3g Baking Powder, Sifted
  • 1/4 Teaspoon or 1.4g Table Salt
  • 1/3 Cup or 80ml Full Cream Milk, Room Temperature
  • 2 Large Eggs, Room Temperature, 55g each
  • 1 Teaspoon or 5 Vanilla Extract or 8-9 ml of Vanilla Essence
  • 200g-215g or about 1 and 1/2 Cups Dried Fruits and Nuts of your choice. I chose currants and cranberries!
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C and line your 8 x 8 inches baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the unsalted butter slightly for a couple of minutes to fluff it up and loosen it.
  3. Add in the sugar to the butter and cream both together until light and fluffy.
  4. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Mixing well is important at this stage!
  5. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and mix well.
  6. Mix in the milk and mix well.
  7. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder and mix well.
  8. Sift in the flour and baking powder mixture into the batter. Do not mix yet at this point.
  9. Place the dried fruits and nuts on top of the flour, then mix them all together until there are no longer any dry ingredients. This allows the dried fruits to be coated so that it will not sink to the bottom when baked.
  10. Transfer the batter to your lined baking tray and hit it against the counter a few times to dislodge excessive air bubbles. I did it in two separate times.11. Bake the cake at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes and then reducing it to 160 degrees C to continue baking it 27-29 minutes (total 37-39). Continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. If nearing 50 minutes and the toothpick comes out with just very fine lumps, it is considered fully baked as well.
  11. Cool at room temperature for an hour before serving. I suggest refrigerating it for easier and neater cutting (read notes point 3!).
Details
  • Prep time:
  • Cook time:
  • Total time:
  • Yield: 1 8 x 8 Inches Cake

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Do take note that if your cake has small little holes in it, it is perfectly alright but you can minimize it by following the methods suggested on the read up!
  3. Store at room temperature for up to 6 days. For neater cutting, wrap it in plastic wrap and store for about 8-12 hours before slicing it. Test using the corners and if its still crumbly, transfer it to the freezer for an hour. Make sure to store it well to prevent drying out.

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan