• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Traditional Home Baking
  • Home
  • About
  • Reviews
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cake
  • Sheet Cakes and Tray Bakes
  • Loaf Cakes
  • Desserts
  • Books & Reviews
  • About
×

Home » Recipes » Cake

Light Fruit Cake Recipe

September 11, 2020 by Lynn Hill Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

421 shares
  • Share369
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Card

This moist, light Fruit Cake Recipe is a lovely alternative to other rich fruit laden Christmas cakes that are often eaten during the Festive Season. The addition of glacé cherries and an apricot glaze make it truly celebratory.

Baked Light Fruit Cake on a red serving mat

Did you know that fruit cake was banned in parts of Europe in the 1900s because it was deemed too decadent? I believe this pared down, rum free version would have assuaged the authorities.

This is one of my favourite fruit cake recipes to make. I make at least one or two a year. It's equally delicious without the Apricot Glaze and Glacé Cherries, although I think their addition makes this Christmas cake feel more special. 

Mixed fruit and citrus zest in a clear dish with a green lid on the side.

Step by Step Instructions for my Light Fruit Cake Recipe

Day 1:

In a large dish or bowl, add the mixed dried fruit, grated zest, and juice of the oranges and lemons. Give them a good stir then cover and leave to soak overnight.

TIP: You can let the fruit soak for up to 3 nights.

Day 2:

Preheat the oven to 170c fan assisted. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep sided 8inch cake tin with baking parchment.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, mixing until well combined.

TIP:  adding about 2 tablespoon of the flour after each egg will help prevent curdling.

While the mixer is on low speed, add the remaining flour. Mix until well combined. Add the chopped cherries, soaked fruit, and any residual liquid to the mixture. Mix until fully combined. Do not over mix.

christmas cake batter in a prepared tin lined with baking parchment

First bake:

Spoon the mixture onto the prepared tin, smoothing out the top of the cake using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Cover the top with a sheet of baking parchment to prevent burning and bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins.

IMPORTANT STEP: Change the temperature

After 30 mins, reduce the oven temperature to 150c fan assisted and bake for a further 2 hours & 50 mins or until baked, testing the centre of the cake, at different points with a skewer, until it comes out clean.

If needed bake for intervals of an extra 10 minutes until the cake is baked and the cake skewer comes out clean.

Leave in the tin to cool for 15 – 20 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fruit cake with a slice cut out

If you are making this fruit cake recipe for the holidays, I recommend going all out. Decorate with a glaze of gently warmed Apricot Jam and sliced Glacé cherries.

TIP: You can make this Christmas cake ahead to ease your holiday burden. This recipe will keep unglazed for up to a week if well wrapped and kept in an airtight container.

Christmas Cake Decorating Ideas

Should you choose to make this cake around Christmas time, here are a few Christmas Cake Decorating ideas that you may like to try.

Other Christmas recipes that you may like to try

  • Yorkshire Tea Loaf - You can use any flavoured tea for this recipe. Yorkshire Tea happens to be one of my favourite blends
  • Rich Fruit Christmas Cake - A deep richly fruitcake, ideal for covering with Marzipan and fondant icing.

Be sure to Pin this Fruit Cake recipe for later!

whole Fruit Cake on a red serving mat

Light Fruit Cake Recipe

Lynn Hill
This moist Light Fruit cake Recipe is a lovely alternative to other Rich Fruit Christmas cakes that are often eaten during the Festive Season. The mixed dried fruit is soaked overnight with the zest and juice of oranges and lemons, which plumps up the fruits giving the cake a good moist texture.
4.80 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 3 hrs 20 mins
Overnight soaking 12 hrs
Total Time 15 hrs 10 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 10
Calories 732 kcal

INGREDIENTS

  • 600 grams mixed dried fruits containing raisins sultanas and candid peel.
  • finely grated zest and juice of 2 medium oranges
  • finely grated zest and juice of 2 unwaxed lemons
  • 300 grams unsalted butter softened
  • 300 grams light brown sugar
  • 4 medium eggs lightly beaten
  • 350 grams plain flour sifted
  • 200 grams glacé cherries roughly chopped
  • 3 tbs apricot jam sieved
  • 20 glacé cherries cut in half, for decoration, optional
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • In a large dish or bowl add the mixed dried fruit, grated zest and juice of the oranges and lemons. Give them a good stir. Leave to soak overnight.
  • Following day after soaking the fruit overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 170c fan assisted. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep sided 8inch cake tin with baking parchment.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, mix until well combined, adding about 2 tablespoon of the flour at intervals to help prevent curdling.
  • While the mixer is on a low speed, add the remaining flour. Mix until well combined.
  • Add the chopped cherries, soaked fruit and any residual liquid, to the mixture. Mix until fully combined, do not over mix.
  • Spoon the mixture onto the prepared tin, smoothing out the top of the cake. Cover the top with a sheet of baking parchment to prevent burning and bake in a preheated oven for 30 mins.
  • After 30 mins, reduce the oven temperature to 150c fan assisted and bake for a further 2hours & 50 mins or until baked, testing the centre of the cake, at different points with a skewer, until it comes out clean.
  • Leave in the tin to cool for 15 – 20 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Decorate with a glaze of gently warmed Apricot jam and sliced Glacé cherries. Finish with a final glaze of Apricot Jam if you wish.

Notes

  • Covering the cake with parchment paper or a silicone sheet whilst baking helps prevent the cake over baking or burning on top.
  • Make Christmas easier by making the cake ahead of time. This cake will keep unglazed for up to a week if well wrapped and kept in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 732kcalCarbohydrates: 120gProtein: 8gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 46mgPotassium: 521mgFiber: 7gSugar: 74gVitamin A: 863IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 146mgIron: 3mg
Keyword fruit cake recipe, light fruit cake
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag it Today!Let me know how you got on. Tag me on Facebook at @TraditionalHomeBakingTHB and include hashtag #TraditionalHomeBaking

This recipe was first published in November 2017, but has since been updated in August 2020 with additional information making the post more user friendly to read.

« Orange Cake with Marmalade Glaze
Sticky Ginger Spice Cake »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

About

Here you will find easy to make, often step by step recipes that everyone can make at home.

Find recipes for the perfect Afternoon Tea, weekend bake, bake sales and more, including tried and tested easy recipes for the home cooks. Read More

Categories

Easter Baking Ideas

Branflake chocolate easter nests

Chocolate Easter Nests

Chocolate Bundt cake topped with ganache and chocolate eggs

Easter Bundt Cake

Chocolate Cake with Lindt Hazelnut chocolate spread filling. Decorated with mini sugar coated eggs.

Chocolate Cake filled with Hazelnut chocolate spread.

Simnel Cake with Hollow Chocolate Eggs.

Simnel Cake topped with Marzipan and Hollow Chocolate Eggs

More Easter Baking

Scone Recipes

Buttered Chocolate Chop Scone on a white platescone

Chocolate Chip Scones with Buttermilk

Buttered treacle and Ginger scone on a plate

Treacle and Ginger Scones

Cheese and Herb Scones with butter on the side.

Cheese and Herb Scones

Plate of scones with slices of banana

Buttermilk and Honey Scones

More scone recipes

Footer

? back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • About

As Featured on foodgawker. Daily Mail. BuzzFeed. The Guardian. Washington Post.

Copyright © Traditional Home Baking 2021 • All Rights Reserved

421 shares
  • 369Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest