Fruitcake Recipes That Win Over the Haters: 15 Holiday Cakes Grandma Got Right

Fruitcake recipes have taken more jokes than any other holiday bake, yet the ones made at home with good fruit, toasted nuts and real butter are nothing like the dry, brick-like loaves that get passed around as gag gifts. Grandmothers on both sides of the Atlantic baked them weeks before Christmas, wrapped them in cloth and let the flavor deepen until the big day. We gathered 15 fruitcake recipes people actually ask for again, from Grandma’s dark loaf and a sunny golden version to Jamaican black cake, German stollen, Welsh bara brith and a steamed Christmas pudding. Every recipe here works without alcohol, with juice or tea doing the soaking, and most need nothing more than a loaf pan and a little patience. Pour a cup of tea and give fruitcake one more chance..

Grandma’s Dark Fruitcake Tops Our Fruitcake Recipes List

Fruitcake’s bad reputation is partly a television joke. As the history of fruitcake notes, Tonight Show host Johnny Carson liked to quip that there is really only one fruitcake in the world, passed from family to family. Grandma’s dark loaf is the answer to that joke. Dates, raisins, currants and cherries soak overnight in orange juice, then get folded into a molasses and brown sugar batter with warm spices and plenty of toasted pecans. Baked low and slow, it slices cleanly and stays moist for weeks..

You will need: 2 cups raisins, 1 cup chopped dates, 1 cup currants, 1 cup candied cherries, 1 cup mixed candied peel, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup molasses, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons mixed spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups pecans.

How to make it: 1. Soak all the fruit in the orange juice overnight. 2. Heat the oven to 300F and line two loaf pans with parchment. 3. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs and molasses. 4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, spice and salt. 5. Fold in the fruit, any juice and the pecans. 6. Bake about 1 hour 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. 7. Cool in the pans, then wrap well.

Light Golden Fruitcake Recipes for People Who Think They Hate Fruitcake

If dark fruitcake feels too heavy for your crowd, the light version is the gateway. Across Central Europe a pale loaf like this one, called keks in Poland, is a staple next to the coffee pot, and the American golden fruitcake follows the same idea: a pound cake style batter made with white sugar and butter, studded with golden raisins, dried apricots, candied pineapple and almonds. There is no molasses and only a pinch of spice, so the fruit tastes bright and sunny. It is the easiest of all fruitcake recipes to love on the first bite.

You will need: 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, zest of 1 lemon, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup golden raisins, 1 cup chopped dried apricots, 1/2 cup candied pineapple, 1/2 cup candied cherries, 3/4 cup slivered almonds.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325F and line a large loaf pan. 2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. 3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and zest. 4. Toss the fruit and almonds with 2 tablespoons of the flour. 5. Mix the remaining flour, baking powder and salt into the batter alternately with the milk. 6. Fold in the fruit and nuts. 7. Bake 70 to 80 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Southern Japanese Fruitcake With Coconut Citrus Filling

Despite the name, Japanese fruitcake is an old Southern holiday layer cake, and the origin of its name is unclear. It turns up in church and community cookbooks across the Deep South, where plain butter layers alternate with spiced layers full of raisins and chopped pecans. The whole cake is held together with a cooked filling of lemon, orange and grated coconut that soaks into the layers overnight. It makes a showpiece for a Christmas buffet and proves that fruitcake does not have to come out of a loaf pan to feel like tradition.

You will need: Cake: 3 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and allspice. Filling: 2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup water, juice and zest of 2 lemons and 1 orange, 2 cups shredded coconut.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and grease three 9 inch pans. 2. Make the butter cake batter. 3. Pour one third into a pan; stir the raisins, pecans and spices into the rest and divide between two pans. 4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes and cool. 5. Simmer the filling ingredients, stirring, until thick and clear. 6. Stack the layers, plain in the middle, spreading warm filling between and over the top. 7. Rest overnight before slicing.

Jamaican Black Cake, With an Alcohol-Free Method

Across Jamaica and much of the Caribbean, Christmas is not complete without black cake, a rich descendant of British plum pudding. Prunes, raisins, currants and cherries are ground and soaked for days or even months, traditionally in rum and wine, and the batter is darkened with browning, a deep burnt sugar syrup. The result is moist, almost fudgy and nearly black. For a family friendly version, soak the fruit in grape juice and prune juice with orange zest instead. The flavor is still deep and fruity, and nobody at the table will miss a thing.

