Easy Light Fruit Cake
It’s not Christmas without the Christmas Cake or Fruitcake. Here is the RECIPE for a lighter version of the Christmas Cake, the Light Fruit Cake. It is basically a butter cake with fruit mix added. This is an easy recipe with no egg separation.
Recipe by Mama Ding
Total Time | 1 hr 40 mins
Prep Time | 20 mins
Cook Time | 1 hr 20 mins
Yields : 1 cake (20cm/8 inch square)
Ingredients
250 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) butter, softened
125 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
240 g (2 cup) cake flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
125 ml (1/2 cup) milk
540 g (3 cup) fruit mix, soaked in brandy or orange juice for at least 3 days
Method
01 Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F. Lightly grease or line a 20 cm/8 inch square baking pan.
Using your mixer (on medium speed and using the paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 mins.
02 Add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed until mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
Sift the cake flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the sifted flour mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Mix until well-combined.
Add the milk and mix on low speed until smooth.
03 Remove the mixer bowl and using a spatula, fold in all the fruit mix.
Mix until well-combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180 C/350 F for 80 - 90 mins or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
[If a boozy cake is preferred and if you want the cake to age, drizzle a few teaspoons of brandy onto the cake at this point.]
04 When the cake is completely cooled, remove from the baking pan.
Slice and serve.
Or pack the cake if you are going to age it.
Notes
Cake flour is used in this recipe. You can substitute with plain flour or make your own cake flour.
To make your own cake flour:
Measure 250 g (2 cup) of plain flour into a medium bowl. Remove 4 tbsp of plain flour and replace with 4 tbsp cornstarch. Mix well. Sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 3 times before using.
If you are making a large quantity, store the sifted flour in an airtight container labeled with the date. Use within 8 weeks.
Castor sugar is used in this recipe. You can substitute with granulated sugar or soft brown sugar. This recipe is a reduced sugar version. If you like your cakes sweeter, you can opt to increase sugar to 250 g (1 cup).
Readymade Fruit mix is used in this recipe. You can substitute with 180 g (1 cup) raisins, 180 g (1 cup) red and green cherries and 180 g (1 cup) currants or any combination of your favorite dried fruits (prunes/cranberries/blueberries etc). Remember to soak the dried fruit mix in alcohol (brandy/rum/whiskey/sherry) or a non-alcoholic liquid (orange juice/cranberry juice/apple juice/any kind of black tea) at least 3 days before baking. Add just enough liquid to cover the fruits and stir the fruits at least once a day.
Fruit mix soaked in alcohol can be kept in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 months or up to 9 months in the refrigerator. Fruit mix soaked in non-alcoholic liquid should be kept covered in a container in the refrigerator. They can keep for up to 3 weeks. Therefore, do soak your fruit mix ahead of baking time, the longer the better.
**To prevent your soaked fruit mix from sinking to the bottom of the cake, add 1 -2 tbsp plain flour to the fruit mix at step 03 just before folding into the batter.
Nuts (walnuts/pecans/whole almonds/almond slices) can also be added as toppings or into the cake, if desired. Use sliced or chopped nuts (120 g/1 cup) if added to cake batter.
You can eat this cake right away. However, if you keep it covered in a container for a day or two at room temperature, it will taste better. Unfinished portions should be kept in a covered container and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If you intend to age this cake, be sure to wrap in double layers of parchment paper and then wrap securely with double layers of aluminium foil before storing in the refrigerator. Place the wrapped cake in a covered container before keeping in the refrigerator. Take the cake out and brush with 2 tbsp of brandy or alcohol of your choice every week until ready to be eaten. Usually 3 to 6 weeks is enough.
The aged fruitcake is good to eat after at least 3 weeks of storage in the refrigerator. Only cakes with brandy/alcohol can be kept for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. Non-alcoholic cakes should be consumed within a week.