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Pumpkin Fruitcake
4.8 from 12 votes

Pumpkin Fruitcake

Try this moist pumpkin fruitcake with lots of dried fruit. This rich cake is perfect for Christmas and a nice change from a traditional fruitcake.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 14 slices
Calories: 295 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Fruitcake (Notes 1,2)
  • 180 g butter very soft, ¾ cup, unsalted
  • 150 g brown sugar ¾ cup
  • 3 large egg room temperature
  • 225 g pumpkin canned or homemade, 1 cup, puree
  • 250 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon salt fine sea salt
  • 150 ml milk ⅔ cup
  • 75 g raisins ⅓ cup, Note 3,4
  • 75 g cranberries ⅓ cup
  • 75 g apricots chopped, ⅓ cup
Glaze (Note 5):
  • 100 g icing sugar 1 cup
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • more dried fruit or nuts to top, optional, chopped

Instructions

Fruitcake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preparations: Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Grease and line the springform with parchment paper.
  2. Make the batter: Place the soft butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix until creamy. Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.180 g unsalted butter/ ¾ cup + 150 g brown sugar/ ¾ cup + 3 large eggs + 225 g pumpkin puree/ 1 cup
  3. Dry ingredients: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, dried ginger, and salt. Measure the milk in a jug.250 g all-purpose flour/ 2 cups + 2 teaspoons baking powder + ¼ teaspoon baking soda + 2 teaspoons cinnamon + 2 teaspoons all-spice + ¼ teaspoon nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon dried ginger + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + 150 ml milk/ ⅔ cup
  4. Alternating, start adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter-egg mixture. Fold in the dried fruit (and any other additions).75 g raisins/ ⅓ cup + 75 g cranberries/ ⅓ cup + 75 g apricots/ ⅓ cup
  5. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. The cake is dense and moist, and the baking time depends on the oven, the size of the springform, and especially on the wetness of the pumpkin puree.
Glaze:
  1. Mix the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Only add the 3rd tablespoon if necessary. The glaze should be thick and slightly pourable.100 g icing sugar + 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  2. Glaze the fruitcake. If desired, top with chopped dried fruit or nuts. Do this immediately while the glaze is still soft. more chopped dried fruit or nuts
  3. Optional decoration: You can also lightly sprinkle the cake with icing sugar instead of glazing. The cake can also be covered with a thin layer of buttercream and fondant or marzipan.

Notes

  • Measurements: I recommend using a kitchen scale (Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to measure the ingredients; it guarantees the best results. 
  • Make ahead: The cake should be baked at least one day in advance. You should only cut it after 24 hours.
  • Other dried fruits can be used instead, such as dates, cherries, barberries, mulberries, and prunes.
  • Additions: You can also add a small handful of chopped walnuts/pecans/almonds or dark chocolate chips.
  • The glaze and topping are entirely optional. Alternative: sprinkle the cooled fruitcake with icing sugar or glaze and top the cake with chopped walnuts/pecans/roasted almonds.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 295kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 44g (15%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g (24%) Cholesterol 68mg (23%) Sodium 156mg (7%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 26g (52%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 14 slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 295

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 295kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Cholesterol 68mg 23%
Sodium 156mg 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 26g 52%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.