This Christmas Fruitcake is a dense yet moist cake chockful of dried fruits and nuts laced with liquor. It's a festive baked treat that's delicious as a dessert and perfect for holiday gift-giving!
I used to visit my mom in the Philippines at least twice a year, but I was not always able to take the trip around the holidays. Christmastime is a busy season for us food bloggers, and I usually spend the last quarter of the year cooped up at home, testing and developing new Noche Buena recipes for the blog, such as oven-roasted pig head, pasta fruit salad, and bibingka.
One year, though, I came prepared and adequately armed for work. I brought along my camera, tripod, and laptop. I also made a background board and bought a few plates, bowls, and props to use for photography. I was staying for three months, so I thought I might as well combine business with pleasure and make some recipes.
As if on cue, a high school classmate messaged me on Facebook asking if I'd be interested in taking some baking classes. She runs a home-based bakeshop, so I was excited to learn from her. I have several tasty baked goodies I'd love for you to try, like ube pandesal and coconut macaroons, and I'm eager to add this fruitcake she taught me to the list!
What is fruitcake
A fruitcake is a type of bread made with dried fruits, nuts, and spices. It's traditionally served for wedding celebrations and during the Christmas season.
Depending on the regional variation, texture can range from light and airy crumbs to rich and dense. Some are topped with nuts and glazed fruits; others are covered in buttercream or ganache fondant, while the more traditional ones are brushed with orange marmalade and then wrapped in Marzipan and Royal Icing.
Although some versions are alcohol-free, fruitcakes are usually laced with spirits such as bourbon, rum, brandy, whiskey, or flavored liqueurs, which, along with the spices, give them their distinct flavor. The nuts and dried fruits are soaked in alcohol, preferably overnight, to soften and moisten the cake.
Christmas fruitcake baking steps
- Soak the dried fruits and nuts in liquor overnight or for two to three days in a non-reactive bowl to rehydrate and prevent them from drawing moisture from the cake batter.
- In another bowl, combine margarine, sugar, syrup, eggs, orange concentrate, molasses, and two tablespoons of brandy. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Beat until well-blended.
- Add ยฝ of the fruit and nut mixture and stir to combine. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of the loaf pans with shortening and line with parchment paper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans up to โ full, spooning half the fruit and nut mixture over the batter. Decorate with glazed cherries. Bake in a preheated 300 F oven for 1 ยฝ to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully lift the fruitcakes from the baking pans and let them cool completely. Brush all sides with brandy or rum.
Aging the fruitcake
After baking, the cakes are wrapped in liquor-soaked cheesecloth/muslin or brushed liberally with the alcohol and wrapped tightly. This step of the aging process acts as a preservative treatment that prevents yeast and mold growth and hinders spoilage. Don't touch the fruitcake with bare hands, and use clean gloves to prevent the introduction of bacteria.
Baking tips
- Line the baking pans with parchment paper on all sides to prevent the batter from drying out and the outer edges from burning due to the long baking time.
- To prevent excessive browning, use shortening instead of butter to grease the pans lightly.
- Bake low and slow at 300 F to 325 F. Place a pan of hot water on the oven floor to keep the cake nice and moist.
Non-alcoholic fruitcake
You can use fruit juices like apple, grape, cranberry, or orange for fruitcakes without alcohol. Please note that these cakes lack the bacteria-inhibiting properties of high alcohol content. To prolong shelf life, you can add ยฝ teaspoon potassium sorbate.
How to serve
Give this Christmas fruitcake a try. It's a festive addition to your holiday dessert menu and perfect for gift-giving. Enjoy a slice or two with coffee, tea, or tsokolate for a delicious treat any time of the day!
How to store
- Between servings, wrap the fruitcake in plastic film and put it in an airtight container to retain moisture and prevent the cake from drying. Store in a cool, dry place for up to one week. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 2 months.
- You can also freeze the fruitcake for up to 4 months. Wrap it in plastic film and aluminum foil, ensuring the cake and foil do not come in contact.