You will need: 1 cup pitted prunes, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup currants, 1/2 cup candied cherries, 2 cups grape juice, 1/2 cup prune juice, zest of 1 orange, 1 cup butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 5 eggs, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 3 tablespoons browning (burnt sugar syrup), 1 teaspoon vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Blend the fruit with the grape juice, prune juice and zest to a coarse paste, then cover and chill for 3 days (or simmer 10 minutes and cool for a quick version). 2. Heat the oven to 300F and line a 9 inch round pan. 3. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs. 4. Mix in the flour, baking powder and spices. 5. Stir in the fruit paste, browning and vanilla. 6. Bake about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until set. 7. Brush with a little extra grape juice while warm.

Scottish Dundee Cake With Its Famous Almond Top

Dundee cake comes from the Scottish city of the same name and can be recognized at a glance by the circles of whole blanched almonds pressed into the top before baking. It is lighter than a dark Christmas fruitcake, made with sultanas, currants, orange zest and ground almonds, and many cooks stir in a spoonful of orange marmalade for a gentle bitter note. Serve it in thin slices with a pot of strong tea in the afternoon. If you want to hand someone a fruitcake that already looks like a present, this is the one to bake.

You will need: 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, zest of 1 orange, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup ground almonds, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 1/2 cups sultanas or golden raisins, 1 cup currants, 1/3 cup candied peel, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 300F and line an 8 inch round pan. 2. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs, marmalade and zest. 3. Fold in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. 4. Stir in the dried fruit, peel and milk. 5. Spread in the pan and press the whole almonds on top in circles. 6. Bake about 1 1/2 hours, covering loosely with foil if the nuts brown too fast. 7. Cool completely in the pan.

German Stollen, the Christmas Bread That Counts as Fruitcake

Stollen is a yeast-raised fruit bread from Germany, with Dresden its most famous home, and it earns a spot in our roundup of Christmas desserts from around the world too. Raisins soaked in orange juice, candied peel and almonds are kneaded into a buttery dough, which is folded over a log of marzipan, baked, brushed with melted butter and buried under powdered sugar. That thick sugar coat helps it keep for weeks, which is why many families bake it at the start of Advent. Slice it thin and toast it lightly.

You will need: 1 cup raisins, 1/2 cup candied peel, 1/3 cup orange juice, 3 1/2 cups flour, 1 packet instant yeast, 1/3 cup sugar, 3/4 cup warm milk, 1 egg, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 7 ounces marzipan, 4 tablespoons melted butter, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Soak the raisins and peel in the orange juice for 1 hour, then drain. 2. Knead the flour, yeast, sugar, milk, egg, butter, salt and cardamom into a smooth dough. 3. Knead in the fruit and almonds and let rise 1 hour. 4. Roll into an oval, lay a marzipan log down the middle and fold over. 5. Rise 30 minutes, then bake at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes. 6. Brush with melted butter and dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Panettone-Style Fruit Bread You Can Bake at Home

Italy’s tall, domed panettone is technically a sweet bread, but it belongs in any list of holiday fruit cakes because it is built around raisins and candied citrus. Bakeries in Milan use a natural starter and days of rising; this simplified home version uses instant yeast and a slow overnight rise in the fridge to get a soft, feathery crumb. Bake it in a tall paper mold or a deep cake pan lined with a high collar of parchment. Leftover slices make outstanding French toast or bread pudding on Christmas morning.

You will need: 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 packet instant yeast, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3 eggs plus 2 yolks, 1/2 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup soft butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla, zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon, 3/4 cup raisins, 3/4 cup candied orange and lemon peel, 1 egg for brushing.

How to make it: 1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. 2. Add the eggs, yolks, milk and vanilla and knead 10 minutes. 3. Knead in the butter a little at a time, then the zest, raisins and peel. 4. Cover and chill overnight. 5. Shape into a ball, place in a 6 inch tall paper mold and rise until it nearly reaches the top. 6. Brush with egg and bake at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes. 7. Cool on its side or hanging upside down so it keeps its height.

Georgia Style Pecan Fruitcake Recipes From a Famous Fruitcake Town

In the United States, mail-order fruitcake took off in 1913, and the small town of Claxton, Georgia, became known for it; its local bakeries still send fruitcakes far beyond Georgia every holiday season. The Georgia style is light on cake and heavy on goodies: pecans, candied cherries, candied pineapple and raisins held together with just enough batter. Bake it in a tube pan and arrange cherries and nut halves on top before it goes in the oven, so it comes out looking like a jeweled crown. It is one of the fruitcake recipes even skeptics finish.

