Eggless Christmas fruit cake recipe – Moist, soft, light and delicious eggless fruit cake made without alcohol. This simple recipe is one of the most quick & easiest that anyone can make with great success. Most fruit cake recipes call for soaking the dried fruits in alcohol for several days to weeks. But the recipe shared here is an instant one which doesn’t require you to soak them in advance.
To make this eggless fruit cake, you can use any of your favorite dried fruits likes raisins, dried dates, figs, apricots, berries and glace cherries. You can also skip glace cherries if you want to avoid artificial colors.
Just replace them with some dried cranberries as they add similar color to the fruit cake. You can use cashew nuts, almonds and walnuts in any proportions to make them 100 grams.
Towards the end of this post, I have shared few pics of the same recipe made using wheat flour and oil which I had made few years ago.
If you are a newbie, please read the step by step photo instructions. They are much more clearly explained along with pictures taken at every step.
Preparation
1. Using a good spice mix to make the fruit cake is very important as it enhances the flavor. I have used homemade spice powder using cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
You can also use dry ginger powder if you prefer the aroma. If you want to make it just add the 3 ingredients to a spice jar and powder it finely. I have also added 1 tbsp of sugar to help the spices blend easily. Set this aside.
2. Grease a 8 or 9 inch cake tray and dust it with flour. Instead of flour, you can also use a parchment paper or grease proof paper to line the cake pan. You can also use a loaf pan. If using aluminum pan it is good to line the pan.
Preparing fruits
3. These are the dry fruits and nuts I have used. I usually skip the glace cherries from this recipe and use mixed berries. If you prefer to avoid the artificial colors then just replace the glace cherries with dried cherries or berries.
You can also add more citrus peels if you prefer. But 20 grams was good enough for our taste buds. Preparing the fruits and nuts does take some time so it is good to prepare in advance.
4. Add chopped raisins, citrus peels, cranberries and apricots to a large mixing bowl.
5. Bring water to a boil and pour them over the dry fruits. Actually this is a boiled cake recipe where all the dried fruits are briefly boiled in water to soften the fruits.
In the recent years I started to feel boiling them does affect the flavor of the fruits & cake so I prefer to just pour hot water to them.
6. Leave them to soak until the mixture turns cool or warm.
7. The fruits get soaked in the hot water and turn soft.
How to make eggless christmas fruit cake
8. Add brown sugar to the mixture. The recipe works well with 150 to 200 grams of brown sugar depending on the kind of dried fruits used. If using dates 150 grams would be sufficient.
I have used 1 cup packed i.e 200 grams. So use to suit your taste.
9. Add salt.
10. Pour orange or apple juice. I used freshly squeezed unsweetened orange juice without pulp.
11. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar. I have used organic apple cider vinegar. Avoid cheap vinegar as it can make the cake bitter.
12. Add vanilla extract. You can also skip this since the flavors from the spice mix is good enough.
13. Pour melted butter or oil.
14. Mix them all to dissolve the sugar. Set this aside.
15. Preheat the oven to 170 C for at least 15 mins.
16. Fluff up the flour in the jar and spoon it to the measuring cups. Level the cups with a spatula. Add it to a sieve placed over a mixing bowl. Then add soda.
17. Add the spice powder. Sieve them all together.
18. If using wheat flour, then repeat the process thrice. This makes the cake light and less denser.
19. The batter needs to go into the oven right after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. So make sure the oven is hot enough before you begin to mix the both. Stir the fruit mix well. Pour it to the flour.
20. Mix the batter gently just until combined. Do not over mix. Add in the chopped cashews, almonds and cherries.
21. Gently mix in.
22. Pour it to the cake pan. Knock it gently to the kitchen top only twice. Do not over do as the nuts will settle at the bottom.
Baking eggless fruit cake
23. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 mins if you have used a 8 inch pan. If using a 8½ by 4½ loaf pan, you will have to bake for 50 to 55 mins. Please do adjust the timing based on the size of your pan. When the cake is done, a tester inserted comes out clean.
24. Cool the cake for 15 mins. Invert the cake on a wire cake.
25. Cool the cake completely.
Slice Eggless Christmas fruit cake once cooled completely.
For more Cake Recipes, you can check
Eggless Vanilla cake
Eggless chocolate cake
Black forest cake
Eggless tutti frutti cake
Eggless sponge cake
Vanilla butter cake
Banana cake
Eggless carrot cake
Eggless Fruit cake made with wheat flour
Tips
Flour: This cake can be made using all purpose flour/ maida or whole wheat/ atta. Using wheat flour would make the cake slightly dense but still tastes very good. However if using wheat flour, sieve it well with the other dry ingredients at least thrice. This makes the cake lighter.
Fats: I have used melted butter this time but it also works well with oil. I had used several times extra virgin coconut oil and just loved it. There was no flavor of oil in the cake.
Towards the end of this post, I have shared few pics of the same recipe made using wheat flour and oil which I had made few years ago.
If you are a newbie, please read the step by step photo instructions after the recipe card. They are much more clearly explained along with pictures taken at every step.
Related Recipes
Eggless christmas fruit cake
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
Dry fruits (150 grams, use any of your choice)
- 40 grams raisins (4 tbsp chopped)
- 30 grams apricots (3 tbsp chopped)
- 60 grams glace cherries (6 tbsps chopped)
- 20 grams cranberries (2 tbsps chopped)
Other ingredients for fruit cake
- 20 grams citrus peels (2 tbsps chopped candied peels, more if desired)
- ¾ cup hot water or 180 ml (3/4 cup + 1.5 tbsp or 200 ml if using atta)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ¾ to 1 cup brown sugar (about 170 to 200 grams) or sugar
- 1/3 cup oil or melted butter (about 80 ml)
- 120 ml orange juice or apple juice
- 100 grams nuts chopped (cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ¾ cups wheat flour (atta or maida/ all-purpose flour, 210 grams)
Spices (or use spice extract or just skip)
- 1.5 grams ceylon cinnamon or true cinnamon about 1/2 tsp ground
- 8 cloves
- nutmeg small piece or 1/3 tsp grated
Instructions
Preparation
- Chop all dry fruits and nuts to small bits. Keep the nuts separately.
- Add raisins, apricots, cranberries and citrus peels to a large mixing bowl.
- Bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. If using whole wheat flour use 1.5 tbsps more. Pour the hot water over the dry fruits. Leave them aside to cool.
- Add cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to a mini spice jar. Make a fine powder. You can also add a tbsp of sugar to the spices to help them powder finely. Set this aside to cool.
- When the mixture cools down, preheat the oven to 170 C for at least 15 mins.
Making eggless fruit cake
- Add the brown sugar, melted butter, orange juice, vanilla and vinegar to the fruit mixture. Stir everything well.
- In another mixing bowl, sieve together flour, salt, spice powder and soda. You can discard any coarse bits of spices.
- Mix up the flour well once more and make a well in the center.
- When the oven is hot enough and past 12 to 15 mins, then give the fruit mixture a good stir. Pour it to the flour all at once. Make sure the fruit mixture has cooled down before adding it to flour.
- Mix gently with a spatula until you see no streaks of flour.
- Add in cherries and chopped nuts. Gently give it a good stir. Do not over mix.
- Pour this to a cake pan. Knock the pan twice to the kitchen counter. Don’t over do this as the nuts will settle at the bottom.
- Keep it in the oven and bake at 170 C for 35 to 40 mins. If using a 8 inch pan it takes about 40 mins. If using a 9 inch pan it will be done around 32 to 34 mins. If baking in a loaf pan it takes about 50 to 55 mins.
- When the cake is done, a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 to 15 mins.
- Invert it on a wire rack carefully. Cool it completely before slicing.
- You can dust some powdered sugar over the eggless fruit cake.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Bindhu Mohan says
Hi Swasthi
Thank you for sharing the recipes. Your recipes are very clear and detailed. Please tell me the shelf life of this cake .Is this measurement sufficient for 15 people. Please reply.
swasthi says
Hi Bindhu,
You are welcome. I always keep this refrigerated and it gets over within 3 to 4 days. So not sure how long it keeps good. I feel in the refrigerator it will keep good for at least 7 to 10 days. It can serve 10 to 12.
Bindhu Mohan says
Hi Swasthi
Thank you for sharing good recipes.Your recipes are very detailed and clear. I just want to know the shelf life of this cake. Can I keep this cake in refrigerator. Please reply.
Archana says
Hi i made the cake today, texture is soft but cake is breaking…
swasthi says
Hi Archana
If you add very large pieces of nuts and dried fruits the cake can break.
Sandhya says
Came out v.well.however I added 3 eggs too & caramelized white sugar as I didn’t have brown sugar. it was good.would like to share pictures but don’t know how to.
swasthi says
Hi Sandhya,
Thank you so much for sharing the info on adding eggs. Would love to see the pictures! Please mail them to my email or message them to my Swasthi’s recipes FB page. You can find my id in the about page.Thanks again
Anita Bhatt says
Very well explained. I tried it n the cake came out absolutely delicious
swasthi says
Hi Anita,
Thank you!
Shailee Bhagat says
Hello mam ,
Is it ok to use canned orange juice ?like Tropicana or Real?
Or is it necessary to use fresh juice !
