This easy fruit cake recipe is full of pecans, candied pineapple, candied cherries, dates, and just enough batter to hold it all together.
It's moist and sticky - more like a candy than a cake! It's a traditional fruitcake with old-fashioned flavor, and it's been a family favorite for generations.
Table of Contents
- This is the fruitcake of my dreams!!
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store fruitcake
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 🎄 Why Is Fruit Cake a Christmas Tradition?
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- old-fashioned fruitcake
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- Sweet and chewy, this fruitcake is more like candy than a cake.
- This is a staple for the holidays at our house - I can't imagine Christmas without it.
- If you watch the video you'll see that putting the pecans in a food processor just doesn't work well. Coarsely chop them for the best results.
I grew up loving dark fruitcake. To be honest, I could never figure out why people didn't like it.
To me, there was nothing more delicious than a piece of my Mom's fruit cake - moist, chewy, and candy-like; thickly slathered with cream cheese or butter. Even better if it was sitting next to a cup of hot chocolate. Mmmmm - Christmas!
...And sugar overload.
That is, I didn't understand it until the fateful day when I tasted someone ELSE'S version of this traditional holiday cake. EWWWW!
I finally understood the jokes..the grimaces..the gagging. Right then I felt sorry for anyone who wasn't me, who didn't have access to this amazing stuff.
I mean, how could it be Christmas without it?
I used to sell this homemade fruitcake on eBay for $30 ...and that was twenty years ago or more! No one that has tasted this recipe doesn't like it...It is moist..and more chewy than cakey...there are no golden or dark raisins in it and no "junk" mixed candied fruit...
A few years ago I had the opportunity to interview the folks at Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. I think they make the SECOND best fruitcake in the world. 😉
🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
The one thing that always amazes me about this old-fashioned fruitcake recipe is that there is almost nothing holding all of that sweet, sticky fruit together. Make sure you DO NOT buy fruitcake mix - you want to get each type of fruit called for individually.
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
- Candied Pineapple chunks are called for but sometimes I haven't been able to find it and used the rings instead. Just cut them in chunks. Red and green are the most festive if you can find them.
- Candied cherries are usually pretty easy to find. If you can use part red ones and part green ones it's prettier.
- Pitted dates are what makes this cake sweet and sticky. I prefer to get the diced dates but you can get pitted whole dates and dice them yourself.
- Pecans don't need to be toasted but I think they add more flavor.
- Sugar is just granulated sugar.
- All-purpose flour is what creates the batter that holds this together.
- Baking powder is one ingredient that I add because mom always did - but honestly I have no idea what it does here.
- Salt helps to balance the sweetness of all the candied fruit.
- Vanilla adds a rich dimension.
- Large eggs work with the flour to create the batter.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Mix chopped pecans, dates, and candied fruit.
Add in sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
Whisk eggs and vanilla together. Mix into the fruit mixture.
Press into parchment lined loaf pans and bake according to instructions in the recipe card below.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
Showing my decadent side here - During the holidays one of my favorite breakfast treats is a slice of fruit cake smeared with cream cheese. Heaven!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- parchment paper
- loaf pans, I use Pyrex 1-½ quart size glass loaf pans
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowl
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
Hey y'all! Don't forget to check out my latest video where I guide you through each step of this delicious recipe. It's always great to have a visual guide, right? And as always, my cooking show, Restless Chipotle Kitchen, has got your back. If you're looking for more yummy ideas, dive into our full recipe collection on YouTube. You're gonna love it!
🥫 Leftover love: how to store fruitcake
Fruitcake stores really well at room temperature if it's wrapped in plastic wrap. I usually leave the parchment wrapped around it and then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil
It's fine for a month or so at room temperature, up to 6 months in the fridge, and for an eternity in the freezer.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Don't use the "mixed candied fruit". It isn't moist enough and your cake will be dry and tasteless.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- The color may be lighter brown or a darker brown - it all depends on the dates that you get. It has nothing to do with the actual bake on the cake.
- Mixing the batter together with your (clean) hands is honestly the easiest way to get everything blended properly.
- Don't chop the pecans in a food processor. I tried that and it makes them too small. Just coarsely chop them with a knife.
- The pan of water on the rack beneath the fruit cake in the oven is important. Don't skip it!
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
Short answer: yes!
I have no clue where my mom got the recipe but she made it for her 6 siblings every single year.
Numerous fruitcakes were wrapped in waxed paper, then boxed, then covered with brown postal paper and tied with a string. It happened just after Thanksgiving just like clockwork. My job was holding my finger on the string so Mom could make the knot tight.
This Christmas cake was mailed overseas to my uncles during World War II ... it has been mailed overseas to my kids in the military. It always arrives perfectly intact and fresh.
You can make in November and let it sit in a cool place or make it closer to Christmas..either way it will be great.
A fruitcake that's stored properly can last for years - not at our house though because we eat it long before it has a chance to go bad.
Fruitcake will last a month or so at room temperature if it's properly wrapped. It will also keep for up to about 6 months in the refrigerator.
This traditional fruit cake recipe is moist because of the baking technique and we've eaten the last few bites of it a month or so after making it - it's not dry. Just keep it wrapped. Some people wrap it in a cheesecloth that's been soaked in rum or brandy - and that's a good way to ensure it doesn't mold if you are storing it at room temperature for a long time.
Short answer: nope. Fruit cake is high in calories and sugar so you probably shouldn't make a habit of having it for breakfast. Generally it's considered a holiday treat so whether or not it's healthy isn't usually a concern.
Let the cake cool and remove it from the pan. Leave the waxed paper on it and then wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil.
🎄 Why Is Fruit Cake a Christmas Tradition?
Fruitcake dates to ancient times when the Romans ate a satura cake, a mixture of barley mash, raisins, nuts, pomegranate, and wine.
Over time it evolved into fruitcake - with the candied fruit added to help preserve the finished cake during a season when fruit was not normally available.
It was popular in Victorian England, where it was called a "Christmas Cake" and the tradition was brought to the United States.
Fruitcakes were used as wedding cakes during Victorian times, as a matter of fact, partly because they could be made well ahead of time.
⏲️ Marye's time saving hacks -
Fruit cake is usually even better a day or two after it's made, and it will last several weeks, so I like to make it before the chaos of the holidays really gets going.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- Gingerbread House Party is so much fun for the kids! I've been doing it since the early 1980s. You make easy houses out of graham crackers and let them decorate with all kinds of candy. SO much fun.
- 50 Best Red Velvet Recipes because what's Christmas without red velvet? Seriously!!
- 91 Best Christmas Cookies means that not only do you have plenty to choose from but your holiday cookie tray are going to be amazing!
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
This is the exact holiday cake my mom made. I have no idea where she got the original recipe but I do know that everyone who's tried it loves it!
I can't imagine a Christmas dinner without it, her date nut bread, and a batch of her homemade fudge.
If you're a fruitcake lover, or you know someone who is, give this recipe a try.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Fruitcake Recipe
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound pecans
- 1 pound dates, pitted and chopped
- ½ pound candied cherries, (red and geen)
- ½ pound candied pineapple, (red and green or yellow)
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 tablespoon rum, bourbon, or brandy
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250° degrees (that is not a typo-TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY degrees)
- Place a pan ⅓ filled with boiling water in the oven to create steam. Put it on the rack under the rack where the fruitcake pans will got.
- Fill the pan with hot water as needed during baking.
- Spray two 9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray and line with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Spray wax paper with cooking spray.
- Chop dates and nuts.
- Add them to a large bowl.
- Sift dry ingredients over fruit and nuts and mix in with your hands.
- Beat eggs until light, add vanilla and pour over fruit, mixing well. (you will probably need to mix with your hands - it's messy.)
- Spoon fruit cake batter into prepared pans, pressing down gently to remove large air bubbles and spaces.
- Place the filled loaf pans onto the rack above the pan with hot water.
- Bake at 250 for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Let cool.
Notes
- To store: let the cake cool and remove it from the pan. Leave the waxed paper on it and then wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil. Store in a cool dark place.
- This fruit cake ships well. Just wrap it in waxed paper, then in aluminum foil.
- You can brush this with rum or brandy if you like but I never do - it's good without it.
- No need to let fruitcake age. It's delicious the same day it's baked.
- Don't use the "mixed candied fruit". It isn't moist enough and your cake will be dry and tasteless.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 22, 2011. Last updated September 14, 2024 for structure and editorial fixes as well as new images.
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old-fashioned fruitcake
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Judi Kitchen says
THANK YOUUUUU for this recipe!!!!! I found this recipe in Family Circle about 1969 - 1970!!!!! I have been unable to find it since. And, you are SOOO right - people who HATE fruitcake LOVE this !!!!
(Your mom is probably MY age!!!!) Thanks to both of you !!!!!
Marye says
Hi Judi - I'm 64 and my mom would be over 100 years old if she was still alive...LOL!!! I am so glad to have helped.
Denise says
Really good fruit cake. I love fruit cake and this was my first time making one💚❤️💚
B Ban says
My family loved this!
Nancy Scott says
Excellent recipe!! Added walnuts, citrus peel, and spices for my taste. Best fruitcake I’ve ever had!!❤️
Susan Secord says
I made the fruitcake and a huge success. The only problem I had was trying to use who dates since I couldn’t find chopped at 3 different stores. The whole dates, even though pitted, had so many small nut fragments. I finally threw them out to the birds and left them out completely. The fruitcake was delicious anyway and have requests for more.
So today is fruitcake day. Thanks for the great recipe.
Marye says
You can usually get diced dates on Amazon. Glad it worked for you!
Carrie Young says
Growing up, my mom always had a Collin Street Bakery fruitcake for the holidays and it is the only one I liked that is until now. This recipe blew that fruitcake out of the water!! It is so delicious!!!!! Thank you for sharing this gem!
Carol says
Do you check the fruitcake w/a knife/toothpick for doneness?
Carol says
I made this recipe 2 years ago and loved it as well as my family. But I have had a difficult time finding where I put the recipe card! Thankfully I guessed it was from an Italian daughter but then recognized the title Restless Chipotle! This is by far the best tasting fruitcake my family has ever eaten.
Susan says
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Marieta M Baliwas says
May I ask why there’s no butter in this recipe?
Marie
Marye says
Because it's never called for butter and butter is unnecessary in this particular recipe.
Bill says
This has to be the best fruitcake EVER. Almost no cake, just enough to hold the fruit together. My oven temp might be off, it took about 15 minutes more. But at 250, the extra time isn’t a big deal. I had taken the cakes out of the oven, turned one out and removed the parchment, but it was still gooey. Put it back in the oven (upside down on a sheet pan) and baked it another 15 minutes and it was perfect. In the future, I will just give it two hours from the start. But it is AWESOME!!!
Betty says
My mother used to make a fruit cake and wrap it in a cheesecloth with alcohol for a couple of weeks do you know if that would work on this recipe that you have has anyone tried it thank you
Marye says
I've never tried.
Robin says
Excellent recipe, so delicious! Easy to make. You can even change dried fruits up a little bit. Love this recipe!
mickie says
Ilove fruitcake. My mom used to make 12 fruitcake at a time once a year. It would always be on the desert menu.It was great with vanilla ice cream. haven't had one as good yet. can't wait to try yours.
M Rogers says
This is the exact recipe that my grandmother made. It’s from the 1954 Women’s Day magazine. These loaves were gold in our family, being shipped around the country. Once cooled, they can be tightly wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and frozen. They are great for Easter too!
Mom and I like our slices toasted with peanut butter.
Cindy Spach says
I tried this recipe because I had some macerated dried fruit leftover from fruit cakes I baked for Christmas. For years I have used a famous fruitcake recipe from the UK but I have to say after making yours I think I found myself a new fruitcake recipe that is a lot simpler and holds together so much better. I do have one question - if I make this fruit cake now in the first week of November and wrap it in parchment and foil and place in an airtight container, will it stay fresh till Christmas?
Marye says
Cindy, I have to be honest - it doesn't last more than 2 or 3 days here because no one can stay away from it. I think it would be fine wrapped and refrigerated because there's SO much sugar involved but since I've never done it I can't really say.
Tish Pierce says
Can different things be added to the recipe, such as shredded coconut and candied orange slices?
Marye says
I've never tried.
Jan M Carkin says
Hello
I'd like to make this in mini-loaves. If a quick bread takes 45 minutes and muffins 25, would you cut this bake time using the same formula?
Marye says
Yes but you'll want to check it often. If it over-bakes it will be very dry. I have never made mini loaves so I can't tell you exactly how it will work.