More baked goods
Ingredients
- ยผ cup margarine, melted
- ยฝ cup brown sugar, packed
- ยผ cup light syrup
- 2 eggs (about โ cup)
- ยผ cup orange concentrate
- ยผ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1 โ cup flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon nutmeg
- โ teaspoon allspice
- 3 teaspoons glazed cherries
Fruit and Nuts Mixture
- 2 cups glazed fruits
- 1 cup raisins or sultanas
- ยฝ cup pitted dates
- 1 cup toasted almonds or cashews
- 1 cup pili nuts
- ยฝ cup brandy
Instructions
- In a non-reactive bowl, combine dried fruits, nuts, and the ยฝ cup brandy. Soak overnight.
- Preheat oven to 300 F to 325 F.
- Lightly grease sides and bottom of three 6 x 3 x 2 loaf pans with shortening and line with parchment paper or brown baking paper. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine margarine, sugar, syrup, eggs, orange concentrate, molasses, and 2 tablespoons brandy. With an electric mixer, beat until well blended.
- Add flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. Beat until well-blended.
- Add ยฝ the fruit and nut mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pans until they are โ full. Spoon the remaining half of the fruit and nut mixture over the batter. Decorate with glazed cherries.
- Place the pans in the preheated oven. Place a separate pan of water in the oven on a rack underneath the fruitcake.
- Bake for 1 ยฝ to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, place on a wire rack, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Carefully lift the fruitcakes from baking pans and let cool completely.
- Brush all sides with brandy or rum.
- Wrap with muslin or cheesecloth and store at room temperature in a styrofoam box or tin can.
- Brush fruitcake with brandy every week for four weeks, then every two weeks.
Notes
- If unable to find pili nuts, substitute pecans or walnuts.ย
- Line the baking pans with parchment paper on all sides to prevent the batter from drying out and the outer edges from burning due to the long baking time.
- To prevent excessive browning, use shortening instead of butter to grease the pans lightly.
- Bake low and slow at 300 F to 325 F. Place a pan of hot water on the oven floor to keep the cake nice and moist.
- Use clean gloves to handle the fruitcake to prevent contamination and introduction of bacteria.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Haydee says
Thank you so much for this recipe. Itโs amazing! Iโve been wanting to bake one but havenโt found a recipe that is the same as the one my sister makes during Christmas in the Philippines. This is really good!
Eula says
I lost our old recipe and it looks similar. I'll be using this for the holiday season! May I know how many pans this recipe can fill up? Thanks and happy holidays! ๐
Yang says
Hi. I used this recipe and when I baked then in my oven, the batter covered all of the toppings. I used up and down heat. Can you tell me where I went wrong?
Norris says
Hi. Thanks for sharing this recipe?what size is your loaf pan?and how many did the recipe yield?thanks alot.
Mia Padilla says
Hi, what orange concentrate you used? Is it the likes of Sunquick? thanks
Tina ampaya says
Where can I buy your fruitcake?
Marissa says
Hello Lalaine.. Thank u for sharing ur recipe.. โค๏ธ I don't have molasses can I bake it without it?
Angela says
How many loaves can this recipe make?
Lennie Reyes says
For how many weeks do we need to store and brush the cake with alcohol till its ready to cobsume?
Hope says
Is light "corn" syrup okay to use for this recipe? Also, was that dark brown sugar or light brown sugar? Thanks!
Dq12 says
Hi! How long can I bake it before christmas and how many weeks should I keep brushig with brandy?
Ronak Mehta says
The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best fruit cake. Lovely!!
Amara says
Hi Lalaine, thanks for sharing! It looks identical to the one I had growing up. I'll give it a try one of these days. Where do you get your glazed/candied fruit mix and glazed cherries? I think I'll know it when I see it, but I wanna make sure I get the right thing. Thank you!
Lalaine Manalo says
I made this fruitcake with a highschool friend of mine who has a home-based bakeshop. I believe she bought them from a baking supply store here in Tarlac. I do find them at major supermarkets in the U.S. like Walmart. Happy baking!
Kat says
Hi! Thank you for posting this recipe because I definitely miss the fruit cakes in the Philippines!! Nothing like it here in the US. Question though, is the light syrup same as light corn syrup? And what brand of orange concentrate would you recommend? Thank you!