Home » Kitchen » Baking Recipes + Tips » White Fruitcake Recipe: Delicious and Moist

White Fruitcake Recipe: Delicious and Moist

This delicious and moist White Fruitcake Recipe, filled with nuts and fruits soaked in brandy, will encourage you to put fruitcake back into your holiday baking plans.  If you’re looking for how to make a light, moist fruit cake for your holiday table and gift-giving, this is the best fruit cake recipe.  

I can no longer sit idly by while traditional values are being thrown asunder. Our global world and its people will only thrive if the bedrock is a firm and stable foundation. The foundation that our forefathers established was nourished by some essential ingredients, chief among those was… Fruitcake.

For too many years, our world has mocked fruitcake and ignored the important role this traditional holiday fare played in the success of our universe, and it’s people. An old fashioned family fruitcake recipe is a treasure destined to be passed along for generations, a light, moist fruitcake recipe is the stuff of holiday family legend.

That is why today I announce my candidacy with one overriding theme…

It’s Time to Bring Fruitcake Back!

My staff has been busy behind the scenes setting the groundwork for a successful campaign. We are rolling out the bumper stickers and buttons today. Let me know what you think…

White Fruit Cake Recipe - close-up of moist, white fruit cakes on serving plates

But first things first…

It’s time to bake some Fruitcake!

Both of my grandmas baked fruitcake; one baked the dark spicy, rum-soaked fruitcake recipe and the other baked a lighter, fresher white fruitcake recipe. It is this lighter, moist Fruitcake recipe that I was hoping to replicate this year with the anticipation that this delectable holiday treat will encourage you to put fruitcake back in your holiday baking plans.

After searching all of grandma’s recipes, my mom and I think that the original White Fruitcake recipe came from a 1961 edition of Betty Crocker’s New Picture Cookbook…it was the best fruitcake recipe I found I altered the original recipe only slightly. Truly, if you’re looking for an old fashion recipe for moist fruitcake just like the one Grandma used to make, this is the one. 

I don’t know about you, but I think the demise of fruitcake might have had something to do with the unnaturally colored red and green cherries that punctuated the cake.

White Fruit Cake Recipe: close-up of sliced, moist white fruit cake on serving plate showing fruits and nuts on the inside

My White Fruitcake recipe throws aside the glazed green and red cherries (along with the Red #40, Blue #5, and Yellow #1) for the completely natural dried cherries, white raisins, and candied fruit (candied citron, candied orange peel, and candied pineapple.

Close up of soaking your dried fruit for plump and boozy bites for your moist White Fruit cake.

Soak Your Dried Fruits in Brandy For a Couple of Days

Before the baking day, these fruits spend a couple of days in Brandy Heaven…getting nice and plump while soaking up all sorts of divine flavor. A key to baking a moist fruitcake is to allow the dried fruit to soften and plump up by fully absorbing the liquid. This will enable them to stay moist and juicy during the baking process and not dry the cake by soaking up moisture from the batter. I purchased my fruits from Nuts.Com…they were very fresh and I’ve already placed a second order!

A sprinkling of coconut, a handful of crunchy nuts, and BAM…Fruitcake Magic!

Some of these are affiliate links and I will earn a small commission off of the sale of these products, but the price you are charged is not affected. You can see my full disclosure policy here.

This Nordicware Bundt Quartet pan is the perfect size as I can bake 4 Fruitcakes simultaneously with this recipe. 

Bundt Pan Quartet

There were no problems whatsoever with the batter sticking to all the nooks and crannies of the pans. Just make sure you use a good baking release spray.

Holiday fruitcake gifts:  Printable tags for gifting your white fruitcake.

White Fruitcakes

White Fruit Cake

lynn
Boozy and Moist, Nutty and Fruity with a dash of coconut...add this to your holiday baking.
4.55 from 44 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Baking Recipes + Tips
Cuisine American
Servings 4 small bundt cakes or 1 large
Calories 241 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup butter room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 5 beaten eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups flour all-purpose
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 cups brandy or cognac enough to cover your dried fruit
  • 6 ounces white raisins
  • 6 ounces dried cherries
  • 3 ounces glazed citron
  • 3 ounces glazed orange peel
  • 2 ounces candied pineapple
  • 2 cups pecans pistachios, almond slivers, chopped hazelnuts or walnuts, or a combination
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  • cheesecloth