What difference does it make in the Taste of the cake !!
swasthi says
Hi Shailee,
It should be okay. Don’t know about the difference. But I guess it will be good with canned juice too as the recipe needs only half cup.
Kanika says
Hi, would doubling this recipe work in the same 8 inch pan? Also, what about the time and temperature then??
swasthi says
Hi Kanika,
Please use 2 – 8 inch cake pans. Pouring all the batter into one pan will be a lot and the cake will get lot of cracks on top. Also the bake time will change.
Divya Goel says
Hi, what would be the weight of this Chris cake?
swasthi says
Hi Divya,
I haven’t weighed it any time.
Sharmila Malaysia says
Hi, I tried your recipe. It was really tasty, many liked it. I used 170g sugar and I find it to be a little too sweet so I would like to try again without sugar at all but will use about 1 tbs of honey instead. Also is it okay to use some baking powder too along with baking soda? Thank you
swasthi says
Hi Sharmila,
Thank you! Not sure how it will turn out without sugar. Usually cake turns out dry and crumbly if a lot of sugar is reduced. Sugar basically adds moisture to the batter. Honey should not be heated as it turns toxic. I do not suggest altering the recipe. Hope this helps
Monali says
Tried the cake..it turned out great..Thank you for the recipe.
swasthi says
Welcome Monali
Grace says
I would like to know egg version of this cake?? Have u tried… Please let me know the recipe
swasthi says
Hi Grace,
No I don’t have.
Roopa Nayak says
Citrus peels – is it orange and lemon skin/peels ? Can I skip the apricots
swasthi says
I use a mix of both lemon and oranges. yes you can skip apricots.
Sangeetha says
The cake turned out great. I combined both the flours(1cup all purpose and 3/4cup atta) and didn’t have Orange or Apple juice, but substituted with additional tbs of apple cider vinegar. It turned out excellent with all these variations. Thanks so much for this recipe ??
swasthi says
Hi Sangeetha,
You are welcome. Glad to know the cake turned out good. Thanks much for the comment!
🙂
Gayathri Kallakuri says
simply superb. i added 1 cup sugar wgich was too sweet. shud have added 3/4 plus 1 or 2 spooons. orangey flavour was ultimate.thanks a lottttt..
swasthi says
Hi Gayathri,
You are welcome. So glad to know the cake turned out good.I will put a note on the quantity of sugar. Thanks for the comment.
🙂
Bithika says
Hello Swathi,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I am curious to know how does orange or apple juice help in the fruit cake recipe? Can you please explain?
Can we replace it with something else?
Bithika
swasthi says
Hi Bithika,
You are welcome. You can try replacing juice with water and add another tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. Acid in the fruit juice helps to make the cake light and also enhances the flavor.
Monica Malshe says
Hi Swathi
I tried baking the fruit cake as per your recipe and it was a hit. Everyone in my family loved it.
I was happy it was comparatively low on calorie and we could relish it without guilt.
Thanks a lot 🙂
swasthi says
Hi Monica,
You are welcome. Thank you so much for the comment. Happy to know the cake came out well.
Priyanka says
Hi Swasthi ji,
I tried this recipe yesterday. The cake turned out to be my best cake ever. I prepared it for a get together and we were 6 people, whole cake disappeared within few minutes. I am so happy that I picked up your recipe and thank you for such an amazing recipe.
Thank you again,
Priyanka
swasthi says
Hi Priyanka
You are welcome. Thank you so much for the comment. Very glad to know the cake turned out good.
🙂
Sonika says
I used powdered sugar instead of brown sugar but my cake turned out great. Thanks a lot. My brother said it just tasted like the store bought fruit cakes. Thanks for the recipe.
swasthi says
Hi Sonika
Thank you so much for trying. Very glad to know the cake turned out good.
🙂
Pratima says
Chirtmus cake. ?Very good recipe dilishus
swasthi says
Thanks Pratima
Seema Arora says
Hi,
Tried this recipe today for the first time. It was awesome. Better than the plum cakes I used to buy during Christmas from the market. It was so soft and most. Yummy taste and looked so beautiful. My children loved it too. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I’ll surely try more of your recipes.
Luv you.
swasthi says
Hi Seema
You are welcome. So glad to know the cake turned out good. Thanks a lot for the comment.
🙂
Apeksha Narumanchi says
I tired your recipe and turned out perfect! Loved the texture and tasted even better than the boozy fruit cake 🙂
swasthi says
Thanks Apeksha. Glad to know it turned out good
Veni s says
Very delicious cake. Turned out very soft and great. Amazing recipe. Thanks a lot
swasthi says
welcome Veni
Thanks a lot for trying.