You will need: 3 cups pecan halves, 2 cups candied cherries, 1 1/2 cups candied pineapple, 1 cup golden raisins, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 5 eggs, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, 1/4 cup pineapple juice.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 275F and grease and line a 10 inch tube pan. 2. Toss the nuts and fruit with 1/2 cup of the flour. 3. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs. 4. Mix in the remaining flour, baking powder, salt, extracts and pineapple juice. 5. Fold in the fruit and nuts. 6. Spoon into the pan and decorate the top with extra cherries and pecans. 7. Bake about 2 1/2 hours with a pan of water on the lower rack.

Simnel Cake, the Easter Twist on Fruitcake Recipes

Simnel cake is the British fruitcake for spring rather than Christmas, traditionally baked for Easter. A light fruitcake batter is baked with a layer of marzipan melting through the middle, then topped with more marzipan, browned under the broiler and decorated with 11 marzipan balls, often said to stand for the apostles without Judas. It is less heavy than a winter cake and naturally free of alcohol. If your family only ever bakes fruitcake recipes at Christmas, this is a lovely excuse to bring one out again in April.

You will need: 3/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit, zest of 1 lemon, 1 1/2 lb marzipan, 2 tablespoons apricot jam, 1 egg white.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 300F and line an 8 inch round pan. 2. Roll one third of the marzipan into an 8 inch circle. 3. Cream the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour, spice, baking powder, fruit and zest. 4. Spoon half into the pan, lay the marzipan circle on top and cover with the rest. 5. Bake about 2 1/4 hours and cool. 6. Brush the top with jam, add a second marzipan circle and set 11 small marzipan balls around the edge. 7. Brush with egg white and brown briefly under the broiler, watching closely.

German Früchtebrot, a Fruit Loaf That Is Mostly Fruit

Früchtebrot, also called Hutzelbrot in parts of southern Germany, is a dense fruit bread that is almost all fruit: dried pears, figs, prunes, dates and raisins with hazelnuts and walnuts, held together by a little dough and warm spices like cinnamon, anise and cloves. It is sliced very thin and spread with butter, and it keeps for weeks wrapped in foil. Traditionally the fruit is soaked in brandy or kirsch, but soaking it overnight in apple juice works just as well and keeps the loaf family friendly.

You will need: 1 cup chopped dried pears, 1 cup chopped dried figs, 1 cup chopped prunes, 1/2 cup chopped dates, 1/2 cup raisins, 1 cup apple juice, 1 cup hazelnuts, 1/2 cup walnuts, 1 1/2 cups flour (half rye if you like), 1 packet instant yeast, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground anise, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup warm water.

How to make it: 1. Soak the fruit in the apple juice overnight. 2. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, spices and salt. 3. Add the warm water and any soaking juice to make a stiff dough. 4. Knead in the fruit and nuts with damp hands. 5. Shape two small loaves on a lined baking sheet and let rise 1 hour. 6. Bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes and brush with a little hot sugar water for shine. 7. Cool, wrap and rest 2 days before slicing thin.

Welsh Bara Brith, Speckled Bread for Afternoon Tea

Bara brith means speckled bread in Welsh, a name that describes every slice dotted with dried fruit. Like Ireland’s barmbrack, its close cousin, it starts with fruit soaked in hot tea, but many Welsh families make it with no butter at all, so it is lighter than most fruit loaves and keeps beautifully for days wrapped in foil. A spoonful of marmalade and a little mixed spice give it a gentle warmth. Bara brith is wonderful with butter and a cup of tea, and it travels well, so it makes a thoughtful homemade gift for neighbors.

You will need: 2 cups mixed dried fruit, 1 cup hot strong tea, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons orange marmalade, 2 cups self-rising flour, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, butter to serve.

How to make it: 1. Pour the hot tea over the fruit and sugar, cover and soak overnight. 2. Heat the oven to 325F and line a loaf pan. 3. Beat the egg and marmalade into the fruit mixture. 4. Fold in the flour and spice until no dry streaks remain. 5. Spoon into the pan. 6. Bake about 1 hour 10 minutes. 7. Cool, wrap in foil and wait a day before slicing for the best texture.