Instructions
 

  • A day or two before you want to bake your fruitcake, combine all the dried fruit and soak it in enough brandy or cognac to cover, in an airtight container or a large bowl that can be covered.
  • Preheat oven to 275° F.
  • Drain the dried fruit mixture, reserving the brandy/cognac to soak the fruitcakes (or use it to soak another batch of fruit...because you will want to make this again!)
  • Butter and flour your pans; alternately, use Bak-Klene...this stuff is amazing. I used Nordic Ware 9-cup Bundt Quartet for the 4 small fruitcakes and a 10-inch Tube Pan or Bundt Pan for the large fruitcake. You could also use mini loaf pans for the smaller fruit cakes.
  • Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside
  • Beat butter and sugar together at high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes.
  • Add beaten eggs to the cream butter mixture, and mix until fully incorporated.
  • Mix orange juice and vanilla together in a separate bowl and set aside
  • Add dry ingredients in 3 increments, alternating with the orange juice mixture at medium speed until just mixed.  Don't overmix.
  • Gently fold in the fruit, nuts, and coconut.
  • If using the mini bundt pans, spoon batter equally among the prepared pans or into the one larger bundt pan. Tap the pans on the counter to encourage the dough to settle into the crevices of the pans.
  • Bake the small pans for 55-60 minutes and a large pan for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, for both the quartet pan and single bundt pan.
  • Let cool on a wire cake rack for a couple of minutes and then invert the pan to let the cakes gently come out.
  • Once cool, wrap the cakes in cheesecloth soaked in brandy and then wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Re-douse your fruitcake with the brandy every week or so to keep it moist.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 120mgFiber: 2gSugar: 13g
Keyword baking, Christmas, dried fruit, fruitcake, nuts, white fruitcake
Well, what did you think?Please rate this recipe here! It helps other readers and also helps to support our site.
This White Fruitcake Recipe results in a cake that is boozy and moist with bits of crunch from the nuts… One bite is all it will take to silence those Fruitcake naysayers.

Grab these tags if you plan on gifting your White Fruitcake.

Click the button below to have them sent directly to your inbox. 

A trio of White Fruit Cakes - this moist fruit cake recipe is perfect for Christmas gifting and noshing.

Now, were we a disciplined family, we would have 9 White Fruitcakes set aside for gifting and eating this upcoming holiday. However, we have already consumed 4 of them, so…I’ll be baking more. But this really is an easy and delicious white fruit cake recipe. Just get your fruit macerating a day or two ahead of time and then the cakes come together very quickly.

6″ Cake Boards

Wrap up your gift-sized White Fruitcake with a ribbon...you will be the most popular gift giver around!

And that Bundt pan has more than paid for itself.  The ability to bake 4 gift-size fruitcakes at one time is priceless.

So, my friends, it’s time to search your soul and decide whether you will join me on my Fruitcake Crusade! Together, all of us along with this wonderful, delicious, and moist white fruit cake recipe, we can…

Bring Fruitcake Back!

And truthfully, a good old fashion moist and delicious white fruit cake is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays and makes perfect holiday gifts.

Packaged and wrapped fruitcakes with ribbon and bows:  This White Fruitcake recipe, with natural fruits and nuts (and a bit of Brandy) will make the perfect gift for friends and neighbors.
White Fruit Cake – Perfect for Holiday Gifting

Let’s Answer Some of Your Questions About this White Fruitcake Recipe:

Can I substitute different fruit and nuts in my fruit cake recipe?

You can substitute the fruit as long as you stick with dried fruit.

Can I substitute different alcohol?

Yes! Some other alcohols you can try are dark rum, rum, whiskey, brandy, and orange liqueur.

How far in advance can I bake this white fruit cake recipe?

Your fruitcake actually gets better with age as it is wrapped in alcohol. So, plan to bake your fruitcake several weeks before you plan to eat or gift them. This brings us to the next question…

How long does fruitcake last?

According to the USDA, a fruitcake made with dried fruit and alcohol will safely last for 2-3 months. Re-douse the fruitcakes every week or so with alcohol to keep them moist.

What is the difference between Dark Fruit Cake and White Fruit Cake?

Dark fruit cake gets its warm golden color from the molasses and brown sugar used to make it. White Fruit Cake uses only white sugar.

Bookmark this page or pin the following image to add this White Fruitcake recipe to your Christmas baking repertoire.

pin showing cut white fruitcake

And when you make this fruitcake recipe, promise me you’ll pop back in and tell me how much you love it (‘cuz I know you will!) And leaving a star rating will help other fruitcake lovers find this recipe as well.

Thanks so much for spending a few minutes of your busy day with me!

To ensure you don’t miss future content, pop your email in the pale green box on the right or click here. I usually send one email weekly, so I won’t inundate your inbox. I’m sensitive to an overflowing email inbox!  

