Non-Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake
User Reviews
4.4
Non-Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake
Description
The cake starts with creaming soft unsalted butter with muscovado sugar, eggs, and a blend of warm spices including allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. Adding all-purpose flour and baking powder creates the structure, which is then folded together with a generous quantity of dried fruits such as cranberries, currants, sultanas or raisins, and chopped glace cherries. This mixture yields a dense, moist batter that bakes slowly at a low temperature around 140°C (280°F) for two to two and a quarter hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the texture to become firm but tender.
This fruit cake is suitable for holiday celebrations where alcohol is avoided but a traditional spiced and fruity cake is desired. It can be served sliced on its own or with accompaniments like cream or custard. The spice blend enriches the fragrance and taste without overpowering the fruit, allowing its sweetness to shine.
Alternatives include using a standard cake tin or springform pan with adjustments to baking time, replacing muscovado with brown sugar plus molasses for similar flavor, and substituting some dried fruit with nuts like walnuts or pecans. Weighing ingredients ensures consistent results, especially important in baking this type of dense cake.
Ingredients
- 250 g butter 9 oz/ 1 cup + 1½ tablespoon, soft, Note 2, unsalted
- 200 g muscovado sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup, Note 3
- 4 egg
- 250 g all-purpose flour 9 oz/ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- nutmeg a few gratings; fresh
- 100 g dried cranberries 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
- 150 g currants 5.5 oz/ ¾ cup, dried
- 250 g sultana 9 oz/ 1 ¼ cups, or raisins
- 100 g glace cherries 3.5 oz/ ½ cup, Note 4, chopped
- icing sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°C. Butter the springform and line its bottom with parchment paper.
- Batter: Place the soft butter, muscovado sugar, eggs, flour, salt, all-spice, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well.250 g unsalted butter/ 1 cup +1 tablespoon butter + 200 g muscovado sugar/ 1 cup + 4 eggs + 250 g all-purpose flour/ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour + 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder + pinch of salt + ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice + ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
- Add cranberries, currants, sultanas or raisins, and glace cherries.100 g dried cranberries/ ½ cup + 150 g dried currants/ ¾ cup + 250 g sultanas or raisins/ 1¼ cup + 100 g chopped glacé cherries/ ½ cup
- Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 2 to 2 ¼ hours or until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Check the cake after one hour or so and loosely cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
- Let the cake cool in the baking dish, then turn it out.
- Serve: You can serve the Christmas fruit cake immediately, but it is even better if served the next day. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving, if desired.
- Make in advance: If you make it one day in advance, let it cool completely, wrap it in aluminum foil, and leave it at room temperature until the next day.
Notes
- You can bake the cake in an 8½–9-inch cake tin or springform; reduce baking time and start checking doneness after about 1 hour 50 minutes.
- Using a digital kitchen scale helps achieve accurate measurements, which improves baking outcomes.
- Muscovado sugar can be substituted with brown sugar minus one tablespoon plus one tablespoon molasses for a similar taste.
- Replace some glace cherries with candied peel or dried nuts like walnuts or pecans for variation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 781 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 781kcal | 39% |
| Carbohydrates | 145g | 48% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Cholesterol | 128mg | 43% |
| Sodium | 122mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 118g | 236% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.4
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