Boiled Fruitcake Recipes for a Last-Minute Bake

Boiled fruitcake is the answer when you forgot to soak the fruit a week ago. The dried fruit, butter, sugar and liquid are simmered together in a saucepan for a few minutes, which plumps the fruit instantly, then the mixture cools before the eggs and flour go in. The result is a moist, dense cake with none of the dryness people fear. Families in Australia and Britain have relied on it for generations. It is one of the most forgiving fruitcake recipes, and it slices beautifully the next day.

You will need: 1 lb mixed dried fruit, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1 cup orange juice or water, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional.

How to make it: 1. Put the fruit, sugar, butter, juice and spice in a large saucepan. 2. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. 3. Stir in the baking soda (it will foam) and cool completely. 4. Heat the oven to 325F and line an 8 inch pan. 5. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder and nuts. 6. Bake about 1 1/4 hours, until a skewer comes out clean. 7. Cool in the pan.

Steamed Christmas Pudding, Fruitcake’s Old English Cousin

Long before fruitcake became a holiday punchline, British families steamed a plum pudding, and Christmas pudding is still the dark, glossy finale of many English Christmas dinners. It shares most of its ingredients with fruitcake, including raisins, currants, candied peel, brown sugar and spice, but it is steamed in a bowl for hours instead of baked, which makes it soft, rich and moist. Families traditionally stir the mixture together on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. Use orange juice and strong tea in place of brandy and serve it warm with custard.

You will need: 1 cup raisins, 1 cup currants, 1/2 cup candied peel, 1 grated apple, zest and juice of 1 orange, 1/2 cup strong tea, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup flour, 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon mixed spice, warm custard to serve.

How to make it: 1. Soak the dried fruit and peel in the orange juice and tea overnight. 2. Grease a 1 1/2 quart heatproof bowl. 3. Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, apple and zest, then stir in the flour, breadcrumbs, spice and soaked fruit. 4. Spoon into the bowl, cover with pleated parchment and foil and tie with string. 5. Set on a trivet in a large covered pot with simmering water halfway up the bowl and steam 5 to 6 hours, topping up the water. 6. Cool, rewrap and refrigerate up to a month. 7. Steam 1 to 2 hours to reheat and serve with warm custard.

Iced Christmas Fruitcake With Marzipan and Royal Icing

In Britain the traditional Christmas cake is a rich fruitcake that is baked weeks ahead, wrapped and brushed with liquid every so often to keep it moist. Just before the holiday it is covered with a layer of marzipan and a snowy coat of royal icing, then decorated with little trees, reindeer or a sprig of holly. For an alcohol-free version, feed the cake with orange or apple juice and store it in the fridge. When you finally cut into it, the dark, jewel-like fruit inside looks wonderful against the white icing.

You will need: 1 baked dark fruitcake (8 inch round), 3 tablespoons apricot jam, 1 lb marzipan, powdered sugar for rolling, 2 egg whites or 2 tablespoons meringue powder with water, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, orange juice for feeding, decorations of your choice.

How to make it: 1. Bake the fruitcake 2 to 4 weeks ahead and brush with a little orange juice once a week, keeping it wrapped in the fridge. 2. Warm the jam and brush it over the cake. 3. Roll out the marzipan, drape it over and smooth the sides. 4. Let it dry overnight. 5. Beat the egg whites, powdered sugar and lemon juice to stiff royal icing. 6. Spread it over the cake and swirl into peaks. 7. Decorate and let it set.

How to Store Fruitcake So It Tastes Even Better

Many bakers feel fruitcake improves with age, and good storage is the secret. Let the cake cool completely, wrap it in parchment, then in foil, and keep it in an airtight tin. Cakes soaked with spirits are traditionally kept in a cool cupboard, but alcohol-free fruitcakes should go in the fridge after a few days and can be frozen for up to six months. And if a loaf ever does go stale, there is always the Great Fruitcake Toss, held each January in Manitou Springs, Colorado, where unwanted fruitcakes are launched for fun.

You will need: Parchment paper, aluminum foil, an airtight tin or container, a pastry brush, orange or apple juice for brushing, freezer bags, labels.

How to make it: 1. Cool the fruitcake completely in its pan. 2. Wrap snugly in parchment, then foil. 3. For an alcohol-free cake, brush lightly with juice once a week and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 4. For longer storage, freeze whole or in slices, wrapped and bagged, for up to 6 months. 5. Thaw overnight in the fridge, still wrapped. 6. Slice with a sharp serrated knife dipped in hot water for neat pieces.