Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe - The Foreign Fork (2024)

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This Christmas Fruit Cake is a wonderful staple in the homes of Canadians during some of their most special days. Packed with dried fruits such as pineapples, cherries, raisins and dates, mixed with pecans and soaked in rum, this recipe tastes unique and delicious. Try it with a cup of tea!

Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe - The Foreign Fork (1)

“Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!”

She’s back, ladies and gents!! Aunt Lori is back in the Foreign Fork kitchen today, and she is going to be teaching us how to make traditional Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake.

Christmas Fruit Cake in Canada is a long-standing tradition in the country. The fun part? The country is hugely divided on it. Many love the fruit cake and the nostalgia that it brings, while others can’t even get themselves to taste it. Still, though, Christmas fruit cake is a must in the homes of many Canadians during the holiday season.

Aunt Lori’s recipe for Canadian fruit cake features candied cherries, candied pineapple, various other candied fruits, and pecans. The cake is cooked with a water bath so as to keep the dough moist and delicious.

Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe - The Foreign Fork (2)

Wedding Traditions

Not only is this recipe a great holiday treat, it’s also a Canadian wedding tradition! In Canada, many couples will pass out fruit cake to their guests. They will ask their guests to sleep with the cake under their pillow that night as a token of good luck for the new couple.

On the couple’s one year wedding anniversary, they will normally eat a slice of their wedding fruit cake in celebration!

What is In this Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake?

Butter or margarine
Lemon juice
Baking powder
Eggs
Granulated sugar
Flour
Seeded raisins
Dates
Mixed candied fruit
Candied cherries (red and green)
Candied pineapple
Chopped pecans

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How Do I Make Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake?

Rinse the candied fruit with water. Then soak the fruit in rum overnight to remove the stickiness and rehydrate.

Mix all of the dried fruit in a bowl. Sift one cup of reserved flour over fruit and mix until all of the fruit is coated in flour.

In a separate, VERY large bowl, cream together butter and eggs.

Add the lemon juice and beat again.

Add sugar, flour, and baking powder and beat until creamy and smooth.

Mix all fruit and nuts into the batter by hand.

Line wax paper into two 10.5”x5” loaf pans and 4 individual loaf pans and divide the batter among them.

Fill a 9×13 pan with water and place it in the bottom of the oven as a “water bath” for the cakes.

Put the cakes in the oven and bake at 250 degrees for about 2.5 hours, or until a toothpick is removed clean.

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How to Store Christmas Fruit Cake

It is vital to know how to store your Christmas fruit cake properly, because it is almost NEVER eaten the same day that it is made. Typically, Christmas fruit cake “ripens” for at least a month before consumption, but some people choose to let their cake rest for up to four months.

To correctly store the Christmas fruit cake, first wrap it very tightly in wax paper. Then, wrap that in aluminum foil, making certain that there are no holes or air pockets.

Keep the cake in your fridge for the desired amount of time. The longer you “ripen” the cake, the more flavor it will have when you finally eat it!

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Christmas Fruit Cake with Rum

You can choose to store your Christmas fruit cake with the process I described above, OR you could take the entire process a step further with “feeding” your cake.

During the process of feeding your Christmas cake, you periodically soak the cake with more rum (or your alcohol of choice). When it comes time to eat your cake, it will taste distinctly of rum! This process normally takes about a month, but can extend for up to 3 months.

To begin, first wrap your cake in a rum-soaked cheesecloth. Then follow the previously mentioned steps of wrapping it next in wax paper and, finally, in aluminum foil. Continue to store it in the fridge between “feeding” sessions.

Every week, remove the cake from the fridge and unwrap. Use a skewer to poke holes into the top of the cake about every two inches. The holes should extend halfway down into the cake.

Use a spoon to scoop rum and pour into each hole of the cake. Before re-wrapping, use a pastry brush to brush the remaining rum into the surface of the cake. Rewrap and place in the fridge again.


Continue this process until the Christmas fruit cake is ready for consumption. As aforementioned, this process can last anywhere from 1-3 months, depending on how strongly you would like your cake to taste of rum.

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Why is My Christmas Fruit Cake Crumbly?

If your Christmas fruit cake is crumbly, you most likely didn’t add enough moisture into the batter/cooking process. Luckily, this recipe is designed to keep your cake beautifully moist.


First, soaking the fruit in the rum overnight rehydrates it. This means that the cake will not need to pull moisture from the fruit!

Secondly, the water bath ensures that your cake recipe is surrounded by moisture while cooking, therefore keeping your cake wonderfully moist as well.

If you liked this Christmas fruit cake recipe, be sure to check out these other great dessert recipes as well!:

  • Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Belize
  • Easy Bread Pudding Recipe with Vanilla Sauce
  • Chocolate Glazed Donut Recipe
  • How to Make Candied Nuts
  • Butter Tarts from Canada

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Christmas Fruit Cake

This Christmas Fruit Cake is a wonderful staple in the homes of Canadians during some of their most special days. Packed with dried fruits such as pineapples, cherries, raisins and dates, mixed with pecans and soaked in rum, its taste is unique and delicious. Try it with a cup of tea!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: baking, Dessert

Cuisine: canada, canadian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 36 slices

Calories: 441kcal

Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

Ingredients

Batter Ingredients

  • 1 lb butter or margarine, softened
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 10 eggs, beaten lightly
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 cups flour, leave one cup reserved

Mix-Ins

  • 2 lbs seeded raisins
  • 2 lbs dates
  • 1 lb mixed candied fruit
  • 1 lb candied cherries, red and green
  • ½ lb candied pineapple, chopped in slices
  • ½ lb chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Rinse the candied fruit with water. Then soak the fruit in rum overnight to remove the stickiness and rehydrate.

  • Mix all of the dried fruit in a bowl. Sift one cup of reserved flour over fruit and mix until all of the fruit is coated in flour.

  • In a separate, VERY large bowl, cream together butter and eggs.

  • Add the lemon juice and beat again.

  • Add sugar, flour, and baking powder and beat until creamy and smooth.

  • Add all fruit and nuts into the batter and combine by hand.

  • Line wax paper into two 10.5”x5” loaf pans and 4 individual loaf pans and divide the batter among them.

  • Fill a 9×13 pan with water and place it in the bottom of the oven as a “water bath” for the cakes.

  • Put the cakes in the oven and bake at 250 degrees for about 2.5 hours, or until a toothpick is removed clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 192mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 565IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 2mg

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Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe - The Foreign Fork (2024)

FAQs

What alcohol is good for fruit cake? ›

Other good choices of booze include brandy, rum, or whiskey. Feel free to use one or a mix of these to best complement your fruitcake. Once you've chosen the liquor, bake the cake, poke holes throughout the whole thing, and pour a few tablespoons of the alcohol over it. Or, you can brush the cake with the alcohol.

How much alcohol do you use to soak fruit for Christmas cake? ›

How much alcohol do you soak fruit it for Christmas cake? The amount of alcohol you soak fruit in for Christmas cake depends on your personal preference. If you want a strong alcohol flavor, soak the fruit in a cup of brandy or rum. If you prefer a milder flavor, soak the fruit in a cup of orange juice or apple cider.

How long should fruitcake be aged? ›

Fruitcake aficionados will tell you that the best fruit cakes are matured – or “seasoned” in fruitcake lingo – for at least three months before they are cut. Seasoning not only improves the flavor of the fruitcake, but it makes it easier to slice.

Is October too early to make Christmas cake? ›

This is a question I get asked a lot and my answer is early November. Yes this seems early, but there are two key things that make a Christmas cake extra tasty and that is…

How do you keep fruit cake moist after baking? ›

We recommend wrapping your fruitcake in plastic wrap before placing it in an airtight container. Then, place that container in the fridge. Doing this can ensure your fruitcake stays fresh for up to two months.

How do you keep fruit cake moist with alcohol? ›

When cooled, remove cakes from pans and remove parchment paper. Brush cakes generously with sweet sherry, brandy, rum, port, liqueur or fruit juice; do not use wine. Using fruit juice can increase the chances of your fruitcake going mouldy. Wrap each cake in several layers of cheesecloth and then in plastic wrap.

Can I use whiskey instead of brandy in a fruit cake? ›

Soak all your dried fruits in your spirit of choice – whisky or brandy would be the most traditional options, though other aged spirits like rum also work, and sweeter additions like sherry, Cointreau or amaretto will add their own character.

Is brandy or whiskey better for fruit cake? ›

Whiskey serves as a great substitute for brandy in a fruitcake. Although whiskey comes from fermented grain mash while brandy is made from fermented grape mash, the process is so similar, that the flavor will be similar as well.

Can you put too much brandy in a Christmas cake? ›

It's possible to overfeed your cake, which will make it stodgy and wet. Our advice is to feed it once after it's initially baked, then no more than four times during the maturation period. Try a teaspoonful of whichever alcohol you've chosen before you begin feeding your cake to test its strength.

Why is my Christmas fruit cake dry? ›

Don't Over-Bake

If you're looking for a dry cake, simply over-bake it! In all seriousness though, over-baking cakes dry them out. It could only be a 30 second window between perfectly baked and over-baked, so make sure you're keeping an eye on the cake. Begin checking it 1-2 minutes before the recipe instructs.

When should you start soaking fruit for Christmas cake? ›

For making Christmas fruit cake and plum cake, fruits should be soaked in alcoholic beverage for atleast one week and can be stored for a few weeks or months. It is ideal to leave the fruits soaking for 4-5 weeks before baking rich fruit cake.

Can fruitcake go bad? ›

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these seemingly indestructible pastries typically stay fresh for six months in the pantry and up to a year when refrigerated. But anecdotally we know that they can last for decades; some of the oldest have been preserved for more than a century.

Why is my fruitcake dry and crumbly? ›

Cakes crumble because they've dried out too much. From years of baking, I know that dry cakes happen for one of two reasons; using too much of your dry ingredients or over-baking your cake.

Should fruitcake be refrigerated? ›

For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.

Why are Christmas cakes made so early? ›

The reason why they are traditionally baked so early is so the fruit mixture can mature in the tin and be 'fed' with alcohol before it is enjoyed during the festive season. Therefore, the longer you are able to do this, the richer and more delicious it will be.

How do you keep Christmas cake fresh? ›

Once cut, Christmas cakes will store well if wrapped and kept in an airtight container. For longer storage of Christmas cakes wrap closely in kitchen foil and freeze. To serve an iced fruit cake that has been stored for a long time, unwrap it and remove the old icing and marzipan.

When should you start making a Christmas pudding? ›

Traditional Christmas pudding is the original make-ahead dessert. It is meant to be made on the last Sunday before Advent, or five weeks before Christmas. The pudding should be stored in a cool, dry place until Christmas day. All you need to do is reheat it before serving.

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