Here is my take on a Christmas Fruit Cake. This cake is buttery, packed with fruit, and perfectly festive.
This cake truly celebrates fruit: raisins, sweet shredded coconut, freshly squeezed orange juice and bright orange zest. Those elements combine into a rich, fruity flavor that feels like a holiday party with every bite.
If you prefer, swap in other dried fruits to amplify the Christmas spirit. Just keep the total amount of fruit to about one cup so the cake stays balanced and the texture remains tender.
I prefer a non-alcohol version of this cake, so the recipe uses orange juice instead of rum. If you want an adult, boozy cake, you can substitute rum for the orange juice.
Make-ahead tip: bake the cake well before the holidays, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw on Christmas morning for an effortless, delicious treat.
Serving idea: pair this cake with a simple, cozy breakfast like warm beignets for a festive Christmas morning.
How to Make a Christmas Fruit Cake
Overview of the steps:
1. Cream softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs, orange juice and orange zest until just combined.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder, grated nutmeg and salt, then mix into the wet ingredients without overmixing.
4. Fold in raisins, shredded coconut and any other dried fruit you choose (total fruit about 1 cup).
5. Transfer the batter to a greased 9-inch pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake in a preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar if desired before slicing and serving.
When cooled, the cake slices neatly and makes a beautiful addition to any holiday table.
Christmas Fruit Cake
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Ingredients
- 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)
- ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from about 1 orange)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground or grated nutmeg
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan with butter and dust it with a little flour.
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In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. An electric mixer makes this quick, but you can use a fork if needed.
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Add the eggs, orange zest and orange juice, mixing until just combined.
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Stir in nutmeg, then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until the batter is combined and no streaks of flour remain, but avoid overmixing. Fold in the raisins and shredded coconut gently.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, level the top, and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing.
Notes
2. The batter is thicker than many cake batters — that’s normal. The richness from the butter keeps the cake moist and tender.
3. If you prefer a less sweet cake, reduce the sugar slightly and skip dusting with powdered sugar.
4. You can substitute other dried fruit, but keep the total fruit quantity near 1 cup to maintain the right balance.
Nutrition
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