We will only use your email address to send you emails, no more than 1-2 weekly. In addition, you will have access to my growing library of knit & crochet patterns and other printables. Check back often as this library will continue to grow.   You can unsubscribe anytime by emailing me or clicking on the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of all emails.

And you can access many of the products I refer to on my Nourish and Nestle Amazon Page. You can access it here.

So, if you’d like to participate in the ‘subscriber benefit’ action, simply subscribe to Nourish and Nestle here or use the form on the right sidebar. It’s slightly towards the top.

I have sent all my subscribers the link to the Subscriber Benefits Library. If you missed it or misplaced it, let me know.

Until next time…

Signature of Lynn

Thanks for making my day by SHARING!!

Similar Posts

32 Comments

  1. Lynn, that cutting board was made for that fruit cake! I have not had a homemade fruit cake since my grandmother passed away. Your recipe looks perfect! I am ready to start my Christmas baking with this recipe! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Lynn, your fruitcake looks so yummy. I can literally see the moistness on the computer screen. Can’t wait to try this one. I have a lot of get togethers over the holiday season and this will be perfect to bring. Thanks!

  3. Lynn, my granny made fruitcake and as I recall, the fruit came in a very compact little box. I loved it at the time! Not sure why people got so closed minded about fruit cake. I think this would really make my 78 year old dad smile. 🙂

    Your photos are a work of art!

  4. Lynn, I haven’t had fruitcake in years, but wow, these are so pretty. I think I’d like to try it again! And I love that you are using your new cutting board. Gorgeous!

  5. I have always loved fruit cake. Each year my mom would make it famous cake which would be stored away for months! The older the tastier! I have gotten away from it, but starting to come back. You got me inspired to make onone this year! If i do have the time will use your recipe.

    1. Hi Maria…I am so glad you’ll be baking some fruitcake this year…you won’t be sorry. It is such a festive dessert…just proclaims Christmas with every bite. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.

      Hugs, Lynn

    1. Oh Jeanne, you must! It is so very delicious…I have been passing it around and EVERYONE loves it! I’ll be more making more this week. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.

  6. Lynn, I’m in whole-hearted agreement…let’s bring fruitcake back. Down with the fruitcake jokes! I’ve always loved it & have made some in the past. Yours looks heavenly, especially with the brandy soak!

    1. Yeah Florence, you and I must join forces and start a Fruitcake Fan club! And lets face it, everything is better soaked in Brandy. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.

      Hugs, Lynn

    1. Thanks Randi…it is SOOOOO delicious. I’ll be making more this weekend as I”m giving it away as quickly as I make it. Thanks for visiting. Hugs, Lynn

  7. Made it and loved it! Couldn’t find glazed fruit, so used dried pineapple and fresh lemon and orange zest. I soaked half for two weeks in brandy, left the others plain. Both were amazing! Making them again this year to give and also enjoy ourselves!

    1. Hi Angie,

      I am so thrilled you love this recipe as much as we do! You are ahead of me on getting them baked this year! Did you make full size or mini fruitcakes? And the recipe easily accomodates fruit substitutions…so glad you found a combination that works for you. Did the soaking make any difference? I’ve never made it without the brandy before.

      Thanks again for chiming in with your review! Those reviews mean the world to me!

      Merry Christmas, my friend.

      Hugs,

      Lynn

  8. 5 stars
    This is a great gift to give for Christmas. It ships well also. So I am able to make it and ship it to family across the country.

  9. I vote for you for top fruitcake! 🙂 All kidding aside, I made this last year and was going through my recipes and “rediscovered” it and cannot wait to make them this year. I even bought the fancy 4 mini bundt pan! YAY!

  10. 5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe! I’m so glad that it doesn’t have all of the artifical colors and those red and green cherries. It’s so good that this will definitely be our go-to recipe every year.

  11. I have never made a fruitcake! Yours looks so beautiful and moist, I need to try making it this holiday season!

  12. Amazing! This recipe convinced those who said they did not like fruitcake that they were wrong. Everyone who had a slice (or several) had nothing but praise. Next year I’ll have to make 4 times as many as I did this year. And the recipe is so adaptable. I preferred dried cherries, berries, orange peel and apricots so that’s what I used. Thank you for bringing fruitcake back!!

    1. Mary Carol,

      Your words are music to my ears! Thank you for taking the time to write in. And I wholeheartedly agree…this recipe will change the mind of any fruitcake nay-sayer out there. What berries did you use?

      Now we need to work on fruitcake being a year-round staple!

      Many hugs, Lynn

Leave a Reply

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

Recipe Rating